Who saw this one coming? Roku surprised a lot of us today (August 5, 2025) when it announced the launch of its new channel, titled “howdy,” for a bargain $3 per month. And without advertisements, too.

Every other streaming channel seems to be getting more expensive and saddling its viewers with more and longer ad breaks, and beloved free channels like Amazon’s Freevee (RIP) are disappearing. It’s heartening to see a new channel launch for, in Big Tech terms, pocket change.

Ultra 4K (opens in a new window)

a cheap, ad-free channel?

Roku already makes my favorite TV streaming boxes. Even put up against the best of Google, Apple, and Amazon, I prefer Roku’s user interface and its (mostly) channel-agnostic stance that doesn’t try to nudge front-and-center a first-party channel, the way App

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