Roku is having a bit of a transformation at the moment, and sports fans will be very pleased with the streamer’s most recent stunt.
Hot on the heels of Roku’s huge free Home Screen upgrade, the streaming giant has quietly added a handful of new sports channels just in time for the World Cup — and the best part is that they’re all completely free to access on The Roku Channel.
Joining Roku’s roster of over 500 free live channels are Sports Illustrated, which spotlights league updates while offering sports news and analysis coverage, and FIFA Plus Women, a women’s soccer-based channel with highlights, live matches, and stories featured on individual athletes.
Additionally, FIFA Plus Español will also be joining the mix, which is essentially the Spanish-language answer to FIFA Plus Women, but offers coverage on international events. Aside from soccer content, Stingray Hooked covers all things fishing-related including tips and angling expeditions across the globe — because even keen fishers need their own programming.
This isn’t the first time this year that Roku has expanded its collection of free streaming channels. Back in April it rolled out a bunch of new channels dedicated to round-the-clock viewing for Western movies, in addition to new non-stop reality TV channels.
Just like Roku’s other free channels, its new sports content will also be ad-supported. You should also be aware that, though the new channels arrive just in time for the World Cup celebrations, you won’t be able to watch the associated matches through The Roku Channel. Luckily, we’ve got you covered.
How to watch the FIFA World Cup
Want to know how to watch the FIFA World Cup? Look no further.
Luckily for viewers in the UK and Australia, every match will be broadcast for free on BBC and ITV (UK), and SBS on Demand (Australia), so you won’t need to worry about needing a VPN, just a TV license. Although, if you happen to be travelling while the World Cup is on, Norton VPN is our top pick.
As for viewers in the US, it gets a little more complicated as you won’t be able to stream every match for free, but there are a few ways for you to get your soccer fix. Fox Sports (Fox One and FS1) will be broadcasting the matches live, so if you’re subscribed to a live streaming service that houses these channels such as YouTube TV or Hulu+ Live TV, you’ll be able to watch them included in your membership.
If you’ve been toying with signing up to YouTube TV for a while, then your best option is the Sports Plan, which offers everything from news, to live games and local channels. It’s currently on offer for $54.99 a month (was $64.99), which will save you $120 for your first 12 months. Alternatively, you could also just make the most of a 21-day free trial if you know you won’t use YouTube TV when the World Cup is over.
However, a VPN might be a more cost-effective way of watching World Cup matches, which you can then use to access BBC and ITV’s broadcasts in the UK for example. Instead of paying $55 monthly for YouTube TV, Norton VPN’s basic plan will set you back just $39.99 a year (that’s roughly $3.33 a month).
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rowan.davies@futurenet.com (Rowan Davies)
