Roku is launching 40 free TV channels across all its UK devices this October, marking one of the company’s biggest content expansions since arriving in Britain over a decade ago.
These will be FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) channels, offering 24/7 streaming content at no cost to viewers, accessible on all new and existing Roku devices.
If you’re wondering what FAST channels actually are, think of them as the streaming equivalent of traditional TV channels – they’re always on, you can’t choose specific programmes on demand, and they’re built around specific themes or content.
And of course – there are advert breaks.
The difference is they’re delivered over the internet, instead of via an aerial / satellite.
What’s Actually Coming
Roku has revealed a handful of channel names that give us a decent idea of what to expect: PGA TOUR for golf coverage, This Old House for home improvement content, Unsolved Mysteries for true crime fans, NatureTime for wildlife documentaries, and Love Pets for animal lovers.
The company promises content spanning “entertainment, lifestyle, true crime, classic TV, documentaries, and more”.
“With the launch of our first FAST channels in the UK this October, we’re giving viewers more choice than ever before – from iconic series and films to new favourites and niche genres – all for free,” said Richard Halton, Country Manager, Roku UK.
Looking at what’s available on The Roku Channel in the US gives us a better idea of what to expect. There are channels dedicated to specific shows like Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares (Yes, Gordon Ramsay is ALWAYS around), genre-focused options covering sci-fi, reality TV and documentaries.
The Live TV Zone and Integration Potential
The new FAST channels will be accessible through The Roku Channel app, but also on the new “Live TV Zone” – a feature that’s been available in the US since 2022 but has taken its time reaching UK shores.
This dedicated section in Roku’s left-hand navigation menu is designed to recreate the traditional TV browsing experience.
Rather than hunting through individual apps to find live content, you get a proper TV guide-style interface showing what’s currently playing across all available channels.
This puts Roku on a similar path to Amazon’s Fire TV, which has offered a “Live” tab since 2021 and this March finally added BBC channels to complete the set of major UK broadcasters.
Fire TV’s Live tab now combines live streams from BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, and other services in a single TV guide interface. While you’re still jumping between different apps when you select content, having everything visible in one place makes live TV much more discoverable.
Roku’s US implementation of the Live TV Zone provides quick access to services like Hulu, fuboTV, and YouTube TV alongside their own FAST channels. Whether the UK version will integrate with services like ITVX or BBC iPlayer remains to be seen, but the potential is certainly there.
The addition of a proper Live TV Zone could tie these elements together with Roku’s recently expanded content discovery features. As I covered back in July, Roku TVs finally got the ‘What to Watch’ hub and some basic integration with Freeview channels showing live thumbnails.
This integration becomes compelling when you consider the current state of UK streaming – we’re drowning in different apps and services, each with their own interface.
A single place to browse live content could cut through some of that complexity, and also offers a (minor) answer to Freely’s streaming-based live TV experience.
However, success depends entirely on execution. Fire TV’s Live tab was pretty useless for its first few years because it only had Channel 5 and some obscure services.
If Roku’s Live TV Zone launches with just their own FAST channels and nothing else, it might suffer the same fate initially.
The UK Reality Check
Here’s the thing about FAST channels in the UK: they’re rarely as exciting as they sound on paper.
If you’ve spent any time browsing Pluto TV, Tubi, or Samsung TV Plus, you’ll know what I’m talking about. The content tends to be either decades old, relatively obscure, or both (with a few hidden gems sprinkled).
This isn’t necessarily Roku’s fault – it’s a licensing reality. The premium content that makes FAST channels genuinely compelling in the US market often doesn’t make it across the Atlantic due to existing broadcast and streaming deals (or how much the adverts are worth at this point).
What we typically get instead are older series, niche documentaries, and content that other services didn’t want to pay much for.
The channels Roku has mentioned so far don’t exactly scream “must-watch television.” PGA TOUR coverage could be decent if you’re into golf, but it’s hardly going to set the streaming world alight.
Unsolved Mysteries has nostalgic appeal, but it’s not exactly fresh content, and it’s available on many other FAST platforms.
Then again, free is free, and we’ll reserve judgment until we see the full channel list.
Roku’s Current UK Lineup
For those unfamiliar with Roku’s current offerings, the company sells three streaming devices in the UK: the basic Streaming Stick (HD) for £29.99, the Streaming Stick Plus with 4K support for £39.99, and the premium Streaming Stick 4K with Dolby Vision for £49.99.
Right now, there are some decent discounts available – the Streaming Stick Plus is down to £29 (making it cheaper than even the basic HD model), and the Streaming Stick 4K is £44.99.
These deals could disappear at any time though, so they’re worth considering if you’re thinking about jumping into Roku’s ecosystem before the FAST channels arrive in October.
The Streaming Stick Plus remains the sweet spot for most people, offering 4K support and solid performance at a reasonable price.
All three devices will support the new FAST channels when they launch, alongside Roku’s existing lineup of smart TVs from partners including Hisense, JVC, and TCL.
Why This Matters
FAST channels aren’t exactly a new concept – Pluto TV launched in the UK back in 2018, and Samsung has been building its TV Plus service for years.
If you’re already a Roku user, this is free extra content with no downside.
For those considering a streaming device, FAST channels alone aren’t a compelling reason to choose Roku over Amazon’s Fire TV sticks, which already have access to plenty of free content and a useful Live tab that integrates BBC, ITV, and Channel 4.
The real test will be whether Roku can use the Live TV Zone to create something genuinely different. A well-integrated experience combining streaming apps, FAST channels, and traditional TV could be useful – but we’ll need to wait until October to see if they’ve actually achieved that.
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What about Free LIVE SPORT. Like Football, Rugby, Cricket, Snooker, Golf,Darts, Tennis, Bowls and Show Jumping etc?
Everytime I go to the live tv on my roku stick the screen goes black I’ve tried everything
The game changer would be you don’t need a bbc license to watch i player or any live channels
It’s free except for the 174.50 a year TV license
And don’t forget the hardware costs, internet subscription, and electricity charges.
Have I forgotten anything?