10 Of The Best Free Channels On Streaming Sticks (And What To Watch On Them) – Screen Rant

With the rise in popularity of smart TVs and devices like streaming sticks, there have been a ton of new streaming services that have been released. While some of them, like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, are really popular and have a ton of customers signing up and paying a monthly fee to access their content, there are also quite a few that don't require customers to pay to watch the shows and movies on them.

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While paid streaming services are still the only place to see some popular shows likeStranger Thingsand you won't be finding Disney Channel classics likeLizzie McGuireanywhere outside of Disney+, a lot of free channels that can be added to streaming sticks have some surprisingly good content.

To see 10 of the best completely free channels for streaming sticks (and what you can watch on them), keep reading!

FilmRise is a company that has quite a few different channels, depending on what you're into. If you're looking for a good variety of different movies and TV shows, just download the basic FilmRise channel. On it, you can check out shows likeKitchen Nightmares,3rd Rock From the Sun, and movies likeDonnie Darko.

While FilmRise is a great channel for classic TV and some underrated movies, FilmRise is also well-known for their variety of genre-specific channels. Whether you're into horror movies, comedies, or true crime shows and documentaries, there's likely a channel out there for you to pick out.

If you've got a streaming stick or a smart TV, you're probably aware that Vudu is a channel where you can rent and buy movies and TV shows. So, what's it doing on our list of free channels?

One thing many peopledon't know is that Vudu has a huge selection of free shows and movies. Some shows only have the first season available for free, but that's a good way to see if it's a show you're interested in seeing more of. The channel has a lot of movies that are totally free with ads, including titles likeHancock,Scary Movie, andGroundhog Day.

Pluto TV is a super popular and really unique free channel that is available on streaming sticks, tablets, and can even be checked out in your browser. This channel has a selection of live channels that play movies and TV shows as well as a huge library of on-demand movies and shows.

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More channels are regularly being added, but some of the 24/7 channels available on Pluto TV includeUnsolved Mysteries, featuring all the classic Robert Stack episodes, various MTV channels, aDegrassi channel, and a channel that showsDoctor Who episodes all day and night.

Despite the name being The Roku Channel, this channel can actually be added to other streaming sticks like Amazon's Fire TV devices. It works best on Roku devices, but the fact that it's nottotally limited to them is pretty nice for people that have other devices.

This channel offers paid subscriptions to other channels, but they're not necessary as it's loaded with a ton of free content, including a few live channels. Some of the shows on The Roku Channel includeSchitt's Creek,The Bachelorette,and classics likeThe Nanny. Along with TV shows, there are movies likeAugust Rush, andHalloween.

Crackle is a free channel that has shows and movies that we know and love as well as some of their own originals.Crackle is a well-designed app that allows users to add shows and movies that they're interested in to a "watch later" list which is super helpful and syncs between devices through your account.

Classic shows likeWho's the Boss andStarsky & Hutch as well as completely original shows that are only available on Crackle, likeCleaners andGoing From Broke, are all available on this channel. New shows and new movies are added regularly, which is great.

Tubi is a channel that features a wide variety of free movies and TV shows. The library is updated regularly, which means that there's always something new to watch. And if you're someone that has been missing your "happy little trees" sinceBob Ross'The Joy of Painting channel was removed from streaming sticks, you'll be happy to see that the series is available on Tubi.

Along with that series, Tubi has a blend of movies and TV shows of all genres. This channel has everything, from scary movies likeAnnabelle: Creation to action flicks likeKill Bill and shows likeCold Case Files,Grounded For Life, andMerlin.

Anyone familiar with anime will probably already know about Crunchyroll. Most people know that they can pay a monthly fee to watch entire series on Crunchyroll, but one thing that many peopledon't know is that you can also watch Crunchyroll without paying the monthly fee.

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The premium membership for Crunchyroll costs $7.99 a month, but if you don't mind only being able to watch anime in standard definition, not being able to watch within an hour of the Japanese broadcast of new episodes, and you don't mind watching ads, then you don't have to pay it. Crunchyroll offers a wide variety of popular anime completely free.

This channel is one that not everyone will be interested in, but anyone who has kids will be excited to know that PBS Kids is a free channel available on streaming sticks. If you've got younger children and you want to make sure that they're watching appropriate, educational shows, definitely get the PBS Kids channel on your streaming stick.

PBS Kids has a wide variety of different PBS shows that are aimed at different age groups. Some of the shows that the channel has includeDaniel Tiger's Neighborhood,Odd Squad, andSesame Street.

Tiny Desk Concerts is a series that NPR does in which different musicians come put on a concert in their small, eye-catching space. Some of the musicians that NPR has gotten to do their Tiny Desk Concerts include Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Ari Lennox, and Weezer.

Although this channel isn't like others that feature movies and TV shows and youcan catch NPR's Tiny Desk Concert performances on their website or on YouTube, it's nice to be able to have them all in one place, right there on your TV screen. If you're a music fan, this channel is a must.

Kanopy is a unique streaming service that doesn't require payment for a membership, you just have to have a library card or be a university student. Unfortunately, Kanopy is only available through select libraries and universities, but there are aton of them and new ones are being added regularly. You can check through Kanopy's website to see if your local library or the university you attend is supported and if it is, you've got access to Kanopy's entire library, completely free.

Kanopy has a massive selection of movies and documentaries. Some of what's available on the streaming service include movies likeMoonlight,A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night,andYoung Adult. Along with those, the service has documentaries likeThe Central Park Five,I Am Big Bird, andGrey Gardens.

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10 Of The Best Free Channels On Streaming Sticks (And What To Watch On Them) - Screen Rant

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero