The Roku Channel Is Finally Unlocked for These Cord Cutters

Good news, Google TV users! The Roku Channel is now available on your streaming device.

Roku recently announced that the The Roku Channel app is now downloadable on smart TVs and streaming devices that operate on the Google TV platform. You can access the download via the Google Play Store on your device.

For a long time, The Roku Channel was limited to smart TVs that were either Roku-branded or operating on a Roku streaming dongle. That left some cord cutters unable to access the streaming service on their favorite devices.

Let’s take a little closer look at what Google TV users can now experience.

---

Is The Roku Channel Worth It for Google TV Users?

The Roku Channel is one of Team Clark’s top-rated free streaming services thanks to a robust menu of on-demand TV series and movies.

There also are more than 350 livestreaming TV channels that offer a variety of content genres, including news, weather, sports and children’s content. It also includes some original content that is exclusive to the platform.

And since there is no commitment required, we consider it a “must try” for those who are looking to eliminate the financial burden of cable or live TV streaming bills.

You do have to watch advertisements that are placed within the content, but that’s how Roku is able to make the service free.

Before you download The Roku Channel on your Google TV device, you can check out the available content by visiting the streaming service’s website.

You can also read Team Clark’s full review of the service to get a better idea of what to expect.

---

Why Money Expert Clark Howard Loves Free Streaming Services

If you were to look at the streaming services on money expert Clark Howard’s television, you’d likely notice a trend.

He’s moving to free streaming services whenever possible.

“The hottest thing in streaming right now is free streaming products,” Clark says. “There are tons of them. And it seems like there are new ones all the time. You’re able to watch a ton of content at no cost.”

Even if they’re not offering the latest-and-greatest HBO series, Clark sees services like The Roku Channel and his favorite freebie, Pluto TV, as a significant part of the future of streaming television.

As consumers grow weary of paying monthly bills to multiple video streaming services, content producers are meeting them on free platforms where money can be made through advertisements.

And, if you like what you see, the savings can add up pretty quickly.

Dropping a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV, which now costs $73 per month after a 2023 price increase, could save consumers more than $800 per year.

“I really want you to think about this in a time when we’re getting cost-squeezed so many different places because of the inflationary cycle we’re in in the United States,” Clark says. “This is a way that you can pull money back into your life out of your monthly expenses.”

Even ditching a Netflix subscription in favor of a service like The Roku Channel could put as much as $400 back in your pocket each year.

Will you be adding The Roku Channel to your Google TV devices? Have you considered it as a free alternative to cable or paid streaming? Let us know in the Clark.com community!