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New Sling TV subscribers can now receive $25 off their first month – here’s how to sign up

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Everything you need to know 4x3

Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

  • Sling TV is one of the cheapest live TV streaming services available.
  • For a limited time, new members can get $25 off and free DVR Plus in their first month.
  • If you prepay for two months at the normal cost, Sling will throw in a free AirTV Mini.

TV (medium)

Dollar for dollar, Sling TV is one of the most affordable live TV streaming services on the market, offering a large selection of channels and on-demand content.

Like most streaming platforms, Sling TV provides various promotional deals and free trial offers on a regular basis. That said, the conditions of these trials and discounts change often. Right now, new subscribers can receive a three-day trial period if they sign up through select devices.

Sling offers other bonuses for new subscribers as well, including an introductory discount or free device bundles. Here’s a full rundown of all the Sling TV offers and deals available right now.

New Sling TV members can get $25 off their first month

For a limited time, Sling is offering a $25 discount on the first month of service for new members. This brings the price down to just $10 for your introductory month. The promotion also includes one month of Sling’s DVR Plus upgrade, which offers 200 hours of storage.

This deal often comes and goes every month or so, as we saw a “$10 off” deal in March, a “$25 off” deal in February, and a “$10 off” deal in January. Sling hasn’t announced when the current “$25 off” deal will expire, so we recommend new subscribers snag the promo now before it’s gone.

TV (medium)

Subscribers can choose between Sling Orange or Sling Blue, and you must provide an email address and credit card when you sign up. After your first month, your subscription will continue under the regular $35 monthly price unless you cancel. If you want to keep the DVR Plus upgrade you need to pay an additional $5 a month.

Does Sling TV offer a free trial?

Sling’s website does not currently include a free trial option, but the site has offered a three-day trial in the past.

People who sign up for Sling through the Sling TV app on select devices, however, can still receive a three-day trial. The app is available on most smart TVs and media players, including Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast.

You can get a free AirTV Mini or antenna if you prepay for two months of Sling

If you don’t want a discounted month or free trial, new members can opt for a free device instead.

You can opt for a free AirTV Mini when you prepay for two months of Sling. The AirTV Mini streaming device typically costs $80 and you can use it to watch Sling and other apps on your TV. The AirTV Mini can be paired with an AirTV 2 and an antenna to add local programming.

Finally, subscribers who just want a simple solution to get local channels can get a free antenna ($45 retail value) when they prepay for two months. Though an antenna by itself won’t integrate with your Sling app, it will let you watch local channels that aren’t included with Sling, like ABC and CBS, through your TV.

Sling offers discounted AirTV 2 and AirTV Anywhere bundles if you pay for three months

In addition to the TiVo Stream 4K and AirTV Mini offer, Sling currently has several other packages that’ll get you discounted devices if you prepay for three months at the regular price.

For $49, you can get an AirTV 2 ($100 retail value) and an antenna ($45 retail value). For $99, you can get an AirTV 2 ($100 retail value), an antenna ($45 retail value), and an AirTV Mini ($80 retail value). For $149, you can receive that same bundle with a second AirTV Mini.

Finally, if you want to record local channels with a built-in DVR, you can opt for a $99 bundle featuring an AirTV Anywhere and an antenna ($245 retail value).

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T-Mobile’s TVision closure points to virtual pay TV’s challenges

Hi and welcome to this weekly edition of Insider Advertising, where we track the big stories in media and advertising.

Remember you can sign up to get this newsletter daily here.

First: We extended our deadline to nominate top ad execs leading the charge on data and privacy. Submit here by April 5.

What we’re following this week:

T-Mobile shuts TVision

Digital media layoffs

Workplace issues at Zimmerman Advertising

T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert
T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert.

T-Mobile

Virtual pay TV struggles

While new streaming services launch left and right, T-Mobile is pulling the plug on TVision, its 5-month-old attempt to retain customers with a $10 per month streaming service, Claire Atkinson reported. Key points:

  • Its demise shows the challenges of the virtual pay TV services model that has struggled to find a profitable business.
  • These services historically haven’t offered much of a deal for would-be cord cutters. TVision was troubled from the start, the programming costing far more than it was charging.
  • In the streaming wars, T-Mobile’s loss is a win for YouTube TV and Philo, which it’s offering its customers instead.

