How to watch free movies & TV shows on your Roku TV™ or streaming player
Just like your smartphone has an “app store” for installing new applications, you can access the Roku Channel Store on your Roku® streaming player or Roku TV to add new “channels”. Although some channels must be purchased or require a paid subscription, many others allow you to watch movies and TV shows for free. You can search the Channel Store on your Roku device or the Roku website to find free movies and TV shows.
Additionally, current generation Roku devices include access to The Roku Channel, which is home to Roku Originals plus offers thousands of free movies and TV shows, 150+ live streaming TV channels like ABC News and more, and a dedicated Kids & Family experience; all with fewer ads than traditional broadcast TV. In addition to a large library of free content, The Roku Channel lets you add Premium Subscriptions from dozens of content partners including EPIX, SHOWTIME, STARZ, and AMC+. With your original, free, live, and premium content all presented together, The Roku Channel provides a simple way for you to browse, search, and watch a wide variety of entertainment.
Free movies and TV shows on Live TV Channel Guide
The Live TV Channel Guide available in The Roku Channel and on the Home screen of your Roku TV provides a convenient way for you to discover and watch free, live movies, news, and TV shows. Easily browse the channel guide, select shows to watch, and quickly switch between channels like you do with a traditional TV guide. You can also quickly change the view of the channel guide to display all channels, recent channels, or favorite channels.
If you have a Roku TV with an HDTV antenna connected, the Live TV Channel Guide combines your "over-the-air" channels with the free, live streaming TV channels available on The Roku Channel, giving you a single channel guide to look for all your free, live TV.
Free movies and TV shows in Featured Free
Use the Featured Free option on the Home screen of your Roku device to discover thousands of free movies, current season TV episodes, and classic TV shows from Roku’s content partners. When you find a title you like, it will automatically open in the content partner's channel. If the channel is not on your Roku device, it will automatically be downloaded and installed before the content is launched.
- Note: If you created a PIN for your Roku account, you will be asked to enter it before a new channel can be installed.
You can browse the Featured Free section by pressing Home on your Roku remote, scrolling down, and selecting Featured Free.
Free channels in the Channel Store on your Roku device
- Press Home on your Roku remote
- Scroll and select Streaming Channels to open the Channel Store
- Select Top Free to view the most popular free channels
- Choose a channel and press OK to view more options
- To install the channel, select Add channel
Once downloaded, new channels are added to the list of channels under Home on the main screen of your Roku device. Scroll down and you will see your new channel at the bottom of your list of channels. If you prefer, the channel can be moved higher in the list.
Free channels in the Channel Store on the web
On the web, you can browse a list on the Roku Channel Store. When you see something that interests you, select 'Add channel' and follow the instructions.
- Note: The channel will not immediately appear in the list of channels on your Roku device. Your Roku device checks every 24 hours for any new channels you have added from the website and automatically installs them. If you would like to download the channel immediately, go to your Roku device and select Settings > System > System update > Check now.
Free movies and TV shows on broadcast television
Depending on where you live, you may be able to receive free “over-the-air” TV broadcasts from nearby TV stations using an HDTV antenna. This is an easy way to watch TV on your Roku TV system if you know how to connect. You can refer to Antenna Web for more information on accessing “over-the-air” TV in your area, and finding and using an HDTV antenna.
To begin receiving free broadcast television, learn how to set up Live TV input on your Roku TV.