Roku has long been the leader in free video channels; however, with so many channels to choose from, finding the best can be difficult.
So here are the top 10 free Roku video channels as of October 2, 2016, according to the Roku Channel Store. (Note: We only included video channels on this list. Pandora would once again be number 2, but it only offers audio and was the only audio channel that would have been on this list.)
Top 10
- YouTube: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/837/youtube
2. CBS News: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/27536/cbs-news
3. PBS Kids: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/23333/pbs-kids
4. NBC News: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/9581/nbc-news
5. AOL On News: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/31863/aol-on-news
6. Crackle: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/2016/crackle
7. PBS: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/23353/pbs
8. Fox News: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/2946/fox-news-channel
9. JW Broadcasting:https://channelstore.roku.com/details/47791/jw-broadcasting
10. ABC News: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/54065/abc-news
Honorable Mentions
Honorable mentions include Tubi TV, NewsON, Newsy, and Vevo.
Big Movers This Month
The election has pushed news services up and 6 of the top 10 free Roku channels are news related. (We are counting YouTube because it was one of the main ways people streamed the presidential debates.)
All of the new channels on the list this month are news channels including Fox News and ABC News. NBC News jumped 3 spots and Fox News is back in the top 10 after dropping out last month.
The big drops come from Crackle and JW Broadcasting. Crackle fell from #4 to #6 this month and JW Broadcasting went from #6 to #9.
Trends
News seems to be the main focus of Roku streaming in the last few months. It should be interesting to see what happens after the November election. Will entertainment channels such as Tubi and Crackle jump back up or will news channels stay strong?
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