Read more: T-Mobile pulled the plug on its streaming video service, TVision, just 5 months after launch

Also read:

nancy dubuc vice ceo
Vice Media CEO Nancy Dubuc.

Michael Cohen/Getty Images

Digital media takes another hit

Just as things are starting to look up with more people getting vaccinated and offices planning for reopening comes news of layoffs at a handful of digital media darlings, Steven Perlberg reported.

This may have surprised people who may have thought the blood-letting was over after last spring when advertisers hit the breaks, leaving many ad-dependent media companies to cut costs.

But the challenges these companies faced aren’t new:

  • Vice Media and HuffPost, along with other VC-backed media companies, have struggled to reach their backers’ expectations. HuffPost was just acquired, a move that’s usually followed by layoffs as merged companies look to cut duplicative costs.
  • Mel Magazine, an arm of Dollar Shave Club, was known for its distinctive men’s lifestyle coverage. But as a brand-backed publication that didn’t have any ad revenue coming in, its financial purpose was unclear.
  • And Medium, which also announced cuts, has changed its approach to content countless times over the years, shifting from an ad- to subscription-driven model. This time it was to scale back its own publications that it started just a few years earlier.

Subscriptions and advertising support many news outlets very well, of course. These companies didn’t have enough of either, or their execution was flawed.

Some digital media companies could get a lifeline by going public through SPACs. But the underlying business challenges they face aren’t likely to go away.

Read more: Vice Media just laid off a handful of digital staffers

Also read:

Jordan Zimmerman
Jordan Zimmerman, founder and chairman of Zimmerman Advertising in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Jock Fistick/South Florida Business Journal

Zimmerman Advertising complaints

Zimmerman Advertising and its founder Jordan Zimmerman bear all the trappings of success, with billions in revenue and clients like McDonald’s and Nissan.

But some employees said they experienced micromanaging, misogyny, and racism at the Omnicom-owned agency, Lindsay Rittenhouse reports.

From her story:

In April, Zimmerman Advertising – an Omnicom-owned ad agency in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, known for its work with clients like McDonald’s – laid off a batch of employees in the pandemic. That day, the founder and chairman Jordan Zimmerman addressed the remaining staff on a call.

Three people on the call said Zimmerman told employees that, while they were spared, they would need to work “two and a half times harder” or he would replace them with the laid-off employees who had “begged” for their jobs.

Fast-forward to this March, when some employees accused the agency of pressuring them to go back to the office, regardless of whether they had been vaccinated or had high-risk family members. In some cases, employees said management threatened layoffs if they didn’t return.

Read the full story: Employees say they experienced racism and sexism at Zimmerman Advertising, an Omnicom agency known for clients like McDonald’s and Nissan

Other stories we’re reading:

Thanks for reading, and see you next week. And remember you can sign up for this newsletter here.

– Lucia

Read the original article on Business Insider

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What is Crunchyroll? Everything you need to know about the popular anime streaming service

Crunchyroll app on mobile phone
Crunchyroll is a streaming platform focused explicitly on original and simulcasted licensed Anime shows and movies.

Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

  • Crunchyroll is an anime streaming service that offers over 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes of anime.
  • Crunchyroll is free with ads, but users can upgrade to one of three ad-free membership tiers through the premium subscription service.
  • Crunchyroll is available across devices and platforms, including iOS, Android, Roku, PlayStation 4, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and more. 
  • Visit Business Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

Susan J. Napier’s 2016 book, “Anime from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle,” reports that anime makes up around 60% of the world’s animated television series. Started in 2006 by students at the University of California, Berkeley, Crunchyroll is an answer to that mountain of content and the fans who demand it. 

