Your Roku TV has unlocked 40 brand-new television channels to stream for FREE today

Here’s a preview of some of what you can expect from the new arrivals:

• Sports: PGA TOUR, TNA Wrestling, MLB
• Entertainment: Deal or No Deal, Fear Factor
• Drama: The Bold and the Beautiful
• Home: The Martha Stewart Channel, This Old House
• Crime & Medical: Unsolved Mysteries, Untold Stories of the ER
• Nature & Wildlife: NatureTime, Love Pets

The 40 brand-new channels are Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV channels, better known as FAST. These are increasingly popular in the UK, offering a terrestrial-like viewing experience over a decent Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. But unlike the biggest UK broadcasters, there's no TV licence fee to worry about — everything is funded by advert breaks.

This marks the first time that Roku has added FAST channels to its devices in the UK. However, the brand already has a proven track record with the successful rollout of FAST channels in North and South America.

Roku UK Country Manager, Richard Halton, told GB News: "With the launch of our first FAST channels in the UK this October, we’re giving viewers more choice than ever before – from iconic series and films to new favourites and niche genres – all for free. It’s an exciting step forward as we continue to expand and open up new opportunities for advertisers to reach highly engaged audiences."

Roku TV models are packed with all of the same smarts found inside its set-top boxes. Without anything else plugged into the HDMI port of your Smart TV, you'll be able to watch streamers like Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, as well as popular social media apps, and games.

The brand recently signed an agreement with Freely to bring its free-to-air channels to its platform too. The latter is tipped to supersede Freeview as the most popular way to watch terrestrial channels by the end of this decade. Roku TVs are available from well-known manufacturers like JVC, Sharp and Polaroid in a range of sizes from compact to large 4K HDR screens.

Powered by the Roku TV operating system, they provide easy access to thousands of streaming channels, voice search, personalised recommendations, and other smart features. Of course, Roku streaming players also deliver the same seamless streaming experience on any compatible TV, making it easy to enjoy Roku’s content no matter your setup.

The brand recently launched two new streaming players in the UK, too. The pair of next-generation devices, dubbed the Roku Streaming Stick (£29.99) and Roku Streaming Stick Plus (£39.99), launched earlier this summer with faster performance and a more compact design.

The Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus plug into the HDMI port at the back of your telly, bringing boxsets and blockbusters from thousands of streaming services, as well as games to the big screen. According to Roku, the new design is 35% smaller than rival offerings, despite shipping with more power underneath the bonnet.

This svelte new size should make it easier to pack a Roku device with you when travelling, so you can continue watching your favourite shows on a hotel TV or at a friend's house.

The launch of 40 new channels today will work with other recent additions to the Roku software, like What to Watch feature, which recommends new content to discover from across all streaming services on your Roku.