Roku Is Adding Free Streaming Local News TV Channels
Cord cutters with Roku devices will now have more ways to keep up with the news. The company announced that it's adding over 40 new channels to its Roku Network service, including several local news streams from major cities. The Roku Channel is a free, ad-supported streaming channel that comes built-in with Roku TVs and streaming devices like the Roku Express and Roku Streaming Stick 4K. It's also available on non-Roku products through its own website.
Access to live TV is one of the biggest hurdles cord-cutters face when eschewing broadcast and cable TV for streaming services like Netflix and Max. While broadcast rights to most popular sports are too expensive for companies that don't have the massive purses companies like Amazon and Apple do, acquiring access to news is less difficult for smaller networks like Roku. The new channels include 24/7 streams from major news markets, through Fox and CBS affiliates. While it's not exactly the same as watching the 11 o'clock news live on your local CBS station, the curated feed presents current events, recent broadcasts, weather, traffic, and various pre-recorded lifestyle and other news segments.
The Fox and CBS News channels being added to the Roku Channel include news from New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Houston, Seattle, Atlanta, Phoenix, and several more markets.
Roku is also adding MrBeast and more as it grows its FAST service
It's not just news channels being added to The Roku Channel. Along with the aforementioned local affiliate streams, Roku is also adding Spanish-language content from La Saga and VR+, and iconic shows from NBCUniversal like "Saved by the Bell" and "Murder She Wrote." The service is also adding some sports and family programming, as well as a channel dedicated to streaming superstar, MrBeast, who has over 176 million subscribers on YouTube.
With the boost to its catalog, Roku is making it clear that it's a top player in the growing free ad-supported television (FAST) market, which has exploded in recent years. FAST typically doesn't require an account or any subscription — you can open the app and start streaming content immediately, just like turning on live TV. The catch, of course, is lots of ads, but the convenience has helped FAST networks like Pluto TV grow in popularity.
The Roku Network already has an advantage since it's built right in as an app for Roku TVs and devices. It's also waded into the already-crowded original programming market, with original movies like "WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story," and acquired the original content library of the failed short-form streaming platform Quibi. With additions like live news networks and MrBeast, The Roku Network is poised to become an even bigger player in the streaming wars, especially as FAST services grow in the face of price hikes from major streamers like Disney+, Netflix, and Hulu.