PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—New survey data highlights how smart TVs are becoming the most influential gatekeepers in entertainment, playing an increasingly important role in how viewers discover and watch content.

Data from Hub Entertainment Research’s annual “Evolution of the TV Set” indicates that asking "What good TV shows are you watching?" may be less relevant than asking, "What TV set do you own?" in terms of viewing habits and the ability of smart TV operating systems to influence those choices.

Fox's recent $22 billion acquisition of Roku is the clearest signal yet that control of the TV operating system is becoming one of the industry's most valuable strategic assets, the research suggests.

The “Evolution of the TV Set” study, which reveals the growing influence of the TV set in shaping how viewers discover and engage with content, finds that the operating systems powering today’s smart TVs have become the primary doorway for both programming and advertising.

"The conversation around finding great TV to watch is poised to become like the `Mac vs. PC' or `Android vs. iPhone' battles from prior years — as viewers learn that some TV operating systems do better jobs than others at helping them find good stuff to watch," said Jason Platt Zolov, senior consultant at Hub. "The merger of Fox and Roku will be a watershed proof point that some streamers will have more influence than others, depending on what TV set you own."

Key findings from the report include:

• Smart TVs dominate viewing, and streaming households are embracing Roku and Fire TV more than Android, Tizen (Samsung) or webOS (LG) systems that power those sets.
• Most homes have three TVs, and two of those are now smart TVs, making them more dominant than ever.
• For the TV set they use most, streaming TV viewers are no longer flipping channels: they are living in app-centric environments that are increasingly powered by Roku (37%) and Fire TV (17%), well ahead of Android, Tizen or Apple TV users.

The researchers noted that within different TV operating systems, the viewer's goal is clear: "how can I quickly find a specific program I want to watch?"

When asked to rank what matters most, viewers rank "Easy search" as the most valued discovery feature (60% call it “very important”), well ahead of "personal recommendations" (31%) or seeing "trending content" (25%).

AI-powered TV search features are poised to help viewers solve this search problem. When asked to choose the most valuable AI-powered TV viewing features, more than half of viewers want AI features that either help them find similar things they like (27%) or more effectively exclude stuff they don't like (28%).

While quick search is most important, home screen real estate and recommendations still significantly impact what people watch.

Some TV operating systems sway users more than others: suggested titles on the TV home screen within Apple TV, Fire TV, Android and Roku environments are all more likely to be watched than those titles being suggested by Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS), the survey found.

As viewers continue to invest in smart TVs, the vital importance of influencing consumers to install apps when they first turn on their new TV cannot be overstated, the researchers stressed.

Half (51%) say they install suggested apps during setup — but more (56%) this year than in 2024 (47%) say they rarely add apps after that first day home with the TV — a reminder that more needs to be done to capture new TV owners with apps they will love.

These findings are from Hub’s 2026 “Evolution of the TV Set” report, based on a survey conducted among 2,500 US consumers ages 16-74. Interviews were conducted in May 2026. A free excerpt of the findings is available on Hub’s website.

DALLAS—In the wake of the news that Fox plans to pay $22 billion to acquire Roku, a new survey from Horowitz Research highlights how important streaming platforms have become in the connected TV ecosystem and reaffirms Roku's position as the most commonly used streaming platform among U.S. consumers.

According to "Horowitz Research’s State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: State of Subscription’s 2026" report, nearly four in ten U.S. streaming platform users choose Roku to stream content, outpacing top competitors Amazon Fire TV and Samsung’s Smart Hub interfaces, each of which are used by almost one in three streamers.

While Roku leads in penetration and usage, the study also shows that consumers rate competing platforms more favorably across key experience measures.

For example, Amazon Fire TV outranks Roku on ease of finding content within the platform as well as lagging time, the ability to cast to screens, and the ad experience. Samsung outperforms on Wi-Fi connectivity and reliability. Both these systems outrank Roku on start-up speed and smart home integration.

While Google TV and Apple TV have less penetration within streaming households, both platforms fare better on key attributes compared to Roku.

“Roku’s acquisition by Fox is a strategic move designed to deliver younger viewers to the aging Fox demographic,” noted Adriana Waterston, executive vice president of insights and strategy for Horowitz Research. “But as the market for smart TV’s continues to evolve, we anticipate that consumers will increasingly choose their smart TV interfaces scrupulously, much like they do with their mobile devices. To continue to dominate the market, Roku will need to look not just as driving penetration but finessing their interface to meet the demands of Gen Z and younger consumers who will expect a robust, highly personalized, and tech-forward user experience.”

The study also found that “Roku’s new Ad Manager, which will enable smaller businesses to leverage hyper-local TV ads, is exciting because it democratizes access to CTV advertising for local and emerging brands,” she added. “However, it runs the risk of over-saturating the Roku viewing experience with repetitive, lower quality ads which could further alienate the younger audience that already has low tolerance for advertising.”

For more information about the "State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Subscriptions 2026" report, visit: https://www.horowitzresearch.com/syndicated-research/state-of-media-subscriptions/.

NEW YORK—Smartly, an AI-powered ad tech platform, and Roku have announced that they are working together to offer tools that will bring the speed, precision, and measurability of social advertising to CTV.

At the core of this partnership is a direct connection between Smartly and Roku Ads Manager, Roku’s outcomes-driven CTV platform, via the Roku Ads API. This allows marketers to run CTV campaigns using the tools they already use for social, making it easy to activate campaigns on TV quickly and reach new audiences with greater ease and measurable impact.

“CTV’s performance era is here,” said Laura Desmond, CEO of Smartly. “The best advertising follows attention across every screen, and streaming is where we can now finally unlock the same proven results. Partnering with Roku brings the same rigor, scale, and incrementality advertisers have built on social to the biggest screen in the home. Together, we are creating a structural shift in how brands grow.”

