The Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is an American over-the-top VOD streaming service owned and operated by Roku, Inc., which launched in September 2017.[1][2]
 | |
Type of site | OTT video streaming platform |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Area served | United States, United Kingdom, and Mexico |
| Owner | Roku, Inc. |
| URL | therokuchannel |
| Advertising | Yes |
| Launched |
|
| Current status | Operating |
History
In September 2017, Roku, Inc. launched a free, ad-supported streaming channel for its digital media players, Roku.[1]
The service has licensing deals for content with Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Lionsgate, Disney, and Paramount Pictures, and also has content from existing Roku channel partners American Classics, FilmRise, Nosey, OVGuide, Popcornflix, Vidmark, and YuYu.[3] The channel offers premium subscriptions for channels like HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Epix, and Paramount+.[4][5]
On August 8, 2018, The Roku Channel became available on the web as a standalone website.[3] Originally only available in the United States,[6] it launched in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2020, with a different selection of movies and TV shows.[7]
On January 8, 2021, Roku announced that it had acquired the original content library of the defunct mobile video service Quibi for an undisclosed amount, reported to be around $100 million.[8][9] The content was rebranded as Roku Originals.[10]
The service was launched in Mexico on October 13, 2022.[11]
Content
As of January 2021, the service has over 40,000 movies and TV shows.[9] Through the acquisition of Quibi's original content library, an additional 75 shows and documentaries are available exclusively on the service as Roku Originals.[9]
References
- 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.
- Lacoma, Tyler (2022-11-03). "What is The Roku Channel? Content, cost, and how to use it". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- Perez, Sarah (August 8, 2018). "Roku's free, ad-supported streaming channel is now live on the web". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- Greenlee, Michelle. "'What is The Roku Channel?': A guide to Roku's home for free and premium TV, movies, and more". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- Forristal, Lauren (2022-08-03). "Paramount+ joins The Roku Channel's premium subscription lineup, bringing more live sports". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- Perez, Sarah (October 11, 2017). "Roku's new channel with free movies and TV goes live for all". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- Goren, Or (April 7, 2020). ""The Roku Channel" Goes Live In The UK: Free Movies And TV". Cord Busters. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- Porter, Jon (January 8, 2021). "Quibi's library will live on through the Roku Channel". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- Mullin, Benjamin; Flint, Joe (January 8, 2021). "Roku Acquires Rights to Quibi's Content". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 21, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- Keck, Catie (April 21, 2021). "Roku Wisely Rebrands Its Soon-to-Debut Quibi Haul as 'Roku Originals'". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- "Roku Channel llega a México: el servicio gratis que ofrece películas, series y canales en vivo para competir contra Pluto TV y ViX". Xataka Mexico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2022-10-26.