Roku adds a 'Sports' tab as Apple continues its push into live game streaming

(Image credit: Roku)

Roku has announced that it is rolling out a new way for people to more quickly and easily watch sporting content, with a new 'Sports' tab being added to the interface of its devices.

The new 'Sports' tab will host sporting content from the likes FOX Sports, FuboTV, Paramount+, and others. But it could also include content from Apple TV Plus in the future, with Apple having already picked up the rights to live stream Major League Soccer games. There are also ongoing rumors that Apple wants to win the race to show NFL games, too.

A new home for sport

Roku says that its new sports experience will mean "no more clicking through multiple channels or trying to figure out where the game is on." Instead, viewers will be able to head to their Home Screen Menu, select Sports, and be on their way.

At launch, the new menu will offer pro and college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, baseball, and soccer from a variety of streaming providers and while Apple isn't on the list now, that could well change. While the best Apple TV sports-watching experience is unlikely to be via a Roku, this news is very much good for those who use the company's devices.

Roku is also making it easier to search for content, too. Users can now "use Roku Search (text or voice) to find specific games, leagues, and teams to quickly find what you’re looking for. For example, simply say your favorite team and you will see their live and upcoming games, related content, and more."

Alongside the announcement of a new sports-oriented tab, Roku says that it is making more free content available including talk show The Rich Eisen Show and Roku Original series Emeril Tailgates.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.