The partnership also streamlines creative development and execution, allowing advertisers to adapt existing social assets for the TV screen. This saves both time and resources by eliminating the need to rebuild separate ads for each platform.

“Advertisers want CTV to work as hard as their best-performing channels,” said Patrick Harris, SVP, Global Advertising Sales & Partnerships, Roku. “At Roku, we are strategically positioned to deliver that at scale. This partnership with Smartly makes it simple for brands to bring the speed and precision of social into TV, enabling them to turn proven strategies into measurable growth on the biggest screen.”

For more information, visit advertising.roku.com or smartly.io.

NEW YORK and SAN JOSE, Calif.—Fox Corp. announced today that it is acquiring Roku, the world’s leading connected TV platform in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $22 billion ($160 per share).

The acquisition will give Fox a strong foothold in what is considered the fastest growing segment in the TV advertising market, connected TV (aka “CTV”) and free ad-support TV (aka "FAST"), and an expanding market for its live news and sports programming, according to Lachlan K. Murdoch, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Corp.

The deal, if approved, would give Fox a stronger platform for its Fox One direct to consumer streaming services launched in 2025 and a unique position among media companies—owning a major broadcast network, one of the largest FAST services (Tubi), a leading TV OS, a premiere CTV platform and a leading streaming service (The Roku Channel).

Bringing all of those platforms together in a combined media ecosystem will bring the company closer to offering advertisers a more holistic approach to media programming, distribution and monetization for both live/linear and streaming/on-demand services.

“This is a defining moment for Fox, and a natural extension of the deliberate and focused strategy we have been executing for nearly a decade,” he said. “In 2019, we reoriented the company around live news and sports. In 2020, we acquired Tubi, and under our stewardship it has become one of the most successful businesses in streaming. Today, we take the next step: bringing together the most valuable live content portfolio in video consumption with the preeminent streaming platform through which America watches it.”

The transaction combines Fox’s sports, news, and entertainment content and the Tubi service with Roku’s leading connected TV platform, The Roku Channel, first-party data and direct relationship with more than 100 million global streaming households. Fox said its acquisition of Roku “will create a scaled next-generation media and technology company positioned at the intersection of two of the most important forces reshaping video consumption: the enduring primacy of live sports and news, and the continued rise of streaming.”

Roku Founder, Chairman and CEO Anthony Wood will join the combined company and its board.

“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built, and the combination with Fox is an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate our vision, scale faster, and innovate more aggressively for viewers, partners, and advertisers,” Wood said. “That’s why our Board of Directors unanimously determined after concluding its strategic review process that this transaction offers a significant premium to Roku shareholders while also providing them with the opportunity to participate in the compelling future upside of the combined company. I couldn’t be more excited about what we’ll accomplish together.”

Fox and Roku said they are “committed to continuing to operate Roku as an open, partner-friendly platform and to the continued ubiquitous distribution of Fox content.”

In its investor call this morning, Murdoch emphasized the importance of maintaining Roku’s extensive partnerships with competitors such as Netflix, Amazon or Disney.

“It is essential that Roku remain an open and partner-friendly business,” he said. “We're in a business that we have tremendous partners who really rely on Roku for a lot of their distribution, and we don't see that changing at all from a Fox perspective.

Wood added that “Roku has a very large platform business [that] consists of advertising and subscriptions. A lot of that business is driven by promotion of our partners, and our goal is to grow that business. It's not for that business to retreat, so we're going to continue to grow that business. That means that means working closely with partners to do that."

On a pro forma basis, the combined company will become the third-largest player in U.S. TV by share of viewing, spanning “every major viewing environment—broadcast, cable, local, and streaming – creating broad and diversified reach that benefits viewers, partners, and advertisers.”

Upon closing, existing Fox shareholders are expected to own approximately 73% of the combined company and Roku shareholders approximately 27%. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies. The transaction is expected to strengthen Fox's long-term growth profile, accelerate its digital strategy, be accretive to free cash flow per share by the second full year after closing, and achieve approximately $400 million of run-rate cost synergies with additional revenue upside.

Fox expects to fund the cash portion of the transaction consideration with a combination of new debt and cash on hand. Fox has obtained $12.0 billion of fully committed bridge financing from Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. At closing, the company expects pro forma net leverage to be approximately 2.8x, inclusive of 50% credit for run-rate cost synergies. Additional detail on financing terms will be included in the companies' required filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku and the National Hockey League have announced a new deal to create and launch the NHL Zone, a new destination within the Roku Sports experience for hockey fans.

Launching ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final (with Game 1 set for June 2 at 8 p.m. on ABC), NHL Zone will serve as a centralized hub on Roku for NHL national and regional games available in the user’s area, plus highlights and more.

“With NHL Zone, we’re making it easier than ever for hockey fans to get straight to what matters most, plus so much more, all in one place,” Roku Media Head of Sports Joe Franzetta said. “At Roku, we always put viewers first, giving them a clear, simple destination for all their favorite channels and platforms, game highlights and recaps, and all the other great programming offered by Roku.”

The agreement builds on an existing alliance between the league and the streaming platform, which has already led to the launch of the NHL FAST Channel on Roku.

“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Roku, first with the NHL FAST channel and now NHL Zone, as we continue to create new and innovative ways to serve our passionate fans,” NHL Chief Media Officer David Proper said. “NHL Zone provides NHL fans with a go-to destination for Roku users to discover all the exciting NHL action offered on Roku and from our rightsholders.”

Presented by Geico, NHL Zone offers quick access to:

• National and regional NHL games available in the user’s area, which can be watched if the users has a subscription to the networks, pay TV platform or streaming services that have rights to the games.
• NHL FAST Channel.
• Scores, highlights recaps, and must-see moments
• Additional long-form hockey programming.

