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 September 2016. (Note: We only included video channels on this list. Pandora would be number 2, but it only offers audio and was the only audio channel that would have been on this list.)
Top 10
1. 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. Crackle: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/2016/crackle
5. AOL On News: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/31863/aol-on-news
6. JW Broadcasting: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/47791/jw-broadcasting
7. NBC News: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/9581/nbc-news
8. PBS: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/23353/pbs
9. Tubi TV: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/41468/tubi-tv
10. NewsOn: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/71845/newson
Big Movers This Month
Crackle jumped AOL On News to take the number 4 slot.
PBS dropped from number 7 to number 8 as it switched places with NBC News.
NewsOn jumped from number 13 to, for the first time, show up in the top 10 Roku channels.
Trends
In August 2016 news was a focus because the Republican and Democratic National Conventions had just taken place; however, news still seems to be a focus for Roku users as 4 out of the top 10 channels are mainly news channels. Other channels, such as YouTube and PBS, could also be said to have a news focus to them.
It will be interesting to see if PBS’s move to include a sign-in requirement as they place some of their content behind a paywall will hurt the service. Will we continue to see it drop in the rankings or was the drop unrelated to the “donation” wall and registration requirement recently added to the app?
It will also be interesting to see how popular news channels are after the 2016 US presidential election.
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