How to get ABC, NBC, and CBS on Roku

Key Takeaways

Streaming TV services such as Hulu, Peacock, and Paramount+ offer access to popular network shows like ABC, NBC, and CBS.
Roku provides an easy way to watch these channels live by downloading the respective apps.
While watching ABC, NBC, and CBS live requires cable provider login, Roku also offers free affiliate apps for local news.

Streaming TV has become a seamless part of entertainment-filled lives. It quickly evolved over the last two decades from cable packages that just got way too expensive to now more than a handful of streaming services where you can find many of the best TV series live. It’s hard to keep track of or even realize where all the TV shows that you want to watch are these days. Whether you have to swap between Netflix for one show, Prime Video for another, Hulu for the third, Max for the fourth, and so on is commonplace.

But what if you’re just trying to watch something on one of the classic cable broadcasting channels like CBS, ABC, or NBC? These channels, along with FOX, are still some of the most popular networks in the world and produce quality content for the masses. Luckily for you, ABC and FOX have a streaming deal with Hulu. NBC has its own streaming service in Peacock, as does CBS with Paramount+. You can still watch those shows whenever you want.

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However, can you check in on any of these three channels live? Many of these channels have local news during the day to keep you informed on what is going on around you. But, they also offer more than that, with late night talk shows and live events. If you have a Roku, don’t worry — you can watch all of them. Here’s how to watch CBS, ABC, or NBC live on Roku.

Roku TV

Roku TV is one of the most popular streaming platforms today. It offers many streaming apps to choose from in an easy-to-use interface for consumers.

Can you get live TV on Roku?

The answer is a resounding yes

Roku / Pocket-lint

Roku’s interface is one of the easiest ones to navigate, so you’re sure to find something to watch in no time. If you have a Roku TV, it opens up into the interface. If you have a Roku streaming device, you’ll have to switch over to the input it’s on to utilize it. Once you’ve opened up your Roku, there should be some preinstalled apps on your screen — however, you can add other channels to it very easily.

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How to get ABC on your Roku

ABC is the home of shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Abbott Elementary, The Golden Bachelorette, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and many more. If you want to watch any of these, you can with your Roku. The easiest way to do so is by downloading the ABC app that you want.

Start by going to the Roku homepage.
On the left-hand side, you’ll see different menu options. Scroll down to Streaming Store.
Scroll down to Recommended Apps and find the Search button.
Type in ‘ABC‘ in the Search bar.

It will bring up all the ABC channels that Roku has to offer. As you can see in the picture above, there’s a wide variety, including ones from different locations around the US. Those provide local news and updates for those cities. If you are interested in the ABC that everyone in the US can see, the first app is the correct one. If you click on that, you can add the app to your homepage. Once you do, you will be able to click into it and log in with your cable provider to watch ABC shows live.

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How to get NBC on your Roku

NBC is home to shows like America’s Got Talent, Chicago Fire, Saturday Night Live, and many others. It’s also the exclusive home of the Olympic Games and Sunday Night Football. The way to watch NBC from your Roku is the same as ABC:

Start by going to the Roku homepage.
On the left-hand side, you’ll see different menu options. Scroll down to Streaming Store.
Scroll down to Recommended Apps and find the Search button.
Type in ‘NBC‘ in the Search bar.

You’ll notice NBC has a different menu underneath the apps compared to ABC. Those are Roku Zones, which provide exclusive content to Roku users only. These include clips from Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and more.

The NBC app offers many of the shows you love, but it doesn’t give you access to everything Peacock offers, as it’s a paid streaming service. You can download the NBC app and stream live shows through your cable provider. With Peacock, you can watch many of the shows that were live the next day.

Roku label on a Roku remote on a colored background

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How to get CBS on your Roku

CBS is home to shows like NCIS, Ghosts, FBI, Survivor, Big Brother, and more. It’s also home to the men’s NCAA basketball tournament, NFL on CBS, and other sports programs. To watch it from your Roku, you’ll have to search for it in the streaming store to bring up all the apps available the same way you did the other apps above.

For CBS, you can not only download the main CBS channel, but you can also download CBS Sports, CBS News, and other local ones. If you want to know the traffic in your city, choosing a local affiliate may make the most sense for you. But, if you’re using the CBS app and logging into your cable provider, or if you pay for the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME package, you can watch both national and local CBS channels live.

Can you watch ABC, NBC, and CBS for free on Roku?

Yes, but only to a certain extent

You’re able to watch ABC, NBC, and CBS for free on Roku. But, as I mentioned above, the broadcast network apps are not free.

What is free is the affiliate apps, such as local news channels and even ABC News or NBC News Now. These are free to stream, and you can stay up to date with what’s going on in the world and around your home. So, NBC News 4 New York, ABC Houston, and CBS News 19 Now are all free to stream. You just need to download the app to get started.