In the run up to the start of FIFA World Cup 2026, Roku has launched Soccer Zone, a centralized hub, bringing together live games, real-time scores, match reminders, and more in one location.

In partnership with Fox One, the official English-language streaming partner of the tournament, the destination simplifies streaming discovery by showing every live match available across apps viewers are already subscribed to, including Fox One and Peacock, while also offering direct subscription sign-up options through Roku.

The Zone will be available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and the United Kingdom.

In addition, Roku also announced that it is introducing its first-ever hardware and subscription bundle in partnership with Fox One. The exclusive offer, which is available exclusively on Roku.com while supplies last, includes a Roku Streaming Stick Plus and a 30-day extended free trial of Fox One for $24.99.

Soccer Zone will also feature free, ad-supported content from FAST channels including Fox Sports and FIFA+, alongside live score updates and tournament coverage designed to keep fans connected throughout the competition.

Roku described the other features as follows:

• A special stats tracker following the tournament’s top goal scorers and assist leaders
• Live scores and a dynamic score strip with match updates
• Favorites, so you can follow your preferred teams and opt-in for reminders on your mobile device
• Free, ad-supported content from relevant FAST channels like Fox Sports & FIFA+
• Easier discovery. Instead of hunting through different apps, the users can find every live match in one place and easily see the soccer content available on apps they already pay for, like Fox One or Peacock, to start watching with one click.
• It also offers users a streamlined way to sign up for services using their Roku account to get access to games and content.
• Eligible customers can also sign up for a 3-day free trial to Fox One on The Roku Channel to start watching right away.

SAN JOSE—In the first significant update in over a decade, Roku has unveiled a new home screen it says introduces a more dynamic, smarter experience.

On May 27, the new home screen began rolling out across all U.S. Roku TVs and streaming devices. Expansion to additional countries will follow in the coming months.

The home screen redesign is based on deep behavioral insights and viewer input the company says results in more relevant recommendations and faster pathways to content.

The update maintains the simplicity that has long been a signature Roku design philosophy, the streamer said, while helping viewers more easily find their next favorite show.

“When we set out to rethink the Home Screen, we knew we should listen to the people who use it every day. So we talked to the viewers, we tested extensively, and we pushed until the design and the data lined up for a meaningful update,” said Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO, Roku. “Now, our new Home Screen puts entertainment at the center of everything, while staying true to Roku’s simple, intuitive roots. More than 100 million households will feel the difference the moment they turn on their TV—and it opens up a better, more powerful experience for our partners as well.”

For example, a majority of streamers (82%) told the streamer that they would love it if they turned on their TV and the show they wanted to watch was right on their Home Screen. The new Roku Home Screen does just that, recommending content based on the user’s interests. With billions of possible Home Screen combinations, Roku’s intelligence models pick the best one for each viewer every time they turn on their TV.

Roku describes other key new features as follows:

• Quick Access to most-used apps, continuously adapting to your routine.
• An intelligence-driven and expanded content-first “Top Picks for You” section.
• New genre-based destinations such as For You, built on your interests and filled with fresh personalized picks, and Subscriptions, allowing for a convenient way to browse and discover from across all your subscriptions in one place.
• Search in key destinations with relevant suggestions and results.
• A streamlined collapsible menu.
• Elevated shortcuts for everyday actions, including Save List, Continued Watching and more.
• Your Daily Scoop, a dynamic row that brings users a curated digest of breakout shows and cultural trends.
• A Roku City tile, taking users to an interactive version of the popular screensaver.

SAN JOSE, Calif. and LOS ANGELES—Roku has launched Fox One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel, which means U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to the streaming service that offers Fox news, sports and entertainment content by using their Roku account.

The launch makes it possible for Fox One subscribers and U.S. Roku users to stream all 104 matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup via The Roku Channel live or on demand.

“Fox One is a tremendous addition to Roku’s Premium Subscriptions experience, which is focused on making it easier for customers to discover, subscribe to, and stream the content they love all in one place,” said Gil Fuchsberg, president of subscriptions, partnerships and corporate development at Roku. “The addition of Fox One expands the premium entertainment, news, and live sports available through Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel ahead of the biggest global sports moment of the year.”

Fox One provides access to the full portfolio of Fox brands, including popular Fox entertainment series including “MasterChef,” “Doc” and “Family Guy;” live and on-demand sports events from the NFL, Major League Baseball and others; and live national and local news from Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network and local Fox broadcast affiliates.

Live sports content from Fox One will also be discoverable through Roku Sports Zone as well as through sports-specific destinations, including the Soccer Zone.

Discoverable across the Roku platform and through The Roku Channel, Premium Subscriptions allows customers to easily subscribe to more than 75 popular streaming services using their Roku account, the company said. Premium Subscriptions customers can access and stream their entertainment with a single login on their Roku device, the Roku mobile app, or the web, and can add or cancel services at any time directly from their device or by visiting my.roku.com.

Roku customers can sign up for Fox One on The Roku Channel in the U.S. for $19.99 per month. A three-day free trial of Fox One is also available for eligible customers. Sign-up is supported on Roku devices or by visiting go.roku.com/fox-one.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has launched Creators, a new entertainment destination that will give users an easier way to discover and stream creator content on the platform in the U.S.

New destination aggregates must-hear podcasts, viral challenges, and more creator content while expanding premium creator programming in The Roku Channel with new content and FAST channels from creators.

"With the launch of our new Creators destination, we're making it effortless to enjoy creator content the way it deserves to be watched: on the big screen, in stunning quality, without the hassle of searching across a dozen different apps,” said Lisa Holme, head of content, Roku Media.

