Roku Bets Big on Live TV, Adding 30 Free, Ad-Supported Channels

The platform is trying to replicate the 'lean-back' experience of linear television

As TV viewership surges, Roku is placing a big bet on live television.

Roku, which offers up streaming players and is included on some smart TVs, is pushing out 30 new channels to its live programming lineup on the free, ad-supported Roku Channel and will today begin rolling out a Live TV channel guide aimed at encouraging viewers to watch even more “lean-back” television on its platform.

The addition will mean Roku will have more than 100 live channels available on its platform, including a mixture of real-time programming from news and sports publishers like ABC News Live, NowThis and fubo Sports Network as well as preprogrammed channels from streamers like Pluto TV and publishers like Bon Appétit.

Roku was planning on releasing the live channels later in the week but sped up the release of the channels due to the ongoing nationwide protests and unrest over police brutality against black Americans.

“The

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