Roku users flooded to support forums on May 25th when CNN, TNT, TBS, TruTV, and other WBD streaming channels suddenly displayed a “not available in your area” error message. This outage appears to be ongoing, as Roku is now having trouble with Hulu, Peacock, and other platforms.
Update, 5/26/23: This post initially focused on a May 25th service outage that prevented viewers from watching Warner Bros Discovery channels, including CNN, TNT, TBS, and TruTV. New information indicates that the outage is ongoing and impacts several other apps and channels.
The May 25th outage is notable because it interrupted live sports programming, including the Celtics and Heat game. But Roku’s problems have expanded beyond sports, as several users report that Hulu and Peacock are not working—through its testing, Review Geek confirms that these platforms are not working on Roku.
🚨 We apologize for the service interruption impacting a few channels this morning and are working diligently to get you up and streaming. If you’re seeing an error message, try back a bit later. Find the latest update at https://t.co/mxCNxoYckV.
— Roku Support (@RokuSupport) May 26, 2023
In a new tweet, Roku admits that it’s having a “service interruption.” But it does not specify which apps or channels are affected. For what it’s worth, the outage that affected Warner Bros Discovery channels (CNN, TNT, etc) seems to be resolved, though I have seen some stray complaints about CBS Sports Network and other non-WBD channels.
Sports channels (and their respective viewers) are making a slow transition away from cable TV. And it’s a very rocky transition. Every week, there’s a new story about sports fans missing out on a big game because of unreliable streaming problems. This Roku service outage is just another story to add to the pile.
We reached out to both Roku and Warner Bros Discovery on the morning of May 26th. Neither company has responded to our request for comment.
Source: r/Roku, Roku Community
