Roku remote control in a layout photo in Hudson, Hastings, New York, May 2, 2021.
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Roku It announced Tuesday that it has launched Howdy, a commercial-free streaming service that costs $2.99 per month, a company the company has long been known for its free, ad-supported viewing.
Streaming platform is expected to be equipped with 10,000 hours of movie and TV content Lion Gate,,,,, Warner Bros. Discover and Filmrise and its own exclusive programming, called Roku Originals. The service is available throughout the United States starting Tuesday.
“With Howdy’s launch, Roku is accessing much-loved content from a larger audience from our catalog,” Johnny Holden, chief revenue and strategy officer of Radial Entertainment, Filmrise’s parent company, said in a press release.
Roku also made streaming hardware such as devices and TVs, and in 2017 it launched its free ad-supported streaming option, Roku Channel. These types of services also include Paramount Global Pluto and Fox Corp. Tubi has seen an acceleration in growth in terms of viewership and advertising revenue.
The new service runs with the Roku channel, which will remain free. The company said Howdy will initially be available on the Roku platform and will later be launched on mobile and other platforms.
“Howdy is priced at less than a cup of coffee, is ad-free, and is designed to supplement rather than compete with premium services,” Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, said in a press release.
In June, streaming and media giants with Amazon Advertising is a technology behemoth advertising business aimed at expanding Roku’s influence with advertisers. According to a press release announcing the partnership, the agreement gives advertisers access to more than 80 million U.S. homes, including fire-fighting TV streaming devices from Roku and Amazon.
Roku reported second-quarter earnings on Thursday, with revenue of $1.11 billion, exceeding analyst expectations. Platform revenue increased by 18% year-on-year to $975 million.