With 3 million subscribers and services in over 200 countries and territories, Crunchyroll has become one of the world’s most popular anime brands. The Netflix-esque streaming service offers a vast library of TV anime, manga, and other original content featuring popular titles like “Lupin the Third,” “Attack on Titan,” and “The God of High School.” 

Acquired by WarnerMedia in 2018, the company announced in December 2020 the sale of Crunchyroll to Sony, which owns the platform’s anime competitor Funimation. There has been no update about how the merger will affect the two sites, so for now, Crunchyroll remains the anime powerhouse fans have come to know and love. 

Here’s everything else you need to know about Crunchyroll. 

What is Crunchyroll?

Just two years after launching as a paid for-profit video upload and streaming site primarily focused on East Asian media in 2006, the platform moved away from hosting licensed material, including titles illegally uploaded by users. With a cash infusion in 2008, Crunchyroll took the first steps towards becoming the legal distribution platform, entering into the home release and DVD markets, as well as the digital Manga world. 

Crunchyroll_Image1
The service currently has three million subscribers and operates in over 200 countries and territories.

Ron Lyons/Business Insider

Over a decade later, Crunchyroll has become a distributor and publisher and production and licensing company with a strict focus on the anime market. The service caters to its specific audience of anime lovers by offering shows and movies, games, live-action dramas, and Japanese comics (or manga). Presently, Crunchyroll claims it boasts 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes of anime content. The company also offers a variety of in-person events, including the Crunchyroll Expo and Crunchyroll Anime Awards. 

In addition to distributing anime from Japanese companies, the site also offers a slate of exclusive programs through Crunchyroll Originals. Launched last year and produced out of Crunchyroll Studios, the company has used its original programming to distinguish itself from competitors by providing content unique to its site instead of relying solely on licensed content. Crunchyroll Originals include:

  • “Noblesse”
  • “FreakAngels” 
  • “Onyx Equinox”
  • “High Guardian Spice” 
  • “Meiji Gekken: Swords & Guns” 
  • “In/Spectre” 
  • “The God of High School”
  • “Tower of God”

How does Crunchyroll work? 

Crunchyroll gives viewers various ways to watch their favorite anime titles. Users can opt to stream on their computers or access it on mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows phones. But Crunchyroll is also available on numerous other streaming devices and even gaming platforms, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Playstation 3, 4, and Vita, Roku, Xbox One and 360, and Wii U. 

As a bonus, if you begin viewing on a platform like a computer, you can seamlessly switch to another device with ease with no interruptions as long as you’re logged into your account. 

Crunchyroll_Image3
There are over 30 thousand episodes with numerous titles for offline viewing.

Ron Lyons/Business Insider

Crunchyroll viewers can sign up for the free account or one of its tiered membership options. With a free profile, you can stream content one week after the broadcast in Japan with ads. Crunchyroll simulcasts the content the same day for premium users – and only an hour after airing in Japan. 

Both free and paid accounts have access to “subbed” and “dubbed” content. When users stream content that originally airs in Japan, subtitles will be available in English and other languages. Those who would prefer to watch – instead of reading – can select an anime’s “dubbed” version in their language. In English dubs, the Japanese voice actor has been replaced by an English voice actor.  

How much does Crunchyroll cost?

Free users only need their basic info to create an account and begin watching. But the anime streaming service also has three paid membership options for those looking for additional benefits and perks. New premium subscribers get a 14-day trial before being billed monthly. 

Crunchyroll_Image2
Each membership level offers different benefits.

Ron Lyons/Business Insider

Fan  

At the beginner level of the premium membership ladder, “Fan” subscribers pay $7.99 a month and get perks like same-day simulcast viewing, ad-free watching, and access to Crunchyroll’s digital library of manga.

Mega Fan 

At $9.99 a month, Mega Fans get everything mentioned above in addition to the ability to stream on multiple devices, offline viewing, primary access to Crunchyroll Expo, and discounted prices on merchandise in the Crunchyroll store.

Ultimate Fan

The most expensive and inclusive tier, the $14.99 a month Ultimate Fan subscription, has the majority of benefits from previous levels and the bonuses of a yearly swag bag and a limited-edition figurine.  

