A Brief History of Roku

Hi there! It‘s me, your friendly neighborhood cord-cutting guru. You seem frustrated by yet another unwanted charge on your credit card statement from a certain streaming device company… Let me guess, Roku?!

I feel your pain. With over 28 million active accounts, Roku makes it super easy to subscribe to premium channels directly through their platform. But actually canceling those pesky subscriptions? Not so much!

Well have no fear, I‘ve been a Roku power user for over 5 years now and have mastered the art of trimming down unnecessary streaming expenses. Just grab your remote and let me guide you through disconnecting from those paid Roku channels in no time.

Before we dig in, let me give you some background on how Roku established itself as one of the top streaming platforms out there. Roku was founded way back in 2002 by Anthony Wood, the genius who previously invented the DVR.

Over the next 15 years, Roku slowly built up its streaming box business as more and more people started ‘cutting the cord‘ from expensive cable TV packages. However, the real momentum came when Roku shifted its business model to focus on licensing.

By building Roku‘s software directly into affordable TV sets rather than just external devices, growth skyrocketed. Now over 30% of smart TVs sold in the U.S. come ready to stream with Roku‘s operating system built-in.

With such prime real estate in people‘s living rooms, Roku has unsurprisingly become the top dog for accessing today‘s most popular streaming content.

By the Numbers

60 million active Roku accounts worldwide
21 billion hours streamed on Roku per year
80% of time spent streaming free, ad-supported channels
5,000+ channels available with subscriptions optional

So while the bulk of Roku usage remains free, they still hook millions of subscribers by offering premium channel upgrades right on their platform.

Let‘s get you unhooked, shall we?

Alright, time for me to hold your hand and guide you through removing any subscriptions tied to your Roku account. Just have your remote handy and we‘ll have you subscription-free in no time.

Step 1: Navigating Home

Hit that round Home button on your remote to jump back to the main Roku menu. This brings up all your apps and channels, including any unused ones you might want to cut ties with.

Pro Tip: You can also get to the Home screen by pressing the back button repeatedly.

Step 2: Locate the Channel

Now use your directional pad to scroll horizontally through your channels and apps.

When you settle on the one you want to unsubscribe from, just hover there for a sec. See how the channel‘s logo and name pops up? Perfect, now we know exactly what account we need to manage.

For this demo, we‘ll be cutting ties with RELAXation Station. I don‘t know about you, butmood lighting and nature sounds don‘t quite justify $8.99 per month for me.

Bye bye, RELAXation Station! 👋

Step 3: Access Channel Options

With RELAXation Station selected, go ahead and hit the **** button on your remote. It‘s located right above the Fast Forward button to the right of the directional arrows.

This brings up a menu specific to each channel‘s settings and account details. Now we‘re getting somewhere!

*Inside Scoop: This magical ** button is actually called the "Options" or "Info" button on some Roku remote models.

Step 4: Manage Subscription

Under RELAXation Station‘s options, select the "Manage Subscription" choice. Go ahead and click OK if any pop-up appears.

You should now see details related to:

Subscription status
Payment method
Next billing date
Cancellation abilities

Review these details if you please, but the most vital nugget is our next ticket to freedom…

Step 5: Cancel Subscription

Hover down to the option reading:

Cancel Subscription

Select it to trigger a prompt asking "Are you sure?" Um, do birds fly south for the winter?? YES I am sure! 😂

Step 6: Confirm Cancellation

After selecting Cancel Subscription, one final prompt will appear just to triple check you really want to unsubscribe. Select Cancel here to complete the process.

Step 7: Cancelation Complete!

If done correctly, you should now see a "Subscription Cancelled" confirmation like so:

Hooray! 🎉 Feel that weight lifted off your shoulders? Lightness in your wallet? That‘s freedom, my friend!

Now the process is technically complete, but let‘s cover some remaining FAQs below…

Q: Why was I charged after cancellation?

A: Depending on your billing cycle timing, you may receive one last charge after unsubscribing. But fear not! First double check your cancellation confirmation screen for the final billing date. As long as the charges stop after that designated date, the system is likely just finishing out your current cycle.

If you see charges continuing past the noted last billing date, contact Roku support to dispute those charges as fraudulent.

Q: If I delete the channel, won‘t that cancel a paid subscription?

A: Unfortunately, no. Removing a channel from your Roku home screen does NOT automatically cancel any associated subscriptions. You have to select the actual "Cancel Subscription" option we walked through above. I know, confusing!

Q: What if I subscribed on the streaming service‘s website, not Roku?

A: Ah, good catch. If you originally subscribed directly through the streaming provider‘s website rather than through Roku, then cancellation needs to happen on that streaming service‘s platform instead.

Roku‘s cancellation process only applies to subscriptions you directly enrolled in on their channel store interface. In that case, head to that provider‘s website or mobile app to cancel the monthly charges through them.

Q: Can I get a refund if I just noticed old charges?

A: If you just now noticed you‘ve been charged for months after thinking you unsubscribed, all hope isn‘t lost! You can dispute the charges through your linked payment method for up to 60 days in most cases.

Contact your credit card company or payment provider to challenge the charges as unauthorized recurring transactions. Provide your cancellation confirmation email from Step 7 above to help verify the charges should have ended.

And there you have it! I knowcanceling subscriptions can be confusing in the streaming world today, but I hope breaking down Roku‘s process helps provide clarity.

If you follow those 7 steps, you‘ll be on the road toREPURPOSING your hard-earned funds in no time. 💸 Maybe even upgrade to the new Roku Ultra with all those subscription savings!

As always, drop me any remaining questions below. And be sure to check out my other cord cutting tutorials right here for more technical tips and tricks!