Get ready for two official Roku apps. The Streaming The company's free TV service, Roku Channel, has its own app for iOS and Android. With the new app, you can watch 115+ free live channels as well as older shows and movies on your phone and tablet. It also acts as a hub where you can subscribe to some premium services like HBO and Showtime.
The new Roku Channel app does not replace the company's existing app, which is simply called Roku. With this app, you can still control your Roku TVs and streamers from your phone and give voice commands and listen privately through headphones. The existing Roku app also has its own Roku channel area. In the meantime, the new dedicated Roku Channel app doesn't act as a remote control, just for streaming. And you don't need a Roku device to download and access the free Roku Channel app.
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Roku Channel's live content includes news (ABC News Live, Reuters, Newsy), kids (Teletubbies, Kidz Bop), lifestyle (Bon Appetit, Bob Ross), and sports (Bein, Outside TV). More free live channels will be added starting Tuesday including The LEGO Channel, HappyKids.tv, Maverick Black Cinema and a range of entertainment options in Spanish.
However, it is important to note that these live channels are not or the same as those on cable TV Live TV streaming services. You are closer to others live, free of charge, financed by advertising Services like Pluto TV and Xumo TV, which offers a mix of older and lesser-known shows. (Editor's note: Showtime and Pluto TV are both owned by ViacomCBS, the parent company of CNET.)
Outside of live content, you'll also find seasons of shows like Hell's Kitchen, Who's the Boss, and Cold Case. There are also films like Halloween, Fatal Attraction, About Schmidt, and Con Air.
Roku is the most popular streaming platform in the U.S., with 43 million active accounts by the end of Q2 2020, the company said. You can find the Roku Channel on Roku devices, including its streamers and Roku TVs, as well as web browsers and Samsung Smart TVs.
For more information, check out our guide on how to replace Netflix and other expensive subscriptions with free services and the best TV streaming services for cable cutters.
Ranking 101 US Streaming Services
