Roku Channel Adds Free Streaming Channels from NBCUniversal Focused on ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ ‘Saved by the Bell,’ More
Roku Channel Adds Free Streaming Channels from NBCUniversal Focused on ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ ‘Saved by the Bell,’ More
Since the dawn of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST), classic television has been the backbone of many services offering these types of channels, and now one of the largest ad-supported platforms is bringing more iconic series to its service. On Tuesday, The Roku Channel announced that it was launching channels centered on some of NBCUniversal’s most beloved shows.
Available on the platform now are channels dedicated to “Murder, She Wrote” and “Little House on the Prairie,” with a new channel called Universal Crime which features episodes from series including “Columbo,” “Kojak,” “The Rockford Files,” and more. Other FAST channels hitting the streamer include “Saved by the Bell” and “Bad Girls Club,” and TNBC (Teen NBC) which features episodes of beloved family series “Punky Brewster,” “Major Dad,” “Hang Time” amongst others. There will be more channels launching later this year.
Today, NBCUniversal (NBCU) and Roku announced that new free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) linear content offerings featuring fan-favorite programming from across the NBCU Global Distribution library are now available on The Roku Channel, with more channels to come later this year.
“The Roku Channel is thrilled to announce its expanded relationship with longtime partner NBCUniversal,” Roku Channel VP Jennifer Vaux said. “As FAST continues to gain incredible popularity in the marketplace, we’re excited to bring such terrific content options – including a strong roster of very well-known, fan-favorite programming – to our viewers.”
This announcement is an expansion of Roku and NBCU’s existing partnership. The streaming platform already hosts the media company’s NBC News Now, Dateline 24/7, Today All Day, LX, NBC local channels, Telemundo regional news channels, Sky News International, and The Rotten Tomatoes Channel. Viewers can find the currently available channels The Roku Channel’s Live TV Guide.
Other channels that are planned for the partnership include Universal Action, which will focus on iconic action-packed series like “The A-Team,” the original “Magnum P.I.,” and “Knight Rider.” The Roku Channel will also feature the Alfred Hitchcock Presents channel which will stream episodes from the legendary director’s iconic anthology series.
“NBCUniversal has an unrivaled catalog of iconic series that have withstood the test of time and entertained audiences around the world,” NBCU EVP Bruce Casino said. “We are excited to expand upon our longstanding relationship with The Roku Channel and dive into the dramatically growing FAST sector by partnering with them to bring our beloved TV shows to their viewers.”
The Roku Channel features more than 80,000 free on-demand titles and over 350 free live linear television channels in the United States including a wide range of local news channels from CBS and Fox thatjoined the platform on Tuesday as well.
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.