Sinclair Inc.‘s local news content-focused streaming service NewsON has upgraded its app on the Roku platform, with new features and an updated user interface now available for its users.
Ad-supported access allows NewsON to remain a free service dedicated to live newscasts and on-demand clips from nearly 300 local TV stations across more than 135 DMAs.
Local TV station free ad-supported streaming television channels are also available for streaming on NewsON.
What’s new in this version of the NewsON app on Roku are “zoomable” national radar maps with additional weather-related features. A “trending stations map” will allow NewsON users to better navigate breaking news stories from across the U.S.
And, there’s a new daily segment featuring “unique and trending news stories beyond the headlines, presented in an interactive and engaging format.” For example, NewsON notes, “Each day brings new content like ‘True Crime Tuesday,’ ‘Strange but True Thursday’ and more.”
Viewers can interact with the host and fellow users through comments on their mobile device, NewsON says.
NewsON VP/GM Ron Stitt comments, “The release of our updated app on Roku is a significant milestone for NewsON. We are very focused on building on our core service of nationwide local TV news access with unique features like VOD newscasts, while enhancing multiplatform engagement and interactivity with a host of new content and features including interactive weather radar, user commenting and polls.”