In addition to bringing Roku users the unified Creators destination, Roku is expanding its existing lineup of creator partnerships for The Roku Channel with new FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels from popular creators and podcasters.

These include Prof G Podcast Network, Modern Wisdom Podcast with Chris Williamson, Preston & Brianna[MM1] , Stokes Twins, and Nomad Travel. More creators including iShowSpeed, Jesser, and the Kalogeras Sisters are set to join in the coming months. This content will join existing creator programming already available on The Roku Channel including Alan Chikin Chow, MrBeast[MM2] , Good Mythical Morning, Hot Ones, and more.

“Roku has supported creator content for years, and that foundation uniquely positions us to help creators and partners reach even more viewers,” added Holme. “We're not asking creators to start from scratch on another platform. We're connecting the dots across our ecosystem, helping creators reach the 100-plus million households already streaming on Roku.”

To access the Creators destination, users can scroll to the Categories section and click "More" to access the Creators tile. Viewers will be able to jump into creator programming quickly and seamlessly via dedicated rows for trending content, genres, and personalized recommendations.

Additionally, there will be a dedicated Creators page within The Roku Channel that centralizes all creator content available on the streaming service.

SAN JOSE, Calif. and NEW YORK, NY—Roku has announced that it will be the North American streaming home for the inaugural Enhanced Games on May 24.

The Enhanced Games are an elite sports competition that aims to celebrate athletic excellence while exploring the limits of human performance with scientific innovation and medically approved performance enhancement usage.

The first-of-its-kind sporting event, available for free on the Roku Sports Channel in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Hosted by former NFL player and sports media star Emmanuel Acho, the Enhanced Games will also feature documented longevity expert Bryan Johnson as a Human Enhancement Analyst.

Participating athletes include the legendary Hafþór Júlíus “Thor” Björnsson, known for his role as “The Mountain” on “Game of Thrones,” British Olympic medalist Ben Proud, American Olympic medalist Fred Kerley, and Olympic weightlifter Boady Santavy. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Hunter Armstrong of the U.S. and sprinter Tristan Evelyn of Barbados will also take on the field as non-enhanced athletes.

The Enhanced Games will take place in a purpose-built 2500-seat venue on the grounds of Resorts World in Las Vegas, with swimming, sprinting, and weightlifting events occurring in one arena. Las Vegas’ own The Killers are set to headline the closing ceremonies.

“We look forward to bringing Roku users across North America the excitement and energy of this one-of-a-kind competition,” said Joe Franzetta, head of sports, Roku. “Congratulations to Enhanced Games on their inaugural event, and we’re excited to work together to bring this live event to millions of viewers.”

“As a new and innovative live sports property, we are ecstatic to have Roku as our official North American partner,” said Maximilian Martin, CEO of Enhanced. “Roku provides us immense reach and helps establish a solid foundation as we aim to revolutionize sports with our inaugural event.”

The Enhanced Games endeavor to ensure the athletes’ safety through rigorous medical supervision and scientific oversight. Athletes have been monitored under an approved clinical trial for 16 weeks while training in the UAE. All athletes have the autonomy to compete either naturally or through the Enhanced Medical Program (clinical trial). For more details, see www.enhanced.com.

The Enhanced Games is a Van Wagner production in association with Lionsgate Alternative Television.

A new study from Antenna finds that Roku’s $2.99 a month ad-free streamer has racked up more than 1 million subs since it was first introduced in August of 2025. The Antenna study also found that Howdy is also achieving retention rates exceeding those of Premium SVOD averages.

The researchers noted that when it first launched there was some skepticism about Howdy’s chances in a competitive market of well-established streaming platforms.

Antenna estimates that Roku’s Howdy confounded those expectations by adding nearly 300K Subscribers in its first month and then added 100K or more in each subsequent month.

The streamer’s success was also built on a unique distribution strategy, as it was initially available only through Roku-owned platforms, like The Roku Channel.

Howdy drove a significant amount of activity, accounting for 23% of all SVOD Sign-ups via The Roku Channel since launch. With more than 100 million streaming households on its platform, Roku has a powerful built-in distribution channel, the researcher reported.

More information is available here.

BURBANK, Calif.—The CW Network has announced major streaming deals with ESPN and The Roku Channel that will greatly expand the availability of its sports and entertainment programming on major streaming platforms.

In terms of sports, The CW and ESPN reported that they are teaming up to make the ESPN App the exclusive streaming home for all CW Sports live events, combining premium sports offerings into a single viewer-friendly experience through this groundbreaking agreement.

All CW Sports will broadcast live on The CW Network as well as stream live on the ESPN App for fans with an ESPN Unlimited subscription plan, including live coverage of college football and men’s and women’s basketball from the ACC, Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, WWE NXT, PBA Bowling, PBR Bull Riding, AVP volleyball and the 2026 Arizona Bowl.

Fans with an ESPN Unlimited plan subscription will have the opportunity to watch all CW Sports offerings live on any device with the ESPN App as a complement to The CW’s free over-the-air broadcast model nationwide.

CW Sports on the ESPN App is expected to launch in Summer 2026.

“Joining forces with ESPN is a monumental next step in the evolution of CW Sports,” said Brad Schwartz, president, The CW Network. “The CW now offers more than 800 hours of premium live sports per year. This agreement extends the reach of CW Sports and enables us to capture audiences across the best of broadcast and the best of streaming, ensuring fans can access live CW Sports wherever they are and on whatever device they prefer. This new partnership will allow us to connect seamlessly with our audiences everywhere—from football and basketball to motorsports, professional wrestling, bowling, bull riding, and much more to come as CW Sports continues its exciting march forward.”

In addition, the network announced a partnership with Roku launching in Fall 2026 that will bring CW entertainment programming to The Roku Channel for next-day streaming.

