Roku adds 6 free channels amid massive 2026 content push

Roku has quietly added six free channels to its streaming platform.

The Roku Channel, which automatically comes with the purchase of any Roku TV or device, brings over 500 free live channels to customers without requiring any subscription fees.

After the most recent update launched Tuesday, viewers now have access to six new ad-supported options across a variety of genres, from Westerns to sitcoms to competition shows.Rawhide, The Beverly Hillbillies, Ink Master, Tosh.0, MTV en Español and Westerns are all available to watch now on the Roku Channel with commercial breaks.

Rawhide is an American Western TV series that aired from 1959 to 1965, starring Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood. The show’s eight seasons will air on a loop available to channel 313 on The Roku Channel.

Viewers can get even more Western content on channel 6036, which is dedicated entirely to the classic films and series in the genre.

In another genre, the iconic sixties sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies is now playing across channel 314. The show, which ran in both black-and-white and color throughout its nine seasons, followed the fictional Clampett family who move to Beverly Hills after striking oil and becoming millionaires.

Over on channel 978, Spanish-speaking audiences can tune in to MTV en Español, which shows music videos, interviews and reality shows in Spanish.

Channel 624 features the long-running tattoo reality show Ink Master, in which tattoo artists compete against each other in design challenges.

Finally, anyone in the mood for a laugh can tune in to channel 815 to watch reruns of Comedy Central’s satirical show Tosh.0.

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In a format mimicking traditional television broadcasting, each of the platform’s channels stream continuously — allowing viewers to watch scheduled content without having to pick specific series or episodes.

The additions are just the latest in the platform’s massive content push this year. Roku’s ad-based strategy is to increase their free viewing options to bring in more engagement.

Last month, Roku debuted 16 new free channels. The platform also announced it was partnering with Amazon Prime to create Howdy, a new subscription service, for Prime Video subscribers.

The Laguna Beach reunion special will also air exclusively on the platform April 10, reuniting stars Lauren Conrad, Kristin Cavallari and Stephen Conrad, 20 years after the teen drama premiered.

The platform is also set to stream The Masters 2026 and the upcoming Paw Patrol special after joining in on the live coverage of Nasa’s Artemis II mission earlier this week.