Roku Adds 25 New Free Channels
The Roku Channel is expanding! The company announced earlier in February that 25 new live linear channels have been added to the platform, bringing viewers "live content from the biggest names in TV." With the 25 new channels, viewers can now stream more than 250 live channels for free on The Roku Channel in the U.S., according to the official Roku Blog.
Now available on demand, 24/7, the 25 new channels include a wide range of content, including programming from iconic brands with channels like Supermark Sweep, in which "three teams of two battle it out using their grocery shopping skills and knowledge of merchandise to win cash prizes." The new expansion also includes the addition of The Price Is Right: The Barker Era, with Roku's official synopsis reading, "television's longest-running game show, featuring host Bob Barker, where audience members try to win cash and prizes." Another iconic brand now available is Project Runway, in which "designers compete to create the best clothing designs that are judged by a panel including the show host and judges."
The added 25 channels also include six brand-new channels from A+E, like Ice Road Truckers, the synopsis reading, "at the top of the world, there's a job only a few would dare! 24/7 episodes of the legendary series." True crime fans can jump onto the Crime ThrillHer channel, which dives "into the unimaginable with hair-raising thrillers, cautionary tales and ripped-from-the-headlines movies." The A+E lineup also includes channels for Ax Men, Modern Marvels, Kriminal, and UnXplained Zone.
Roku has also added several family-friendly channels, like AfroKiddos, which allows streamers to watch hundreds of African kids TV from Africa and its diaspora for free, and Bob the Builder, in which viewers can "join Bob the Builder and his machine team as they tackle any project. Can we fix it? Yes we can!" Another highlighted family-friendly channel is Sensical 8, which features award-winning favorites and awesome videos from popular digital stars.
The remainder of the new 25 channel lineup includes AfrolandTV, Aspire TV Life, BlackPix, Demand Africa, Fox Weather, Kin, Kriminal, Modern Marvels, Red Green Channel, Redbox Faith & Family, Redbox Romance, SPARK TV, This Old House Makers Channel, Total Crime, UnXplained Zone, an Vive Kanal D Drama. You can find full synopsis for each channel on the Roku Blog here. The channels are now available on the Roku Channel. The channel expansion comes amid Roku's commitment to bring viewers "a wide range of programming to choose from to fit whatever streaming mood you're in," which in August saw the company adding 23 new Roku Originals to its free, ad-supported Roku Channel.