Roku Consolidating Live MLB Games, Other Popular Sports Programming onto Single Free Channel
The aptly-named ‘Roku Sports Channel’ will launch in the coming days.
The Roku Channel has made great strides to become a leader in sports among free streaming services. The platform has made meaningful sports additions in recent months, including the acquisition of the MLB Sunday Leadoff package, the rights to stream “GMFB: Overtime,” an extension of the NFL Network’s popular “Good Morning Football,” and more. All of that content can be a bit difficult to find considering The Roku Channel offers hundreds of free streaming channels, so the company is moving to consolidate its most popular sports shows and events on a new channel dubbed the “Roku Sports Channel.”
Key Details:
- The Roku Sports Channel will launch on Monday, Aug. 12.
- The channel will host MLB Sunday Leadoff, “The Rich Eisen Show,” Formula E races and more.
- Programming expansions like NBA G-League games and original documentaries will eventually come to the channel as well.
The new Roku Sports Channel is due to launch on Monday, Aug. 12, so viewers won’t have to wait long to try it out for themselves. Live sporting events will include the aforementioned MLB Sunday Leadoff games, as well as live Formula E races, which Roku first acquired the rights to in summer 2023.
Sports-related talk shows and other shoulder programming like “The Rich Eisen Show” and “GMFB: Overtime” will also be featured on The Roku Sports Channel. Roku original titles such as “WWE: Next Gen,” “NFL Draft: The Pick is In,” and “Fight Inc: Inside the UFC” will all be found on the channel, and more content such as classic boxing matches, poker tournaments and other events from Roku licensing partners will be offered.
“A curated always-on channel that leads our viewer through the wide variety of premium sports content available for free on The Roku Channel, Roku Sports Channel is an exciting addition to our expanding sports offering,” said Joe Franzetta, Head of Sports, Roku Media. “We continue to see audiences enjoy the familiar, lean-back experience FAST offers, especially with sports. Sports is one of our most popular channel genres on The Roku Channel, which makes us so excited to make it even easier for audiences to jump into Roku’s standout programming.”
Will Roku Continue Adding Live Sports?
The launch of the Roku Sports Channel could be an indication that Roku intends to pursue further live sports deals. Indeed, the announcement of the channel included a peek at future additions, including live NBA G-League games, and an original WNBA documentary entitled “Renee Montgomery: A Radical Act.”
Viewers shouldn’t expect Roku to chase bigger sports deals, like live games from the NFL or NBA any time soon, however. The Roku Channel has more than 83 million monthly active users but has struggled to materially grow its average revenue per user (ARPU) in the past few quarters. The streamer doesn’t have the cash to chase high-dollar sports rights, nor would its distribution model be favorable enough for sports leagues to consider selling big packages of games to the streamer. MLB Sunday Leadoff might be the ceiling for Roku as far as sports deals with major leagues in the United States go.
Smaller sports deals remain on the table, however. Perhaps Roku could pursue a selection of pickleball rights, or go after an NCAA Division II or III conference and add some college sports to its inventory.
Any future sports acquired by Roku would be perfect additions to the new Roku Sports Channel. The launch of such a channel is a wise move by Roku, who knows that customers are looking for ways to find more sports content with less scrolling and clicking around.
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.