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

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FuboTV surges 20% after sports streaming service raises preliminary Q4 revenue guidance

FuboTV

Fubo TV

  • FUBO shares are up over 20% on Tuesday after the company raised preliminary revenue and subscriber guidance.
  • Analysts at Needham raised their price target for FUBO to $60/share, citing the potential for a new sports gambling revenue stream within 12 months.
  • Over 80 million shares of FUBO were released from a lock-up on Dec. 30th. According to analyst Laura Martin, this, along with the improved revenue figures and business outlook, signals the bottom for the once struggling FuboTV, per SeekingAlpha.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

After a rocky start to the year on Monday, FuboTV (NYSE: FUBO) announced fourth quarter revenue and subscriber guidance Tuesday morning, and shares are surging.

Previously, the “sports-first” video-streaming platform expected revenue in the last quarter of 2020 to be between $80 million-$85 million. Tuesday’s revised figures bring that number to between $94 million-$98 million, representing a 77%-84% year-over-year increase in revenue.

Paid subscriber growth also skyrocketed some 72% year-over-year. The company expects to boast over 545,000 paid subscribers in their year-end filings. That’s an increase of more than 35,000 over their prior guidance of 500,000-510,000 subscribers.

In a press release, CEO David Gandler touched on Fubo’s 2021 goals saying the company would be “laser-focused on executing our growth strategies, which include continuing to grow advertising revenues, working to implement sports wagering into our product and further establishing FuboTV as a leader in sports and live streaming.”

This comes two weeks after Needham’s equity research team maintained its buy rating and doubled its price target for the rising sports streaming service from $30 to $60 per share.

Read more: Buy these 30 stocks that handily beat the market in 2020 and are poised for the best global returns in 2021, RBC says

Per SeekingAlpha, Needham noted the subscriber growth beat, a live sports button on Hisense’s VIDAA TVs sold at Walmart, a new gambling revenue stream within the year, along with several strong CTV industry consumer, revenue, and valuation fundamental upside drivers as their reasoning behind the bullishness.

Needham analyst Laura Martin also argued the bottom is in on FUBO after a tough 2020 due to a December 31 lockup expiration, which released 88mm shares into the open market.

Martin said in a statement, “we believe FUBO’s recent share price weakness was caused by an enormous supply/demand imbalance as 88mm shares became un-locked-up on Dec 30th, vs. less than 20mm shares in the float, and 8mm shares/day of avg trading volume.”

According to Martin, with supply-demand imbalance resolved and with new revenue figures, the outlook for Fubo is bullish.

FUBO trades around $30 per share and boasts a $2 billion market cap.

Read more: A crypto CEO breaks down why he would not be surprised to see Bitcoin and Ethereum rise at least 100% in 2021 – and says the current sell-offs are a ‘very natural and healthy thing’

Read the original article on Business Insider

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A full breakdown of what channels you get with every Sling TV package, plus all the add-ons

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Sling tv 30+ channels 2x1

Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

  • Sling is one of the most affordable cord-cutting services on the market, offering two packages –  Orange and Blue for $30 a month each, or combined for $45 a month.
  • The channel selection differs between both plans, though some networks are available on both.
  • You can also add on multi-channel packages, like Sports Extras, or premium add-ons, like Showtime, Starz, and Epix, for an additional monthly charge. 
  • If you’re new to Sling TV, you can receive a free three-day trial when you sign up, or a $10 discount on your first month of service.

If you’re hoping to get the most bang for your buck once you cut the cord with your cable subscription, Sling is one of the most affordable live streaming services on the market. You can read our full Sling TV review here.

The service has two packages with over 30 channels starting at just $30 a month. But Sling’s website makes it a bit difficult to compare services and ensure you’ll be getting the channels you’re after, so we’ve broken down exactly what you’ll get with each package and all the add-ons you can include to enhance your channel offerings.

Updated on 12/23/2020 by Steven Cohen: This article has been revised with updated formatting and new details on current Sling offers. 

