The Roku Channel

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Roku Channel
CEO, Roku, Inc.)
  • Charlie Collier (President, Roku Media)
    • TypeOver-the-top media service
    Launch date
    • September 2017; 7 years ago (2017-09)
    Platform(s)
    List of platforms
  • Browser: PCs, mobile phones, tablets
    • StatusActive
    MembersIncrease 145 million people (2024)
    Pricing modelFree with ad support, Optional paid subscriptions
    AvailabilityUnited States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom
    Websitetherokuchannel.roku.com

    The Roku Channel is an

    over-the-top video streaming service available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the U.K. The service was launched in 2017, and is owned and operated by Roku, Inc.[1][2] It is the most popular free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in the U.S.,[3][4] reportedly reaching 145 million people, as of 2024.[5]

    The Roku Channel includes over 500 free channels,

    streaming players and smart TVs from Roku as well as other providers,[8][9][10] through the Roku mobile app,[11] or via web browsers running on PCs, tablets or mobile phones.[12]

    History

    2017–2019: Launch in North America

    The Roku Channel was launched in September 2017 as a free, ad-supported streaming television service ("FAST"),

    Lionsgate, Disney, and Paramount Pictures. Additionally, the service offered content from existing partners including American Classics, FilmRise, Nosey, OVGuide, Popcornflix, Vidmark, and YuYu.[16]

    2020–2022: Expansion into the U.K., Mexico

    April 2020 saw the launch of The Roku Channel in the U.K.

    Roku Originals.[20] In August 2021, The Roku Channel was reported to add CBC, AccuWeather Now, FilmRise True Crime, Haunt TV, and IGN for free streaming.[21]

    By March 2022, The Roku Channel included news services such as

    Yahoo Finance, all available for free streaming.[22][23][24] In October 2022, The Roku Channel was launched in Mexico.[25] According to Deadline Hollywood, October 2022 also saw Charlie Collier, previously the CEO of Fox Entertainment, join Roku as the President of Roku Media to manage ad platform business and content for The Roku Channel and more.[26] Later, in December 2022, Roku announced that it would sign an agreement with the Miss Universe Organization to broadcast the 70th (2022) and 71st (2023) editions of the Miss Universe beauty pageant in the United States, making the first time the pageant would broadcast on streaming television, after several years on linear television.[27]

    By the end of 2022, The Roku Channel was offering premium subscriptions for over 50 services including Discovery+, Paramount+,[28] MGM+, Showtime, Starz,[29] HBO,[30] AMC+, Shudder and Acorn TV.[31] Moreover, The Roku Channel was reaching U.S. households with a total population of 100 million, in Roku's estimates.[32][9] The Roku Channel was also reportedly the most popular FAST service in the U.S. in 2021 and 2022.[33][34][35]

    2023–present: Viewership growth

    In February 2023, BGR reported that Roku announced the addition of nearly 2000 hours of on-demand content to The Roku Channel. This content included offerings from HBO, HBO Max, Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Warner Bros. Television. Moreover, this content would be available to stream for free.[36]

    In August 2023, it was reported that The Roku Channel was adding several NBCUniversal services as free, ad-supported options. These included

    Sky News International, The Rotten Tomatoes Channel, and a Universal Crime channel.[9][37][38] Further, The Roku Channel became available on Google TV and other Android TV OS devices, in addition to Roku-branded streaming devices and smart TVs, Amazon Fire TVs, Apple TV, and Samsung smart TVs.[8][10][39] Moreover, a report by Variety in September 2023 stated that The Roku Channel offered more than 80,000 TV shows and movies and access to premium content.[40] Variety also reported that U.S. FAST services, including Roku, Pluto TV, Samsung SmartTV+, and Vizio WatchFree+, had “commercial loads” of about 8 to 9 minutes per hour, compared to 15 to 17 minutes per hour on cable TV.[41]

    In January 2024, Roku announced an agreement with Formula E to air all but 5 races per year. Roku was slated to also air Recharge, a studio program aired 24 hours after every race.[42] According to The Wrap in February 2024, The Roku Channel offered over 400 free live linear TV channels and distributed content from over 250 partners.[7] In April 2024, National Basketball Association (NBA) announced a partnership with Roku to launch "NBA Fast", the first FAST channel from NBA, on The Roku Channel.[43] Roku also announced an agreement with NBA to air more than 40 NBA G League games during the 2024–25 season.[44] In May 2024, The Roku Channel secured a multiyear rights agreement with Major League Baseball to stream live the league's Sunday Leadoff games for free.[45]

