Roku adds 'Kids & Family' destination to its free-to-watch Roku Channel

The Roku Channel is making it easier for the family to find content for kids.

Beginning Monday, Roku users will find the "Kids & Family" section on the Roku Channel stocked with free, advertising-supported shows and movies including favorites such as Care Bears, The Cat in the Hat, Leapfrog, Little Baby Bum, My Little Pony, Rev & Roll, Super Mario Brothers and Thomas & Friends.

In all, there will be 7,000 free, ad-supported movies and TV episodes from content partners including Lionsgate ("Leapfrog"), Mattel ("Thomas & Friends"), Moonbug ("Little Baby Bum"), pocket.watch ("Ryan's World"), DHX Media (Teletubbies) and All Spark, A Hasbro Company ("My Little Pony").

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Beyond that, children's content from any premium subscriptions users may have added through the Roku Channel – think Noggin, Hopster, HBO, Starz and others – can also be viewed in the new section. That includes shows such as "Bubble Guppies," "Dora the Explorer," "PAW Patrol," "Peppa Pig" and movies such as "Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland."

The Los Gatos, California-based streaming video company two years ago launched the Roku Channel, which has tens of thousands of free to watch advertising-supported movies and TV episodes, as well as content you can pay for.

The aim of the channel was to make it easy for users to find content to watch as the smorgasbord of streaming apps and services multiplies. "Our real focus is on ease of use," said Rob Holmes, Roku's vice president of programming and engagement.

By adding the Kids & Family content destination, the Roku Channel evolves as "that single place to deliver free and premium content," he said.

Another new addition: Mom and Dad can also use parental controls in the Roku Channel to limit what programming kids can watch.

Plenty of homes have Roku-powered streaming products. Roku, which brought its first net video player to market in 2008, still holds the top spot in the U.S., accounting for more than 15% of all streaming devices, according to Strategy Analytics. The company had more than 41 million devices in use in the first quarter of 2019, the research firm says.

Roku owners streamed 9.4 billion hours during the April-June period, an increase of 500 million hours over the January-March period, and 72% more than a year ago.

By year's end, Roku will have more than 52 million devices in use, including smart TVs, estimates Strategy Analytics.

That growth is essential because Roku went public in September 2017. The Roku Channel's advertising has helped increase revenue for the streaming company, which now expects to deliver more than $1 billion in revenue for the year.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Roku adds 'Kids & Family' destination to its Roku Channel