The agreement will bring scripted and unscripted CW programming to more than half of U.S. broadband households via a CW-branded hub on The Roku Channel. Additionally, new installments of WWE NXT will be made available to stream on The Roku Channel every Wednesday following its live Tuesday night broadcast on The CW.

“Partnering with Roku supercharges the reach and accessibility of The CW’s premium entertainment content,” Schwartz added. “By combining The Roku Channel’s expansive audience with The CW’s nationwide linear footprint, we’re bringing together the best of broadcast with the best of streaming to unlock unprecedented scale for our content, our audience, and our advertisers.”

In addition to the fresh next-day premium broadcast content, The CW hub on The Roku Channel will feature over 800 hours of CW library content.

Parks Associates’ latest US household research from its Streaming Video Tracker shows the connected TV platform market remains concentrated among a small group of leading operating systems, with Roku OS (28%) and Samsung’s Tizen OS (23%) accounting for the largest share of usage in U.S. broadband households.

The firm’s data shows Amazon Fire TV, LG webOS, and Vizio SmartCast maintain mid-tier positions, while platforms such as Apple tvOS, gaming consoles, and Android TV hold smaller shares. This distribution reinforces the role of smart TV operating systems as the primary gateway for streaming content and services.

“Control of the platform layer is central to competition in the connected TV market,” said Michael Goodman, director, entertainment, Parks Associates. “Operating systems determine what content consumers see, how services are positioned, and how advertising is delivered.”

The data highlights the importance of platform ecosystems, as control of the TV operating system impacts content distribution, advertising revenue, and consumer engagement across the CTV market, the Parks' researchers reported.

With the growing role of AI in the TV OS for search and personalization, the importance of platform ecosystems is only going to grow in the coming years.

Parks described other key findings as follows:

• Platform concentration: A small number of operating systems account for the majority of CTV (connected TV) usage, limiting visibility for services without strong distribution partnerships.
• Stable market share: Platform rankings have remained consistent over time, with Roku showing modest growth and Samsung maintaining a strong installed base.
• Advertising control: Leading platforms manage ad inventory, data collection, and targeting, shaping monetization across the ecosystem.
• Discovery and engagement: The TV OS plays a key role in recommendations, search, and user experience, influencing viewing behavior.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku announced today that it has surpassed 100 million streaming households worldwide, a major milestone that the company says “reflects the broader shift in viewing habits, as streaming becomes the primary way people watch TV.”

Roku defines streaming households as the number of distinct user accounts streaming on the Roku platform in a given 30-day period. Roku achieved this milestone as of April. A “Roku platform” is defined as a Roku streaming player, first-party Roku-made TV, or one of the Roku TV models built by the company’s global hardware partners. All Roku devices offer the same Roku Home Screen and are powered by the Roku OS.

“Surpassing 100 million streaming households is a defining moment, not just for Roku, but for the future of television,” said Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO, Roku. “We’re helping shape the entertainment landscape by making it easier to discover great content, more affordable to watch it, and more effective for advertisers and partners around the world to connect with audiences. We are deeply grateful to our viewers, teams, advertisers, and partners for helping us reach this milestone. And as the shift to streaming continues to accelerate, we’re more energized than ever to lead the evolution of television.”

Roku says its streaming devices are used by more than half of all U.S. broadband households, and growth continues across key international markets, including Mexico, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Latin America.

According to Comscore, Roku drives more than three times the engagement of the next leading TV operating system in the U.S., underscoring the scale and importance of the Roku Home Screen in how people stream. (Chart below reflects U.S. viewing only.)

Roku also offers more than 500 free live linear channels in the U.S., thousands of free on-demand titles, and access to every major premium streaming service from a single Home Screen. The Roku Channel is ranked as the #2 free, ad-supported streaming app on the Roku platform and the #5 streaming app overall in the U.S., according to Nielsen’s The Gauge™ report.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has launched its NCAA March Madness Zone, a new branded destination for fans following the tournament.

Created in close partnership with TNT Sports and CBS Sports, the zone offers a streamlined way to follow every live game, match highlights, and more.

Available throughout the four weeks of March Madness, the zone also allows fans to set game reminders for their must-see match-ups and check final scores with the new score‑strip row.

“March Madness is a time when sports fans everywhere stop what they’re doing and lock in for a tournament full of buzzer‑beaters, Cinderella runs, and bracket‑busting upsets,” said Joe Franzetta, head of sports, Roku Media. “The NCAA March Madness Zone makes it simple for fans to find every game, relive the highlights, and stay focused on their team’s evolving stories. We’re excited to partner with TNT Sports and CBS Sports to deliver a seamless viewing experience for millions of fans tuning in.”

The NCAA March Madness Zone offers comprehensive coverage of both the men’s and women’s tournaments, showing viewing options for each match-up, based on the users existing subscriptions.

Men’s games are available to stream on the NCAA March Madness Live app and through Premium Subscriptions on Roku, including HBO Max and Paramount+.

Fans can also access games on broadcast via TBS, CBS, TNT, truTV and other providers. Beyond live games, fans can relive iconic moments with highlights available within the zone or game replays via The Roku Channel.

Those who are not yet subscribed can sign up directly within the zone, with easy subscription management available directly on their Roku devices or by visiting my.roku.com. From March 19 to March 31, streamers can sign up to get their first two months of Paramount+ on The Roku Channel for just $2.99/month, or through the Paramount+ app.

The NCAA March Madness Zone will also be featured on the Roku Home Screen and Roku said there will be multiple entry points on the platform.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku and X Games are expanding their U.S. streaming partnership in a new multi-year rights deal that brings MonoPay X Games League (XGL) exclusively to Roku Sports Channel.

