Don’t panic: Roku will still stream the Super Bowl for free, even without Fox

Last night, Roku made a surprise announcement that it was dropping all Fox apps from its platform, claiming that the two companies’ distribution agreement was expiring. The announcement seemed to jeopardize Roku users’ ability to stream the Super Bowl without having to pay for an expensive live TV service such as YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo TV, or AT&T TV Now. (Fox, in a statement, has accused Roku of “a naked effort to use its customers as pawns” in an apparent carriage dispute.)

Fortunately, there’s a workaround that doesn’t involve buying a new streaming device or using an antenna: just install Roku’s NFL app to watch the game instead. NFL spokesman Alex Riethmiller confirmed to Fast Company that the NFL app will continue to stream the game as planned.

The only downside is that the NFL app won’t be streaming the game in 4K HDR resolution. For that, you’ll need to use the Fox Sports app on a 4K HDR-compatible Fire TV device from Amazon, such as the Fire TV Stick 4K or Fire TV Cube. The Apple TV 4K will also have the game in 4K via the Fox app, but without HDR support.

Of course, Roku and Fox could still come to an agreement before the Super Bowl starts, but it’s good to know Roku users will have a backup plan either way.