Your Roku just got a free upgrade that could save you money - no Roku TV required

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• Roku just added more channels to its free live TV lineup.
• There are new channels for sitcoms, sports, clips, and more.
• You can watch even if you don't have a Roku TV.

Roku has quietly upgraded its free streaming options, and you now have even more content to watch for free.

If you're not familiar, Roku has a "Live TV" section of the Roku Channel app. It functions a lot like old-school cable TV: there are ad breaks, no fast-forwarding or rewinding, and you watch what's on instead of searching for something on demand. But unlike cable, the channels are all totally free. 

Also: The best Roku TVs you can buy: Expert tested screens for every budget

With hundreds of options to choose from, you'll find channels dedicated to a single show (like COPS, Gunsmoke, and Little House on the Prairie), Hallmark movies, local news, weather, sports, and more. 

It was less than a month ago that Roku added six free channels to its lineup, including 24/7 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Overtime, which offers nonstop sports programming, and now it's adding nine more. 

Here's what's new to your Roku:

• Pokémon: Non-stop streaming of the popular animated series that ran for more than 20 seasons. 
• The Bernie Mac Show: Episodes of the early 2000s sitcom starring the legendary comedian.
• America's Funniest Home Videos: Nonstop funny clips from several eras of the classic TV show. 
• Willow Sports: Live coverage of international cricket matches.
• Fuel TV: Sports, culture, and lifestyles of surf, skate, snow, BMX, and motocross.
• Felicity: The '90s drama following the NYC college life of a young girl.
• Cougar Town: A divorced mother restarts her dating life. 
• Blossom: The classic '90s sitcom about a highly intelligent, spunky teenager.
• MeatEater: Dedicated to hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventures.

To access the new channels, go to the Roku Channel app (which you can download on any smart device, not just Roku), select "Live TV" from the left menu, then search for the channel name. You can also access your favorite channels from the recently watched section after you've viewed them once.  

If you're not picky about which episode of something you watch, this is one of the best streaming options out there, and you could easily cut a paid streaming service or two for Roku.