Roku just dropped a big batch of updates today, and there’s a lot to unpack. One of the major additions here is aimed at saving you money on the services you already pay for, and another that turns your TV into a testing ground for apps Roku hasn’t finished building yet.
Bundle your subscriptions and save up to 30%
Taking a page from how Disney and YouTube already bundle their own services, Roku’s new Premium Subscriptions system lets you pair services together for one combined bill. Roku says bundling can save you up to 30% compared to paying for each service separately.
If you’re already subscribed to something like Starz, Howdy, or Fox One on its own, you can add a second service through your existing Roku account, and Roku automatically cancels your old standalone subscription so you’re never billed twice.
Signing up takes just a few clicks on your remote or through the Roku Channel website, and everything still runs through the same account and login you already use. These streaming bundles are live now in the US and Mexico. Here’s the full list of bundles available at launch:
Premium
- HBO Max and Cinemax
- FOX One and Fox Nation
- Howdy and A&E Crime Central
- Howdy and Hallmark+
- STARZ and MGM+
- STARZ and Acorn TV
- STARZ and BritBox
- STARZ and AMC+
- STARZ and Hallmark+
- STARZ and Crunchyroll
- AMC+ and Hallmark+
- AMC+ and Acorn TV
- Hallmark+ and Acorn TV
- A&E Crime Central and Lifetime Movie Club
Learn & Discover
- BritBox and BBC Select
- Curiosity Stream and MagellanTV
- Curiosity Stream and Get.factual
- MagellanTV and Docurama
Indie & Fan Favorites
- Shout! TV and Screambox
- Shout! TV and Midnight Pulp
- Hi-YAH! and RetroCrush
- Fandor and Midnight Pulp
- Fandor and Sundance Now
Wholesome Picks
- UP Faith & Family and Howdy
- UP Faith & Family and Dove Channel
- UP Faith & Family and aspireTV+
- PlayKids Learning and Ryan and Friends Plus
International
- Sundance Now and Kino Film Collection
- MHz Choice and Kino Film Collection
- Viaplay and France Channel
- Viaplay and Walter Presents
- FlixLatino and Pinguinitos
Mexico Bundles
- Filmelier+ and Adrenalina Pura+
- Looke and Booh!
Before you commit to a bundle, you should know that annual plans remain available on select standalone Premium Subscriptions, but that upfront yearly discount doesn’t currently extend to bundles. So it’s worth weighing which pricing structure actually saves you more depending on how you watch.
Roku is adding experimental apps with Roku Labs
The second major piece of this update is Roku Labs, a brand new hub where any Roku owner, not just invited testers, can try out apps the company is still actively developing. It’s accessible through its own dedicated tile right on the home screen, and it launches with four early apps.
Backdrops Studio lets you customize your screensaver with your own art or photos, Roku Immerse offers another take on personalized screensavers, and Roku Weather and Roku Stocks bring dedicated tracking for forecasts and the market straight to your TV.
There’s also Roku City Dash, a small game where you fly a UFO through Roku’s signature neon skyline, dodging pop culture references along the way. Roku says feedback from people actually using these apps will shape how they turn out before any of them go fully live.
A handful of other changes worth knowing about
Search is also getting smarter, with more personalized recommendations and actual explanations for why certain shows or movies are being suggested to you. Roku’s voice assistant can now do more than find something to watch. You can ask it for a weather forecast and get an answer on the spot.
With these updates, Roku is making a clear move to stay relevant against increasingly AI-powered rivals like Google and Amazon, who lean heavily on Gemini and Alexa+ to anchor their own TV platforms.