The two main packages – Sling Orange and Sling Blue – offer 30+ channels for $30 a month, or $45 combined

Sling’s two main offerings are Sling Orange and Sling Blue, each available to stream for $30 a month. For the most part, the channels largely overlap between the two, but there are a few key differences that might cause you to choose one over the other.

The channels that overlap on both Orange and Blue include standouts like Food Network, Lifetime, CNN, the History Channel, and more. Meanwhile, Disney and ESPN are only included with Sling Orange. In their place, Sling Blue offers a slate of Fox-owned and NBC-owned channels, including stations like FX, Fox Sports 1, USA, and Bravo.

Blue also comes with local NBC and Fox affiliates, but only if you live in select markets. Sling Orange doesn’t offer any local channels at all, so if you’re hoping to catch your local nightly news, Sling Blue is the way to go. 

If you’re keeping up with the newest season of “What We Do in the Shadows” on FX, but you absolutely can’t live without “SportsCenter” on ESPN, you might want to combine the two packages for $45 a month, giving you access to all 50+ channels Sling offers.

There are plenty of add-ons starting at $5 a month if you’re looking for specific genres or channels

If you want to further enhance your channel selection, Sling offers a slate of genre-based add-ons starting at $5 a month. Each add-on, like Kids Extras, Sports Extras, and Lifestyle Extras, offers a mini-bundle of channels for an additional charge.

Though HBO is no longer offered, there are still several premium add-ons you may want to tack onto your service. For $10 a month, you’ll get a slate of nine Showtime channels. Sling also offers a Starz package for $9 a month and an Epix package for $5 a month.

If you’re using Sling a la carte, the monthly charges per add-on can increase your rates pretty quickly, but if you’re happy with its baseline Orange or Blue offerings, Sling is incredibly cost-efficient.

See below for a full breakdown of all Sling’s channel offerings and add-ons, and click here to sign up and start streaming live TV.

Table of Contents: Static

Sling Orange

Sling1

Cnet.com

The following channels are included with Sling Orange:

  • Disney Channel
  • ESPN
  • ESPN2
  • ESPN3
  • Freeform
  • MotorTrend
  • A&E 
  • BET
  • TNT
  • AMC
  • HGTV
  • CNN
  • TBS
  • Comedy Central
  • History Channel
  • IFC
  • Food Network
  • BBC America
  • Investigation Discovery
  • Travel Channel
  • Cartoon Network
  • Nick Jr.
  • EPIX Drive-In
  • Lifetime
  • Vice
  • AXS TV
  • Fuse 
  • Newsy
  • Bloomberg Television
  • Cheddar
  • Local Now
  • Comet 
  • Stadium

Sling Blue

The following channels are included:

  • USA
  • AMC
  • Bravo
  • Discovery Channel
  • FOX
  • NBC
  • FX
  • TLC
  • NFL Network
  • NBC Sports Network
  • MSNBC
  • Fox News Channel
  • Fox Sports 1
  • Nick Jr.
  • SYFY
  • National Geographic
  • BET
  • truTV
  • E!
  • Paramount Network
  • A&E 
  • TNT
  • HGTV
  • CNN
  • TBS
  • Comedy Central
  • History Channel
  • IFC
  • Food Network
  • BBC America
  • HLN
  • Investigation Discovery
  • Travel Channel
  • Cartoon Network
  • Epix Drive-In
  • Lifetime
  • Viceland
  • AXS TV
  • Fuse 
  • Newsy
  • Bloomberg Television
  • Cheddar
  • Local Now
  • Comet
  • Stadium

Shared between Orange and Blue

The following channels are shared between the Orange and Blue plans:

  • A&E
  • TNT
  • AMC
  • HGTV
  • CNN
  • BET
  • Nick Jr.
  • TBS
  • Comedy Central
  • History Channel
  • IFC
  • Food Network
  • BBC America
  • Investigation Discovery
  • Travel Channel
  • Cartoon Network
  • EPIX Drive-In
  • Viceland
  • AXS TV
  • Fuse
  • Newsy
  • Bloomberg Television
  • Cheddar
  • Comet
  • Stadium

