NBC Bringing Additional Free English, Spanish-Language News Channels to Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is getting more live news offerings. Roku and NBCUniversal have announced an expansion of their relationship which will bring more NBC News offerings to the free ad-supported TV (FAST) service. The expansion begins with four new Spanish-language regional news channels that are available to region-specific Roku Channel users starting today, Tuesday, Nov. 15.
The four new Spanish-language news channels now available to select Roku Channel subscribers are Noticias Telemundo California, Noticias Telemundo Florida, Noticias Telemundo Noreste, and Noticias Telemundo Texas – each powered by Telemundo-owned stations in each state and region.
There will be even more NBC News offerings coming to the Roku Channel next year as in 2023, the service will add the Dateline 24/7, TODAY All Day, and Sky News International FAST channels for all Roku Channel users. The deal also includes a renewal of the NBC News NOW channel, keeping it on the Roku Channel for years to come.
“There is tremendous value in the lean-back experience our FAST offerings provide our audiences and partners,” NBCU’s president of content distribution Matt Schnaars said. “NBC News, NBCUniversal Local and Sky News are trusted sources of information for millions and this is a great opportunity to enhance The Roku Channel on behalf of our viewers.”
Existing NBCUniversal content on The Roku Channel includes NBC News NOW, several NBC local news channels, and The Rotten Tomatoes Channel. Additionally, users of The Roku Channel have access to a wide range of ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) content from NBCU, featuring fan-favorite programming including “Will & Grace” and “Friday Night Lights.”
“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with NBCUniversal to bring more of its premium news lineup, including national, local, international, and Spanish-language regional news channels, to The Roku Channel,” The Roku Channel’s head of AVOD Ashley Hovey said. “Audiences are increasingly streaming news, and we are thrilled to work with NBCUniversal, home to some of the industry’s most respected news organizations, to continue bringing our users a robust lineup of valuable news programming.”
NBCU has been busy expanding its live news offerings as of late. The company recently announced that its streaming platform Peacock would carry NBC affiliates in all 210 U.S. markets on its Premium Plus price tier.
The Roku Channel has also been enhancing its offerings, recently. The company announced a deal with AMC in early November which brought 11 AMC-powered FAST channels to the service, allowing customers to enjoy shows like “Mad Men” and more. The Roku Channel added 2.3 million active accounts in the third quarter of 2022, and its expanded news offerings from NBCU will likely attract even more viewers next quarter.
Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free live TV streaming service that provides 350+ live linear streaming channels and more than 80,000 free movies and TV shows. The library contains entertainment from several different decades, including some major hits.