Surprise Roku gift gets you 12 free live channels – claim it to unlock enormous library of 80,000 movies and shows too
ONE of the most popular free, ad-supported streaming providers has unleashed 12 new channels.
The Roku Channel boasts over 350 live TV channels and 80,000 free movies and shows – and it continually adds more.
This includes a dozen channels arriving this month, featuring everything from comedy to shows for children.
Among the new additions are two spin-offs of Black Entertainment Television, an American cable channel.
The BET X Tyler Perry Comedy and BET X Tyler Perry Drama channels carry content from the popular filmmaker.
Roku has also been steadily expanding its Spanish-language offerings in recent months.
The latest additions include Canala.TV Pasion and two news channels called Nosicias Univision 24/7 and ADN40.
Other new channels include the Joel Osteen Network, Real Disaster Channel, Turca, and Team USA.
A channel called FGteev, which centers on gaming and sketch comedy, has been added to bolster the streamer’s portfolio of kids’ content.
All users have to do to access these new perks is to search for them and add them through the Roku Channel Store.
The company was founded in 2002 by Anthony Wood, an English-born businessman who relocated to the United States as a teenager.
Wood wanted to help TV fans watch what they wanted when they wanted, and devised the idea of a TV operating system that could connect viewers to a library of online content.
Roku released its first product in 2008 – a streaming box called the Roku DVP, which was met with wild popularity.
The company sells its own hardware that is compatible with any TV that has an HDMI connection. This means virtually anyone can access the streamer’s growing body of content.
Each player comes with a Roku remote to navigate on-screen menus and control playback.
The company also licenses its operating system to television manufacturers like Toshiba and Hisense and to create Roku-branded TVs.
The streamer has steadily been expanding its portfolio of content on The Roku Channel, which falls into a category known as FAST TV – an acronym for “free, ad-supported streaming”.
It boasts content from over 250 partners, including live news from networks like NBC, FOX, and CBS.
The Roku Channel – what you need to know
Here's the lowdown...
The Roku Channel is a streaming app that’s available on a range of devices.
It offers more than 400 live TV channels.
And it promises over 80,000 movies and TV shows on an on-demand basis.
Roku says that the app is available on:
- Roku streaming devices
- Compatible Samsung Smart TVs
- Compatible AMazon Fire TV devices
- TheRokuChannel.com website
- Roku mobile apps (iOS and Android)
Roku notes that the app is only available in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It’s also available in Mexico, but only on Roku devices.
Earlier this month, five new channels graced viewers’ TV screens: America’s Test Kitchen, Love Nature, MagellanTV Now, Space Science Now, and Wild Oceans.
And there are ways to access a wealth of additional content through partner streaming services.
Roku fans can add even more content exclusive to Tubi, another free streaming service, by adding the channel to their account.