Roku is undergoing a bit of a transformation at the moment, and sports fans will be very pleased with the streamer’s latest 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 focuses on league updates while offering sports news and analysis coverage, and FIFA Plus Women, a women’s soccer-based channel featuring highlights, live matches and stories about individual athletes.
Additionally, FIFA Plus Español will also join the mix, which is essentially the Spanish-language answer to FIFA Plus Women, but offers coverage of international events. Aside from football content, Stingray Hooked covers everything fishing, including tips and angling expeditions around the globe – because even avid anglers need their own programming.
It’s not the first time this year that Roku has expanded its collection of free streaming channels. Back in April, it launched a bunch of new channels dedicated to watching Western movies around the clock, in addition to new non-stop reality TV channels.
Like Roku’s other free channels, its new sports content will also be ad-supported. Also, be aware that while the new channels will arrive just in time for the World Cup celebrations, you won’t be able to watch the associated matches through The Roku Channel. Fortunately, 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 don’t need to worry about needing a VPN, just a TV licence. Even if you happen to be traveling while the World Cup is on, Norton VPN is our top choice.
As for viewers in the US, it gets a little more complicated as you won’t be able to stream every game for free, but there are a few ways you can get your soccer fix. Fox Sports (Fox One and FS1) will broadcast the games live, so if you subscribe to a live streaming service that houses these channels such as YouTube TV or Hulu+ Live TV, you will be able to watch them included in your membership.
If you’ve been toying with signing up for YouTube TV for a while, your best bet is the sports plan, which offers everything from news to live games and local channels. It’s currently on sale for $54.99 per month (was $64.99), which will save you $120 for your first 12 months. Alternatively, you can also just make the most of a 21-day free trial if you know you won’t be using YouTube TV after the World Cup is over.
However, a VPN can be a more cost-effective way to watch World Cup matches, which you can then use to access BBC and ITV 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 per year (that’s about $3.33 per month).
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