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How to pause live television with Roku

Pause, rewind, and resume live TV on Roku with flexible buffering and simple controls

Live Premium Subscription and FAST Channels


When watching live streaming channels on a Roku device (like live Premium Subscriptions or free ad-supported live shows and sports), you can pause for up to twice the length of the show or live event.

No USB drive is required.

How to use pause for live FAST and premium content

  • Press OK to show the playback bar, then press play-with-white.jpgPause to pause live TV.

  • Press rew-with-white.jpgRewind or ff-with-white.jpgFast forward to move backward or forward within the paused buffer.

  • Use the Directional Pad to highlight Jump to live to go to the current live broadcast point. 

How the 30-minute buffer works

Your Roku TV keeps a rolling 30-minute buffer.

This means:

  • If you pause for less than 30 minutes you return to the exact spot you paused.
  • If you pause for more than 30 minutes you return to the earliest available point (some content will be skipped).
  • If the program ends while paused you can resume your show or jump to the live point in the next show.

Rewind live Premium shows and events

When you’re watching an eligible premium live channels (like Peacock), you can rewind the action or fast forward to the action.

  • Press OK to show the playback bar.

  • Use rew-with-white.jpgRewind and ff-with-white.jpg Fast forward to move backward or forward within the paused program.

Note: This feature may not be available for certain shows or events based on provider rights.

Pause over-the-air TV on your Roku TV


If you use an antenna (or cable without a set-top box), you can pause live TV on your Roku TV for up to 90 minutes.

What you need

  • A Roku TV
  • An antenna or cable service (no set-top box)
  • USB 2.0 flash drive
  • At least 

Note:

  • 16GB gives you the full 90-minute pause.
  • Larger drives do 
  • The USB drive will be erased during setup.
  • You cannot save recordings or transfer them.

Set up over the air Live TV pause

  • Plug in your USB drive.
  • Follow on-screen steps to format it.

  • Press Home

  • Highlight Live TV

  • Press Starstar button on Roku remote

  • Select Set up Live TV Pause

  • Follow instructions

To turn it off, unplug the USB drive.

How over-the-air pause works

  • Recording starts automatically when you tune to a channel.
  • Press 
  • Press 
  • You can rewind up to 90 minutes.
  • After 90 minutes paused, playback resumes automatically.

You will lose your paused spot if you:

  • Change channels
  • Exit Live TV
  • Turn off the TV

What happens if…

The show ends while paused

  • Resume from your paused point by clicking the 
  • You can jump to the current live show by clicking 

You paused more than 30 minutes

  • Playback resumes from the earliest available point in the buffer.

Note: You will miss part of what originally aired after pausing for more than 30 minutes.

The next program is blocked by parental controls

  • You’ll need to enter your PIN to start watching that show

You open the Live TV Guide

  • If you press 
  • Press 
  • If you select a new channel, your paused content will be lost.

Last updated at 3/30/2026 9:48:01 PM


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