On August 12, Roku will launch a new 24/7 sports channel in the United States, which will be called the Roku Sports Channel. It's a FAST (free ad-supported television) streaming service, meaning you won't need to pay a subscription or sign up to gain access. All you'll need to watch the show is the official app on your smartphone, own one of the company's devices, or visit the Roku Channel website.
According to the announcement, the channel will air a wide range of sports and sports-related content “that Roku owns and licenses.” This includes live Major League Baseball games via MLB Sunday Leadoff, Formula E races, talk shows like Good Morning Football: Overtime, and even some original programming.
Beyond traditional sports, the Roku channel will also feature “exclusive partner content,” including archival boxing fights from Top Rank, MMA bouts via combat sports platform Swere Sport, and even poker games from PokerGO.
The company plans to expand its exclusive programming in the future, and Roku has promised to eventually stream NBA G-League games and minor league basketball in the U.S. Additionally, an original documentary focusing on former WNBA player Renee Montgomery is also in the works.
Live sports streaming
The launch of the Roku Sports Channel comes at an interesting time, as other platforms are looking to expand into the sports space. Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery announced in May that they were working together to create Venu, a streaming service entirely dedicated to offering live sports.
Not much is known about Venu beyond what kind of content it will have, and we could see it launch in the coming months as all three companies aim for a fall 2024 launch. Then, on Christmas Day, Netflix is set to air two professional football games back-to-back as part of a new partnership with the NFL.
The Roku Channel will serve as a free alternative for sports fans amid rising subscription costs. Plus, its early launch date gives it an edge over the competition that is still gearing up. We are concerned about the content it will host, though.
Keep in mind: The sports channel will only show “programming that Roku owns and licenses,” which leads us to think that perhaps its library isn’t as robust as ESPN Plus’s. This wouldn’t surprise us, as subscription streaming services typically have better content offerings. We’ve reached out to Roku for more information and will update this story if we hear back.
While we're at it, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best TVs for 2024.
