Your Roku just got yet more free streaming channels, including a Pokémon channel — but you should expect to see a bunch of AI ads on there in the future

• New Roku channels include sports, outdoor adventures, comedy and drama
• Upgraded local news coverage and News Near You
• Roku hopes AI will mean smaller advertisers can do more video ads

Roku has added nine free channels to The Roku Channel and updated its local and national news. The new channels are free and ad-supported, and there's now easier access to local news affiliates and a brand new News Near You feature.

The Roku Channel is the closest thing to old-school cable TV that Roku offers on its devices and in its app, with hundreds of channels streaming live – but unlike cable you don't need to pay to tune in, because these channels follow the broadcast TV model and are funded by advertising.

According to trade website AdExchanger, Roku's streaming hours hit 145.6 billion last year, a 15% year-on-year increase, and The Roku Channel was the US's favorite free, ad-supported streaming app outside of YouTube.

And Roku is keen to monetize those hours more effectively and expects AI to be a big part of that – so in addition to more channels, you can expect more slightly disconcerting AI-powered ads too.

What are the new free channels on The Roku Channel?

Here are the new channels and their channel numbers in the Live TV guide on your Roku device or app:

• 197 Willow Sports
• 371 Felicity
• 372 Fuel TV
• 429 Pokémon
• 496 MeatEater
• 822 America’s Funniest Videos
• 823 The Bernie Mac Show
• 829 Cougar Town
• 832 Blossom

Roku's AI experiments are being used to improve recommendations, highlight content and tweak how apps and shows are displayed on the screen, as well as generating copy telling you why you should watch a specific show.

AdExchanger says that the Roku Voice voice assistant is also getting an AI assist for more conversational interactions, and it suggests that sports is an area where AI could be deployed very effectively to deliver short-form clips, highlights and even commentary.

Most of all, AI could help Roku sell more ads by enabling mom-and-pop businesses to create video ads for tiny costs: as CEO Anthony Wood told investors in a conference call this week, "the easier it is to create video ads the larger the number of advertisers that can advertise on a TV platform" – and presumably the more ads that can be pushed to you.

For Roku, it seems, potential advertisers are like Pokémon: it's gotta catch 'em all.

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