    In June 2024, measurement firm Comscore found The Roku Channel to be the most popular among all free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) streaming services in the U.S.[46][3] In the same month, Lifewire stated that The Roku Channel could be watched using the Roku mobile app, available for both iOS and Android, and allowed switching among free content, premium subscription services, and live TV.[11]

    In August 2024, Roku launched a new FAST channel, Roku Sports Channel, to be made available on The Roku Channel. At launch, the sports channel would show live events from

    Sarah Tiana and Suzy Shuster.[48]

    The Roku Channel was the most watched U.S. FAST service in November 2024, as per

    Prime Video (3.7%).[49][50]

    Content

    Free, ad-supported streaming TV

    The Roku Channel includes more than 500 free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, as of November 2024.[6] They include:

    Advertising video on demand

    The Roku Channel offers viewers to watch a selection of

    Cinedigm and Acorn TV, with no subscription or trial required. The offering includes On Becoming a God in Central Florida (Showtime), Godfather of Harlem (Epix), America: The Story of Us (HISTORY Vault), Heartland (Dove Channel), and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (Acorn TV).[68]

    The Spanish AVOD titles free to watch on The Roku Channel include Hernan (

    Lionsgate), Enamorada (Cisneros), Amor Comprado (Cisneros), Seasons 1-3 of El Señor de los Cielos (NBCUniversal Telemundo), El Chema: Edición Especial (NBCUniversal Telemundo), Seasons 1-2 of Señora Acero (NBCUniversal Telemundo).[65]

    The Roku Channel also includes original content, including that in Spanish, in form of Roku Originals.[69][70] Content creation partners for the Roku Originals include Cisley Saldaña, Liz Jenkins, Mariel Saldaña, Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Rich Eisen, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.[71] Spanish-language content creation partners include Jennifer Lopez, Juanpa Zurita and Jaime Camil.[70]

    The Roku Channel offers paid subscriptions for various services including

    Vix Premium.[75]

    Live sports programming

    Sports programming primarily airs on the Roku Sports Channel.

    References

    1. ^ a b c Roettgers, Janko (September 6, 2017). "Roku Veers Into Programming With Launch of Ad-Supported Movie Channel". Variety. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
    2. ^ Lacoma, Tyler (November 3, 2022). "What is The Roku Channel? Content, cost, and how to use it". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
    3. ^ a b Stenberg, Mark (June 11, 2024). "The Roku Channel Tops Comscore's List of FAST Services". www.adweek.com. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
    4. ^ a b Frankel, Daniel (December 12, 2024). "The Roku Channel speeds past Tubi to become the No. 1 FAST in latest Gauge tracker". www.streamtvinsider.com. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
    5. ^ a b Huston, Caitlin (February 13, 2025). "Roku Hits $1B in Revenue, Beating Expectations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
    6. ^ a b Weatherbed, Jess (November 25, 2024). "Roku is building its content into Google TVs". The Verge. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
    7. ^ a b Manfredi, Lucas (February 5, 2024). "David Oyelowo's Mansa Teams With Roku on Black Culture Channel | Exclusive". TheWrap. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
    8. ^ a b c Katzmaier, David (August 8, 2018). "Free movies and TV shows on Roku are now even easier to find". CNET. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
    9. ^ a b c Hayes, Dade (August 15, 2023). "NBCUniversal And Roku Strengthen FAST Ties, Adding Channels For 'Murder She Wrote,' 'Little House On The Prairie' And Other Classic And Nostalgia Titles". Deadline. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
    10. ^ a b "The Roku Channel is now available as a Google TV app". Digital Trends. July 12, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
    11. ^ a b Johnson, Dave (June 26, 2024). "How to Watch the Roku Channel Without a Roku Device". Lifewire. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
    12. ^ a b Binder, Matt (August 9, 2018). "Now you don't even need a Roku box to watch the Roku Channel". Mashable. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
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    48. ^ Weprin, Alex (February 3, 2025). "Roku, Hello Sunshine, Rich Eisen Productions to Launch Women's Sports Studio Show (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
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