Roku announced some good news for fans of American reality shows this week: hayu, the streaming service that’s dedicated to… shall we say… the “guilty pleasure” type of reality programmes – is now free for Roku owners.
You’ll get it at no extra cost for up to three months – but that’s enough time to watch a lot of episodes of The Real Housewives, Below Deck, Top Chef and more reality hits.
And best of all – anyone with a Roku device, whether newly bought or one you’ve had for years – can get the free offer this time around (see full instructions below).
Don’t wait too long though – as the offer is only available until July 26, 2023, and there’s one main caveat.
The offer is only available to new hayu subscribers – so if you have an active account, or if you had one in the past – you can’t get the three free months.
That being said, these types of blocks often depend on the type of subscription you had in the past – and on what device.
That is, if you had your hayu subscription via Amazon’s Prime Video, for example, then you CAN get the free months with Roku, as it’s a separate subscription.
And if you had it on other devices (but subscribing directly, for example) – it might still work. So, as I always say – even if you did have a hayu subscription in the past (which is no longer active), you might as well give it a try if you have a Roku device and see if you’re eligible for the offer this time around.
What’s hayu?
“hayu” is a reality TV and true-crime streaming subscription service that launched in several countries back in 2016, and is owned by NBCUniversal / Comcast (the same company that now owns Sky).
In addition to the UK, hayu is also available in Ireland, Australia, Sweden, Canada and several other countries.
hayu specialises in a very specific type of American reality TV – some might call it the “guilty pleasure” type, others might have less affectionate definitions – but say what you will about these types of programmes, they’re definitely addictive.
Some of the popular shows that are available on hayu in the UK include Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the different incarnations of The Real Housewives and Million Dollar Listing, Vanderpump Rules and more.
Many of the shows come to the UK version of hayu just a day after their airing in the US – so it’s easier to avoid horrible spoilers on social media.
hayu is available in the UK either directly (via Roku in this case), or as an Amazon Prime Video Channel, which then makes it available on Amazon’s Prime Video app across many devices.
Normally, hayu costs £4.99/month.
Roku’s Streaming Devices
Roku has long been one of the leading streaming device manufacturers in the US – and it’s been making a name for itself in the UK as well.
The three stand-alone streaming devices from Roku are excellent streamers – with the 4K Streaming Stick being our choice for the top UK streaming device for quite some time.
In addition to hayu, Roku devices support most of the streaming services and apps that are currently available in the UK, including the public broadcasters’ streaming apps – BBC iPlayer, ITVX, All4 (now called Channel4) and My5.
If you’re still waiting to jump on board the Roku wagon, there are three models to choose from (See our Roku comparison) –
- Roku Express (HD Entry Level) – Check Price
- Roku Express 4K (4K Entry Level) – Check Price
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K (Premium) – Check Price
The Roku Streambar (see my review) combines two devices in one – a powerful streaming device and a compact soundbar that will, in most cases, sound miles better than your TV’s built-in speakers.
In addition, Roku sells Roku TVs – Freeview television sets with Roku’s OS already built into them. Several models are now sold in the UK – including a Roku TV from Hisense, and TCL Roku TV.
Just this week, Roku announced a new partnership with TV manufacturer Vispera which will launch a new line of TVs with Roku’s OS built-in, in sizes ranging from 24” to 65” (UK prices haven’t been announced yet).
How Do I Get hayu For Free On Roku?
To take advantage of Roku’s offer, all you need to do is install Roku’s hayu channel on your device (either directly on the device itself, or via the online channel store).
You have to redeem the offer by July 26, 2023, and you Roku account must have a valid payment method set-up.
Do note that once your three months are up, the subscription will renew automatically at the regular price (£4.99/m) – so don’t forget to cancel before that happens, if you don’t want it to continue.
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