Sports add-ons ($10/month if Blue; $10/month if Orange)

The following channels are included with Sling Orange:

  • ACC Network 
  • ACC Network Extra
  • Longhorn Network 
  • ESPNU
  • ESPNews
  • SEC Network 
  • SEC Network+ 
  • MLB Network
  • MLB Network Strike Zone
  • Tennis Channel
  • NBA TV
  • Pac-12
  • NHL Network
  • beIN Sports
  • Outside Television

The Following channels are included with Sling Blue:

  • FS2 
  • Golf Channel
  • Olympic Channel
  • NFL RedZone 
  • MLB Network
  • MLB Network Strike Zone
  • Tennis Channel
  • NBA TV
  • Pac-12
  • NHL Network
  • beIN Sports
  • Outside Television
  • Big Ten Network (coming to Sling ahead of the 2020 college football season)

Comedy add-ons ($5/month if Blue; $5/month if Orange)

sling2

Roku Blog

Sign up for Sling here

The following channels are included:

  • CMT
  • GSN
  • Logo
  • MTV
  • MTV2
  • Revolt
  • TV Land
  • Paramount Network (already included in Sling Blue base channels)
  • truTV (already included in Sling Blue base channels)

Kids add-ons ($5/month)

The following channels are included:

  • Disney Junior (not included if you have Sling Blue) 
  • Disney XD (not included if you have Sling Blue) 
  • NickToons
  • TeenNick
  • Boomerang
  • BabyTV
  • duckTV

News add-ons ($5/month)

The following channels are included:

  • CNBC (not included with Sling Orange) 
  • Fox Business (not included with Sling Orange) 
  • NDTV 24×7 (not included with Sling Orange)
  • HLN (already included in Sling Blue base plan)
  • NewsMax
  • Science Channel
  • BBC World News
  • Weather Nation
  • Euronews
  • News18
  • RT America
  • CGTN
  • Law & Crime Network

Lifestyle add-ons ($5/month)

The following channels are included:

  • Oxygen (not included if you have Sling Orange)
  • Cooking Channel
  • DIY
  • FYI
  • Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
  • Hallmark Channel
  • Hallmark Drama
  • Lifetime Movies
  • VH1
  • WE TV 
  • Z Living HD

Hollywood add-ons ($5/month)

sling3

iMore.com

Sign up for Sling here

The following channels are included:

  • FXX (not included if you have Sling Orange) 
  • FXM (not included if you have Sling Orange) 
  • Cinemoi
  • HDNet Movies
  • REELZ
  • SundanceTV
  • Turner Classic movies

Heartland add-ons ($5/month)

The following channels are included:

  • Nat Geo Wild (not included if you have Sling Orange) 
  • World Fishing Network
  • RIDE TV
  • Sportsman Channel
  • American Heroes Channel
  • Destination America
  • Outdoor Channel
  • RFD-TV
  • PixL
  • The Cowboy Channel
  • Pursuit
  • Great American Country

Showtime add-ons ($10/month)

The following channels are included:

  • SHOWTIME
  • SHOWTIME 2
  • SHOWTIME Beyond
  • SHOWTIME Extreme
  • SHOWTIME Family Zone
  • SHOWTIME Next
  • SHOWTIME Showcase
  • SHOWTIME West
  • SHOWTIME Women

EPIX add-ons ($5/month)

The following channels are included:

  • EPIX
  • EPIX 2
  • EPIX Hits

STARZ add-ons ($9/month)

sling4

HD Report

Sign up for Sling here

The following channels are included:

  • STARZ
  • STARZ Comedy
  • STARZ Edge
  • STARZ Encore
  • STARZ Kids and Family
  • STARZ West

Other premium add-ons (monthly price varies)

The following channels are included:

