The Savannah Bananas are coming back to Roku
The Savannah Bananas are coming back to Roku
Following last year’s Fenway Park broadcast, the free streamer will get a package of 5 games this season.
The greatest show on a diamond is coming back to Roku. Last summer, the Roku Channel was the exclusive Banana Ball game between the Savannah Bananas and the Firefighters that took place at the famed Fenway Park. Now, the free streaming platform is getting a few more games from this summer’s Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL) schedule. Between April and September, the Roku Channel will be the exclusive streamer of five games, kicking off with this month’s matchup with the Part animals at Yankee Stadium.
Key Details:
- Banana Ball for all: The Roku Channel will air five Banana Ball Championship League games this season for free.
- Bigger package: The platform increased its broadcast package with the Bananas after airing the team’s game at Fenway Park last summer.
- More ways to watch: Roku joins Disney and Warner Bros. Discover in airing exclusive BBCL games this year.
As Major League Baseball continues to see its television viewership defy industry standards and rise in notable ways, perhaps the most entertaining brand of baseball comes in bright yellow packaging. The Savannah Bananas bring a unique style and flair to baseball that can not be found anywhere else.
The BBCL uses what are known as Banana Ball Rules, which change baseball’s traditional scoring, guarantee that no new inning will begin after two hours, focus on speeding up the game, outlaw bunting, make any foul ball caught by a fan an out, and much more.
Each BBCL game also features tricks (which get bonus points), fully choreographed musical performances, umpire challenges, and more. This reinvention, coupled with a commitment to keep ticket prices affordable, the Savannah Bananas have inspired a brand new generation of fans, and streaming services have taken notice.
“The Savannah Bananas deliver a one-of-a-kind experience with high energy, high stakes, and lots of fun. We can’t wait to bring their antics back to millions of viewers on Roku Sports Channel,” Roku’s head of sports, Joe Franzetta, said. “We’re beyond excited to collaborate on some bespoke opportunities, to help both new and die-hard fans discover and engage with the game across our platform.”
Roku joins Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery as broadcast partners for the 2026 BBCL. Earlier this year, the Bananas inked their largest broadcast deal in team history, when ESPN signed on to air 25 games from February through August. Those games will be available across a variety of platforms, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Unlimited, and Disney+. Then, last month, WBD picked up a BBCL package of 15 games, airing on truTV and HBO Max, primarily on Friday nights.
While in different ways than ESPN and WBD, Roku is striving to be an invaluable part of the sports streaming experience. As the most used streaming platform in North America, Roku is a bridge to broadcasters like ESPN and WBD, while also streaming exclusive sporting events on the Roku Channel. But what helps the platform stand further apart from other rights holders is the fact that it is completely free to stream sports (and anything else) on Roku.
In addition to the five games on Roku’s schedule, the free platform announced that it will also launch interactive experiences centered around the Bananas as well. Roku didn’t explain what those experiences might be, but they did promise to share more details at a later time. With the first Roku game of the season coming up in just over two weeks, I wouldn’t imagine we would have to wait too long to find out.
”We are fired up to grow our relationship with Roku in 2026,” Bananas’ owner Jesse Cole said. “We could feel the significant impact and reach after partnering on one game this past year, so we are thrilled to showcase some of our biggest Banana Ball games of the year on Roku in 2026.”
What is the schedule of Savannah Bananas games on the Roku Channel?
| Date | Time (ET) | Location | Outlet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, April 26 | 3 p.m. | New York, NY | Yankee Stadium | The Roku Channel |
| Saturday, July 4 | 8 p.m. | Iowa City, Iowa | Kinnick Stadium | The Roku Channel |
| Sunday, Aug. 9 | 4 p.m. | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Target Field | The Roku Channel |
| Friday, Sept. 18 | 7 p.m. | Detroit, Michigan | Comerica Park | The Roku Channel |
| Friday, Sept. 25 | 8 p.m. | Arlington, Texas | Globe Life Field | The Roku Channel |
Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free, ad-supported streaming service that offers a broad mix of movies, TV shows, live linear channels, and original programming. Available to all viewers — not just Roku device owners — the service features licensed content from major studios alongside Roku Originals, which include exclusive series, movies, and specials previously produced for Quibi, as well as new original projects developed specifically for the platform.