The agreement marks a major step in the growth of X Games as it launches its new professional, team-based league format. Beginning in 2026 with the inaugural summer season, followed by the first winter season in 2027, the league will stream free to fans nationwide on Roku Sports Channel. Roku will offer complete live coverage across each event.

The first-ever MoonPay X Games League Draft will also stream for free on Roku Sports Channel, broadcasting live from COSM in Los Angeles on March 12.

The expanded partnership builds on significant audience growth between Roku and X Games over the past two years. During the most recent X Games Aspen, Roku delivered 149% year-over-year growth — outpacing total TV platform growth of 105%. Ninety-one percent of households that streamed X Games on Roku were new viewers compared to the prior year. Female viewership on Roku grew 233% year-over-year.

“We’re proud of the partnership we have already built with X Games, bringing these exhilarating competitions to millions of homes and helping new fans discover this iconic sports league,” said Joe Franzetta, head of sports, Roku Media. “We look forward to collaborating further to bring this exciting new format to die-hard viewers and a new generation of fans.”

The league introduces a global, team-based format across skateboarding, BMX, snowboard, and ski disciplines, featuring both men’s and women’s competitions. The league represents the next evolution of X Games — structured seasons, team ownership, drafts, and a consistent media home built for streaming.

“This league was built for the next generation of sports fans,” said Jeremy Bloom, CEO of X Games. “Our audience is young, digital, and streaming-first. Roku has proven it can grow that audience in a meaningful way. Expanding this partnership around MoonPay X Games League is a strong signal of where our business is headed and the momentum behind the league.”

Roku Sports Channel is available free through The Roku Channel — no subscription required. The Roku Channel is available on Roku devices and TVs, TheRokuChannel.com, iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung TVs, Google TVs, and other Android TV OS devices.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has announced plans to launch “Roklue,” a new on-platform game designed to immerse users in major culture events of the moment, such as the awards season, and help them discover new entertainment.

Accessible via the Roku Home Screen, each “Roklue” experience tests players on the movies and TV shows that everyone is talking about, as well as the beloved favorites they want to watch again and again. Through this creative interactive experience, Roku users will be able to discover titles in an engaging, unique, and seamless way, with all of Roku’s content at their fingertips.

The inaugural experience, “Roklue: Awards Season,” will be available on March 7 and features clues inspired by Hollywood’s biggest award show moments and celebrated films. Anyone can join the fun by clicking in from the Home Screen, with no downloads or complex setup required. “Roklue” will evolve throughout the year with editions tied to other major cultural moments.

“At Roku, we’re creating experiences you can’t get anywhere else — streaming that is interactive, fun, and powered by the full breadth of content on the platform,” said Lisa Holme, head of content, Roku Media.“Roklue will connect streamers to shows and movies in a way that makes discovery feel less like work and more like play.”

The launch of Roklue underscores Roku’s continued investment in engagement-driven experiences, building on the momentum of the recently introduced “Live from Roku City,” an initiative that transforms the iconic screensaver into a dynamic stage for original programming. Past iterations include Demi Lovato’s headline performance and a celebration of “Wicked: For Good” launched earlier this year.

“Roklue: Awards Season” is produced by B17 Entertainment, a part of Sony Pictures Television. Brien Meagher, Rhett Bachner, and Chris Lesinski serve as executive producers. Chris Lesinski serves as showrunner.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—NBCUniversal and Roku have announced the launch of the 2026 NBC Winter Olympics Experience, a dynamic destination delivering NBCUniversal’s comprehensive CTV coverage of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22.

Launched on Feb. 2, the dedicated hub is designed to make finding and watching Olympic programming effortless for Roku viewers, with access to live events including the Opening Ceremony, highlights, clips, and more. For the first time, viewers can set reminders to receive mobile notifications when events begin.

“Following the tremendous fan reaction and embrace of our experience for NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Paris Olympics experience, Roku is once again putting millions of viewers front and center for one of the biggest sports moments of the year, with everything from figure skating and hockey to curling in one immersive destination,” said Joe Franzetta, head of sports, Roku Media. “Roku’s continued collaboration with NBCUniversal will deliver the excitement of the Games straight to your living room, so you can catch every must‑see moment.”

With Milan and Cortina, Italy, in the same time zone as Paris, France, the programming plan for the 2026 Winter Games will be similar to NBCUniversal’s massively consumed and critically acclaimed coverage of the Paris Olympics in 2024, including:

• The entire Olympics streaming live on Peacock
• An enhanced Olympics primetime show, “Primetime in Milan,” featuring top events, stars, and stories
• Comprehensive coverage across numerous cable and digital platforms
• Return of “Gold Zone” and Multiview on Peacock

Click here for more on NBCUniversal’s Milan Cortina programming.

The Olympics destination will feature more than 2,500 hours of programming available to Roku users with a Peacock subscription. Fans on Roku can track their country’s progress with the interactive Medal Count presented by Delta and explore personalized viewing options for each live event. Roku is also bringing the spirit of the Olympic Village to Roku City, creating a playful winter escape that invites fans to step inside the magic of the Games.

Sponsors for the destination include American Honda (Honda and Acura), Carnival Cruise Line, Delta, Xfinity, and Visa.

The Opening Ceremony from San Siro Stadium in Milan will be presented on Friday, Feb. 6, live and in primetime on NBC and Peacock. NBCUniversal is presenting its 20th Olympic Games, 13th consecutive overall, and owns the U.S. media rights on all platforms to all Olympic Games through 2036, which are scheduled for Milan Cortina (2026), Los Angeles (2028), French Alps (2030), Brisbane (2032), Utah (2034), and the Olympic Games 2036 (host yet to be determined).

In addition, the NBC Winter Olympics Experience will be featured prominently on the Roku Home Screen and across multiple entry points on the platform, available exclusively in the U.S.