  • NBA League Pass: ($28.99/month)
  • NBC Team Pass: ($17.99/month)
  • CuriosityStream: ($3/month)
  • UP Faith & Family: ($5/month)
  • Hopster: ($5/month)
  • PANTAYA: ($6/month)
  • Stingray Karaoke: ($7/month)
  • Dove Channel: ($5/month)
  • Outside TV Features: ($5/month)
  • Docurama: ($5/month)
  • CONtv: ($5/month)
  • Here TV: ($8/month)
  • Cinefest: ($5/month)
  • Cinemoi: ($3/month)
  • Comedy Dynamics: ($5/month)
  • DOGTV: ($5/month)
  • Hallmark Movies Now: ($6/month)
  • Grokker: ($7/month)
  • The Country Network Plus: ($3/month)
  • Magnolia Selects: ($5/month)
  • Warrior & Gangers: ($3/month)
  • Monsters & Nightmares: ($3/month)
  • Kartoon Channel!: ($4/month)
  • Stingray Qello: ($8/month)
  • Dox: ($3/month)
  • Echoboom Sports: ($6/month)
  • Hi-YAH!: ($3/month)
  • Lion Mountain TV: ($3/month)
  • VSiN: ($4/month)
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How to get VLC on a Roku device by mirroring the media player in 2 different ways

roku remote
You can mirror VLC on a Roku in a few simple steps.

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

  • You can get VLC on Roku by mirroring the VLC player from an Android device or Windows computer.
  • VLC is a popular media player for many platforms, but it’s not available for direct download on Roku.
  • Here’s how to set up and mirror your Android or Windows device to a Roku player.
  • Visit Business Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

VLC (VideoLAN Client) is a popular open-source media player for a variety of platforms including Windows and Android devices. Unfortunately, Roku is not one of VLC’s supported devices, so there is no direct way to install or use the VLC player on a Roku TV or media player. However, you can get VLC on a Roku by mirroring content from your Android phone or from your Windows computer. 

Before you begin, make sure that screen mirroring is enabled on your Roku device. To do that, follow the instructions in the first section of our article on mirroring to a Roku device, under “How to set up Roku for mirroring.”

Then make sure that VLC is installed on the device you plan to mirror – you can install VLC on your Android device or VLC on Windows. 

How to get VLC on Roku by mirroring from Windows

1. Install the VLC app on Windows, then launch. 

2. Click the Notification icon at the bottom right of the Windows desktop. 

3. If needed to see all the icons, click “Expand.” Then find and click “Connect.”

How_to_get_VLC_on_Roku 1
Click “Connect” from the Notification icon on the desktop.

Dave Johnson/Business Insider

4. In the pane that pops out of the right side of the desktop, find and select your Roku device.

How_to_get_VLC_on_Roku 2
Select your Roku device when it appears.

Dave Johnson

5. On the TV, use the Roku remote to select “Allow.” 

How to get VLC on Roku 3
Be sure to allow the content from your PC to appear on the Roku.

Dave Johnson/Business Insider

Your PC should now be mirrored on the Roku. Open the VLC Player app – its contents should be displayed on the TV. 

How to get VLC on Roku by mirroring from Android

1. Install the VLC app on your Android.

2. You can mirror to Roku from almost any Android device, but the name of the mirror feature varies depending on which Android device you are using. In general, you can find it by swiping down from the top of the screen to display the quick-access icons (or open Settings and select “Connection and sharing”). Some of the names that this feature goes by includes Cast, Screen Cast, Smart View, Quick Connect, HTC Connect, and Smart Share. Find the casting feature for your phone and tap it. 

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Start casting from your phone. On this Samsung Galaxy, the feature is called “Smart View,” but the name will vary from phone to phone.

Dave Johnson/Business Insider

3. Make sure you enable casting. Look for your Roku to appear in the list of devices and then tap it. You might need to confirm you want to do this. 

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Select the Roku device when you see it.

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4. On the TV, use the Roku remote to select “Allow.” 

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Allow the Roku to mirror your phone, and you can access VLC from your Roku.

Dave Johnson/Business Insider

Your Android phone’s screen should now be mirrored on the Roku. Open the VLC Player app and watch the mirrored videos on your TV screen.

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