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Door staff@engadget.com (Husain Parvez) - 26 Oct 2026
The Roku Channel and Tubi allow you to stream live channels, shows and movies for free, with ads as the tradeoff. Some Tubi viewers on Reddit have pointed to older shows and hard-to-find movies as reasons to keep watching, although others worried about the possibility of more ads. Tubi doesn't offer a paid subscription, while Roku sells optional subscriptions to other streaming services. You can also watch The Roku Channel's free catalog in a browser or on compatible Samsung and Fire TV devices without buying Roku hardware.
YouTube reported more than 700 million hours of podcasts watched on living-room devices in October 2025, up from 400 million a year earlier. Its regular videos are free with ads, but it has no shortage of ways to take your money. You can rent or buy movies, subscribe to YouTube Premium or pay for individual creator memberships. Netflix primarily relies on recurring plans, while Prime Video offers rentals and add-on channel subscriptions.
Fox already owns Tubi and agreed to acquire Roku in a deal valued at approximately $22 billion in June. Roku confirmed on October 19 that the transaction was still pending.
YouTube reported more than 700 million hours of podcasts watched on living-room devices in October 2025, up from 400 million a year earlier. Its regular videos are free with ads, but it has no shortage of ways to take your money. You can rent or buy movies, subscribe to YouTube Premium or pay for individual creator memberships. Netflix primarily relies on recurring plans, while Prime Video offers rentals and add-on channel subscriptions.
Fox already owns Tubi and agreed to acquire Roku in a deal valued at approximately $22 billion in June. Roku confirmed on October 19 that the transaction was still pending.