COLUMBIA, Md.—Major League Volleyball (MLV) is partnering with LTN to power live video production and distribution for its most expansive broadcast schedule to date in 2026. With a record 50-match broadcast slate across major national networks, streaming services and local stations, the collaboration enables continued audience growth for MLV, providing fans with wider access to their favorite teams and high-quality live experiences on multiple viewing platforms.

After the unification of Major League Volleyball and Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) in 2025, MLV is continuing to elevate professional women’s volleyball in the United States. Now in its third season, the PVF saw broadcast coverage grow 350% after its most recent season.

LTN will again serve as MLV’s live production and distribution partner, powering the largest media rollout in league history through a suite of on-site and remote production, live event customization and intelligent video transport services.

"We’re kicking off a milestone season for MLV with new energy, closer fan connection and our widest broadcast coverage to date," said Rob Carolla, Vice President, Public & Media Relations at MLV. "LTN has been a vital part of our growth journey, advancing our production quality, working across any venue and enabling new graphics and viewing features to enhance the fan experience – all while simplifying customization and distribution for multiple rights partners."

MLV will harness a comprehensive range of LTN production and transport services, leveraging a multi-camera setup and remote transmission technologies while enabling fully centralized production from LTN’s Kansas City technical operations center (TOC). LTN manages all the complexities of live event production, from announcer integration to audio mixing, replay, custom graphics insertion and playout.

"We’re seeing huge growth in a new generation of dynamic, innovation-first sports leagues," said Bryan McGuirk, Chief Revenue Officer at LTN. "With rights models evolving and demand for live events surging, MLV is a standout example of how sports organizations can harness agile production models and purpose-built IP distribution to enhance reach and monetization."

Last year, LTN supported the league in delivering over 45 linear broadcast matches and 70 live digital events, including generating 4.7 million YouTube views, up 1 million year-over-year, and an All-Star Match with 455,000 viewers on CBS. As a start to the current season,

LTN also underpinned the annual MLV Draft of collegiate players, which was broadcast live on the Roku Sports Channel for the first time. The California-based studio production was managed remotely from LTN’s centralized production facility, seamlessly connecting distributed draft teams to participate with presenters in real-time from locations nationwide with ultra-low latency, IP-based video transmission.

MLV is leveraging innovative technologies, supported by LTN’s flexible video infrastructure and production expertise, to elevate fan engagement and enhance the depth of data for viewers. Its latest advances include:

• An enhanced tracking system that delivers real-time ball tracking, improving officiating accuracy and powering advanced performance analytics – enabling teams and fans to better understand attacking patterns and player dynamics.
• Displayed for the first time on opening weekend, viewers will see enhanced visuals including ball speed and jump height metrics on matches aired by CBS Sports, offering deeper insights into the athleticism of the game.
• In another league-first, teams like the Indy Ignite will now air both home and away games in their local market outside of the national broadcast schedule, offering fans unrivaled access to their teams via local stations.

Alongside CBS Sports and the Roku Sports Channel, which aired opening weekend games, Jan. 9-11, MLV's media partners include ION – the national network from The E.W. Scripps Company with exclusive rights for the championship finals – and VICE, both new for 2026. The second MLV All-Star Match will air live on CBS and Paramount+, with all other matches available via MLV’s YouTube channel and team-led local market agreements.

LAS VEGAS—Parks Associates has released new consumer research from its “Tech Ecosystem Consumer Insights Dashboard” at CES 2026 showing that smart TVs are the dominant gateway for streaming video in U.S. households.

The new data indicates that 61% of U.S. internet households use a smart TV as their primary streaming video device, continuing the shift away from streaming media players, gaming consoles and other connected devices.

Among smart TVs, the research found Samsung’s Tizen operating system leads the smart TV market—34% of smart TV owners have Samsung Tizen OS as their most-often-used smart TV.

But the study also found that this market remains highly fragmented, with increased competition from Roku, LG and Vizio.

When accounting for all primary connected TV (CTV) devices in US internet households, including streaming media players and game consoles, Roku takes the lead as most-used at 28%. Roku has traditionally led in the streaming media player category and has steadily increased its share in the smart TV space, growing from 8% in 2020 to 18% in 2025.

The findings from 8,000 U.S. internet households underscore how control of the TV experience is consolidating at the OS layer, the researchers said.

“Smart TVs are the default way consumers access video, and so the OS has become the central point of competition,” said Jennifer Kent, senior vice president and principal analyst, Parks. “Samsung’s leadership reflects the strategic value of platform scale, particularly as advertising, subscriptions, and service integration move directly into the TV interface.”

NEW YORK—Nielsen and Roku said they are expanding their strategic partnership with the audience measurement provider incorporating Roku data into its advanced campaign measurement and outcome solutions.

Streaming on Roku devices alone makes up more than 21% of all TV viewing, according to October 2025 Nielsen TV Ratings. With Roku’s viewing data, advertisers can get a more accurate perspective on what audiences are watching across services, Nielsen said.

As part of the expanded multi-year strategic partnership, Nielsen will continue using Roku’s large-scale TV data as input to its Big Data + Panel measurement for both linear and streaming ratings. This will help deliver more accurate performance results for advertisers running campaigns on Roku and across the broader TV landscape, it said.

“With our leadership in streaming measurement and this data from Roku, we are providing the most accurate view of what audiences are watching across all of TV. And at Nielsen, we continue to see a move towards ad-supported streaming services, with The Roku Channel a leader in the category,” said Nielsen general manager of audience measurement Ameneh Atai.

“This strategic partnership brings together Nielsen’s strength and expertise in streaming measurement with Roku’s category leadership positioning to provide a solution that addresses a timely industry need: granular insights and analytics that marketers need to grow their brand as well as drive results.”

