If you’ve cut the cord but still want neighborhood headlines and weather without a bill or a TV antenna, Roku now makes it surprisingly easy. The Roku Channel’s expanding lineup of free, ad-supported live TV includes local newscasts from major network affiliates, organized automatically so the stations near you rise to the top—no login, no subscription.
How The Roku Channel Finds Your Local Stations
Roku uses location data based on your internet connection to surface local news feeds from participating ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox stations, along with independent and regional outlets. A recent interface refresh puts a Local News Near You row prominently inside The Roku Channel’s Live TV guide, tightening what used to be a scavenger hunt into a two-click journey.
These are live, linear streams from the stations themselves or their digital subchannels. In many markets, you’ll also see 24/7 city-branded feeds from national news groups that rebroadcast morning and evening newscasts and push out breaking coverage and severe weather updates as they happen.
Quick Setup: Watch Local News Free on Roku
Open The Roku Channel from your Roku home screen. If you have a Roku TV, you can also enter the Live TV zone directly; both paths lead to the same free channel guide.
Select Live TV to open the grid. Scroll until you see Local News Near You. Your area’s stations should appear first. Choose a channel to start watching immediately.
If you don’t see your city in the first row, use Roku Search to type your station’s call letters (for example, “KXXX” or “WXXX”) or your city name plus “news.” Add the resulting channel from The Roku Channel to access it from the Live TV guide alongside other free channels.
Want another city’s news? Within The Roku Channel’s Live TV area, browse categories for local feeds from around the country. Many stations also rebroadcast recent newscasts on demand, so you can catch up even outside live hours.
If Your City Is Missing, Try These Free Apps
NewsON aggregates live and on‑demand newscasts from over 200 local stations across most U.S. markets. If your hometown affiliate isn’t in The Roku Channel, there’s a good chance it’s here—search for your city inside the app.
Haystack News builds a personalized local-to-national news lineup by market and topic. It includes hundreds of sources and often carries local station clips, city hall coverage, and regional weather segments in one continuous stream.
Local Now offers market-by-market channels with hyperlocal headlines, traffic, and weather. It’s free and designed for quick check‑ins, making it a handy complement to full station feeds.
You can also install free network-owned apps that publish local streams, such as CBS News (with many city channels), NBC and its owned stations, ABC Owned Television Stations, and Fox Local. In some cases you’ll get both live newscasts and full newscast replays without logging in.
Troubleshooting Location and Privacy on Roku
Roku determines your local lineup using your IP address. If you’re using a VPN, tethering through a mobile hotspot, or traveling, you may see a different city. For the most accurate results, disable VPNs and connect through your home internet.
If the wrong market persists, check Roku Settings under Privacy and Location Services to ensure location access is allowed for The Roku Channel. Restart your device after changes. When you intentionally want another city’s news, jump into the apps above and select that market directly.
What You Do and Don’t Get for Free on Roku
Free local streams deliver live breaking news, weather, sports updates, and special reports, plus many replay full newscasts. You’ll see ads, and you won’t get cloud DVR, but the trade‑off is no monthly bill and fast channel changes inside a single guide.
Picture quality typically lands in HD with stereo audio, and severe weather coverage often runs wall‑to‑wall. For sports, rights restrictions can limit live game broadcasts, but you’ll still get pre‑ and postgame coverage and highlight packages from your local newsroom.
Why Free Local News on Roku Still Matters Today
Analysts have documented steep pay‑TV declines as households chase savings, yet surveys from organizations like Pew Research Center consistently find local TV news remains a primary way many Americans follow community issues, school boards, and public safety. Free local streams on platforms like Roku bridge that gap for cord‑cutters, delivering the most time‑sensitive information without the subscription overhead.
If you’ve been hanging on to a pricey live TV bundle just for local newscasts, it’s worth a test drive. Between The Roku Channel’s Local News Near You row and complementary free apps, you can recreate a cable‑style local news experience in minutes—and keep it free.