Roku is undergoing a bit of a transformation right now and sports fans will be very pleased with the streamer’s latest trick.
Hot on the heels of Roku’s massive free home screen update, 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 access to all of them is completely free on The Roku Channel.
Joining Roku’s roster of more than 500 free live channels is Sports Illustrated, which highlights league updates while offering sports news and analysis coverage, and FIFA Plus Women, a women’s soccer channel with highlights, live matches and stories featured on 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. In addition to football content, Stingray Hooked covers all things fishing, including tips and fishing expeditions around the world, because even keen anglers need their own programming.
This isn’t the first time this year that Roku has expanded its collection of free streaming channels. In April it launched a series of new channels dedicated to viewing Western movies 24 hours a day, as well as new non-stop reality TV channels.
Like Roku’s other free channels, its new sports content will also be ad-supported. You should also note that while the new channels arrive just in time for the World Cup celebrations, you won’t be able to watch the associated games through the Roku Channel. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered.
How to watch the FIFA World Cup
Do you want to know how to watch the FIFA World Cup? Look no further.
Luckily for UK and Australian viewers, all matches will be broadcast for free on BBC and ITV (UK) and SBS on Demand (Australia), so you won’t have to worry about needing a VPN, just a TV license. However, if you’re traveling during the World Cup, Norton VPN is our top pick.
As for viewers in the US, it gets a little more complicated as they won’t be able to stream every match for free, but there are a few ways to get your football fix. Fox Sports (Fox One and FS1) will broadcast the games live, so if you subscribe to a live streaming service that hosts these channels, such as YouTube TV or Hulu+ Live TV, you’ll be able to watch them included in your membership.
If you’ve been thinking about subscribing to YouTube TV for a while, then your best option 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), saving you $120 over the first 12 months. Alternatively, you can also make the most of a 21-day free trial if you know you won’t be using YouTube TV when the World Cup is over.
However, a VPN could 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 a month for YouTube TV, Norton VPN’s basic plan will cost you just $39.99 a year (that’s about $3.33 a month).
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