Live TV channels always attract more viewers during floods, wave of a pandemic, or even a national crisis. There are a number of channel service providers offering limited free live TV channels to their customers. Roku is one of those service providers and now expanding its free channel service by adding 100 live channels listed in a new program guide. The company offers linear programming from categories like news channels including ABC News Live, Reuters, and Newsy. There are free channels for kids such as Teletubbies and Kidz Bop, and Lifestyle channels including Bon Appetit and Bob Ross. Free Sports channels Bein and Outside TV also added to the list.
It is noteworthy that Roku Channel has added a “Live TV” tile at the top of the app in order to watch the new channels. So, you can also press the left arrow to access the guide from within any screen of the app. This guide offers 12-hours of data and viewers can press the Star button to switch the guide between All Channels and the Recent Channels. Moreover, the company has indicated it isn’t currently possible to set reminders for upcoming programs. The company also promised a Fast Channel Switching for finding the exact channel you need to watch.
The content isn’t the same as what you’ll get from cable TV or live TV streaming services, in spite of appearing in a guide and including some familiar names and even live sports. The present program guide is a mix of older and lesser-known channels. Roku Channel started in 2018 and available on Roku devices including streamers and Roku TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, the iOS or Android Roku apps, and web browsers. Roku has confirmed in a statement that the Roku Channel has reached more than 31 million people in the 1st quarter of 2020.
