- Free ad-supported channels are now available on Roku TVs and streaming devices
- The selection is very US-focused
- Major UK broadcasters are still in their own apps
Roku has added stacks of new free channels for viewers in the UK, and the line-up includes some familiar names including Deal or No Deal, PGA Tour golf and MLB.
All 40 of the new channels are available now, and you can find them in The Roku Channel and in the Live TV Zone on your Roku TV or Roku streamer. You don’t need to sign up for anything or install any additional apps.
The arrival of these channels was first announced in September, and while it’s an overdue addition – Roku has long offered free ad-supported TV channels in the US, Canada and South America – I’d like to see more channels added soon in order to make the live TV section worth visiting.
What channels are UK Roku users getting?
Roku has listed a dozen highlights of the new live TV section (the full line-up is here). And they are:
- Sports: PGA TOUR, TNA Wrestling, MLB
- Entertainment: Deal or No Deal, Fear Factor
- Drama: The Bold and the Beautiful
- Home: The Martha Stewart Channel, This Old House
- Crime & Medical: Unsolved Mysteries, Untold Stories of the ER
- Nature & Wildlife: NatureTime, Love Pets
While it’s nice to get more free stuff, there’s a distinct “20th page of the EPG” vibe to the listed channels. And if these are the best ones, then it means Roku is still lagging behind the likes of Amazon, whose Fire TV live channels also include UK broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV. They’re not among the Live TV selection on Roku.
You can still get those channels on Roku, of course. But you need individual apps to do it. And that means the live TV section doesn’t feel like a one-stop go-to place for all your favourite channels and shows – which it needs to be if Roku is going to make any money selling ads in it.
Hopefully that means that this is the beginning of a raft of UK improvements, and that more will be coming soon.
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