It was announced a short while ago. Roku is discontinuing its support for private channels this year.
Private channels are channels that are not certified. They work with Roku hardware. However, they don’t have official support in the Roku Channel Store.
These non-certified (private) Roku channels were quite popular at one point. They were used by Roku users who wanted content they couldn’t find in the official store.
Roku’s team didn’t review these private channels. They were not checked for compliance or technical requirements. These channels often catered to small, specific audiences.
Roku Ending Private Channels – What’s the Deal?
Roku put out an official press release about the private channels. Here’s what the company said.
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Back in October 2021, Roku made an announcement. It was launching an Independent Developer Kit (IDK). This kit, they explained, would “let developers explore the platform’s possibilities and make their Roku experience more personal.”
After the IDK launched, Roku made a decision. It was going to get rid of all non-certified (private) channels on the platform.
Roku followed up with yet another press release in November 2021. This one explained their plan to remove private channels on February 23, 2022.
“Roku is phasing out non-certified channels. More specifically, as of February 23rd, 2022, all non-certified channels will stop working on Roku devices. Roku is doing this to better align with industry standards for developer QA testing of channels, as well as to limit distribution of channels to small groups of users.
Roku private channels will be completely gone in a matter of days. This has left many users feeling frustrated. Many are also looking for other ways to get their content.
We’d like to hear your opinion. What do you think of Roku’s decision to do away with private channels? Did you use them in the past?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!
Roku Alternatives
TROYPOINT has never endorsed Roku devices. There are several reasons for this, which are outlined in our Roku vs Firestick comparison.
Here’s the biggest reason of all. Roku has a closed operating system (OS). This makes it impossible to jailbreak the device for 3rd party apps.
Now is the perfect time to find another streaming device. The discontinuation of private channels has made this even clearer.
We suggest the Amazon Firestick 4K. It’s affordable. Plus, it’s easy to jailbreak.
This opens up a world of possibilities. You’ll be able to install 3rd party apps (APKs). You can then access free movies, TV series, sports, live channels, and games. And so much more.
There are lots of other great streaming devices out there. You might consider: Fire TVs, Fire TV Cubes, NVIDIA Shield, MECOOL Boxes, Chromecast with Google TV, and various Android TV Boxes.
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