The Roku Channel has added Comcast’s international news channel Sky News to its free streaming television service.
The addition of Sky News marks the first time Comcast has made the London-based news channel available to a free streaming service. The channel has been available for years on Paramount Global’s Pluto TV as part of a deal that dates back to News Corporation’s ownership of Sky Group, the parent company of Sky News. Comcast acquired Sky Group in 2018.
Sky News effectively replaces ABC News Live, which Roku carried on the Roku Channel until earlier this month, The Desk previously reported. The channel offers domestic news updates from Britain along with long-form journalism on global affairs, including the earthquake along the Turkey-Syria border and the conflict in Ukraine.
In addition to Sky News, Roku has also added two NBC News channels — Dateline 24/7 and Today All Day — to its live TV offerings on the Roku Channel. The channels are part of an expanded deal that also sees Roku offer nearly a dozen local NBC News feeds powered by NBC-owned television stations across the country, along with the 24-hour streaming channel NBC News Now.
Several new entertainment channels were also launched on the Roku Channel this week, including:
- The Anger Management Channel (Lionsgate)
- ALLBLK Gems (AMC)
- AMC en Español (AMC)
- Life with Derek (WildBrain)
- Sonic (WildBrain)
The free streaming channels are available within the Roku Channel app, which is built-in to every supported Roku device on the market, including its popular Roku Streaming Sticks. The Roku Channel is also available within the Roku app on smartphones and tablets, as well as through a standalone app for Samsung Tizen-powered smart TVs and Amazon Fire TV.
Along with the Roku Channel, Sky News is available as a live stream on Pluto TV, YouTube, Comcast’s Peacock and within the Sky News app for smartphones, tablets and smart TVs.
Sky News shares similar branding with, but is otherwise separate from, Sky News Australia, which is owned by News Corp subsidiary Australian News Channel, Ltd.
