Roku has announced the launch of a free, ad-supported premium sports channel on August 12. The Roku Sports Channel will aggregate sports content owned or licensed by Roku into one FAST service. This channel will broadcast live Major League Baseball games via The Rich Eisen Show, live Formula E racing, Top Rank boxing matches, MLB Sunday Leadoff, and Roku Originals created in partnership with major professional sports leagues on sports-themed topics.

As major streaming platforms increasingly invest in sports rights, there has been a rise in FAST channels offering premium sports content. Streamers like Pluto TV, Tubi and The Roku Channel have also expanded their entertainment offerings.

This trend is being driven by viewers looking for cheaper alternatives to expensive streaming subscription services. Paid streaming platforms are bundling their content offerings to cut costs and retain viewers, while traditional linear TV broadcasters are struggling with declining viewership due to the increasing number of cable TV subscribers and the shift to online TV viewing.

The Roku Sports Channel also enters a market where Fox Corp, Walt Disney and Warner Bros Discovery have proposed forming a joint sports streaming company called Venu Sports.

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