Roku Channel Now Available on Google TV Devices as Ad-Supported Streaming Giant Continues to Expand Reach
In May, the free streaming platform The Roku Channel hit a milestone eclipsing 1% of total TV viewing time in Nielsen’s monthly analysis for the first time. It now appears that the free ad-supported streaming provider is looking to increase its overall percentage. On Wednesday, Roku announced that its streaming platform could now be found on Google TVs via the Google Play Store.
To download The Roku Channel, you can click here or search for the channel in the Google Play Store. Then, simply download the app and start streaming. While you can sign up for premium streaming services on the platform, there is no subscription required to stream via The Roku Channel. The service features over 80,000 free titles including the acclaimed mock-biopic “WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story,” the action comedy series “Die Hart,” the rebooted “The Great American Baking Show,” and much more.
In addition to those on-demand titles, The Roku Channel also features over 350 free, live, linear channels that provide around-the-clock programming featuring news, sports, classic TV and movies, and more. And, beginning in January, the platform will become the lead broadcaster of Formula E World Championship racing, marking the company’s first live sports rights. CBS will continue to air select races on its linear channels through the season.
Following the first quarter of 2023, The Roku Channel reported that it had 71.6 million active users who accounted for 25.1 billion hours streamed. With Google TV adding support for the platform, undoubtedly those numbers will continue to increase. The company is banking on its ever-expanding user base as it is beginning to roll out new features across its array of advertising products. Earlier this week, the company announced that it would be teaming up with e-commerce platform Shopify in order to allow viewers to purchase products seen in ads on their screens, using only their remotes.
By virtue of the fact that Roku is the largest streaming operating system in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, its reach is already massive, but by continuing to introduce its app onto smart TVs that employ other platforms, the company is setting itself up to be an even more dominant force in both streaming and — perhaps more importantly — advertising.
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.