The deal also gives Roku access to Nielsen’s Streaming Platform Ratings, which provides a comprehensive view of how audiences engage with both subscription and ad-supported services—insight that will be helpful as The Roku Channel, its free ad-supported streaming app grows.

“Our extended strategic partnership with Nielsen will help further our goal of a better TV advertising system, focused on interoperability and driving performance. Together, Roku and Nielsen will take streaming measurement to a new level, ensuring that advertisers and publishers have access to best-in-class measurement and insights,” said Sarah Harms, vice president of marketing and measurement at Roku.

More information is available on the Nielsen website.

STAMFORD, Conn.—Charter Communications’ Spectrum brand has expanded the range of devices that can offer 4K content on the Spectrum TV app to compatible Apple TV 4K and Roku devices.

The Spectrum TV app's 4K content is already available on the Xumo Stream Box, which is a joint venture between Charter and Comcast.

The move will give Spectrum TV customers with Apple TV and Roku devices access to 4K content when it is being offered by ESPN, Fox and NBC.

"With the addition of Apple TV 4K and Roku, more Spectrum customers can enjoy the clarity that 4K brings, all within the Spectrum TV App," said Elena Ritchie, senior vice president, video at Spectrum. "Viewers can experience their favorite 4K live events with stunning picture quality, vibrant colors, and razor-sharp detail, making their viewing experience more immersive and enjoyable."

In the upcoming weeks, Spectrum said that the following 4K programming would be available:

• ESPN College Football's 4K Game of the Week, with select games in 4K throughout the season
• FOX's Big Noon Kickoff, select Saturdays during the college football season (check local listings)
• Syracuse vs. Notre Dame college football, November 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• Indiana vs. Purdue college football, November 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• Spectrum TV customers can find available 4K content in a dedicated section on the home screen of the Spectrum TV App. Additionally, when using a Xumo Stream Box, customers viewing HD content that is also available in 4K will be prompted with an on-screen message providing the option to switch to the 4K channel.

To watch 4K content through the Spectrum TV App, Spectrum said that customers need a Spectrum TV package that includes access to the ESPN, Fox or NBC network carrying the 4K event. Additionally, they must have a 4K TV connected to a Xumo Stream Box, Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later, or compatible Roku TV or Roku streaming device, using a 4K-supporting HDMI cable. The picture resolution settings on the device should be set to 4K or 2160p, depending on the device.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has launched Roku Ads API, a fully open, self-serve developer platform for connected TV (CTV) advertising. The Roku Ads API gives developers direct access to Roku’s first-party ad capabilities, enabling them to build new and more integrated performance solutions that help advertisers launch, optimize, and measure campaigns, the company said.

Unlike closed or permission-gated CTV platforms, the Roku Ads API allows developers to register applications, obtain credentials, and build integrations without manual approvals. At launch, available endpoints include reporting, audiences, and conversions, with campaign management and creative APIs coming soon.

Each endpoint will empower partners and their advertisers to drive the most performant CTV ad campaigns on Roku:

• Reporting: Roku Ads API enables partners to pull reporting into their preferred business intelligence tools.
• Audiences: Partners are now able to push custom audiences to Roku for targeting use cases.
• Conversions: Partner signals will unlock in-platform attribution, audience creation, and real-time optimization.

“Advertisers increasingly expect CTV to integrate seamlessly with the tools they already use,” said Peter Hamilton, head of ad innovation at Roku. “The Roku Ads API makes that possible by giving developers an open platform to build new functionality and deeper integrations across the ecosystem.”

“Tealium enables advertisers to maximize Roku’s API-driven CTV capabilities by securely unifying and activating high-quality proprietary data in real time, ultimately fueling better targeting, measurement, and business outcomes,” said Matthew Gray, senior vice president of global partnerships at Tealium. “With direct API access to Roku’s powerful first-party ad capabilities, advertisers can now extend the partners they already rely on for social into CTV, with a sharp focus on driving better business outcomes. We're proud to partner with Roku in charting new territory—bringing the API-driven ease and scale that advertisers and partners expect from social platforms into the world of CTV.”

“Measuring the true impact of CTV has historically been tough. Roku’s Ads API lets measurement partners sync aggregate platform delivery data in real time and power advanced measurement—enabling advertisers to understand what’s working, optimize with confidence, and tie budgets to business outcomes,” said Olivia Kory, chief strategy officer at Haus.

Developers can obtain credentials through Roku Ads Manager, allowing for secure access to the Roku Ads API suite. These tools allow developers to retrieve campaign performance data, build custom audiences and plug into internal systems or third-party platforms. Additional end points for campaign and creative management will launch later this year, completing the full Roku API suite.

To learn more about the Roku Ads API, visit https://go.roku.com/adsapi.

Roku has added several new features to its user interface and operating system meant to make it easier to discover and personalize content, the company said.

New features include live sports scores, AI-powered voice tools that can answer questions about movies and TV shows, an upgraded mobile app and a Bluetooth Headphone Mode that brings crisp, private audio to music lovers and late-night TV viewers.

All software updates will be available to Roku devices in the coming months, the company said.

The AI-powered entertainment discovery with voice allows users to ask Roku Voice questions about movies, shows, and actors and see the answers right on your TV.

Other improved discovery tools include interactive trailer playback and a new button, “Ways to Watch,” that lets can jump in right from the preview. Roku is also expanding its Search capabilities to the What to Watch destination, starting with the Live TV Zone and, in the coming months, the Live TV Channel Guide.

Additionally, as part of the Roku OS fall update, Bluetooth Headphone Mode will roll out worldwide to the Roku Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus, bringing crisp, private audio to music lovers and late-night TV viewers, the company reported.

The Roku Sports zone now includes Live Scores and Reminders. Live scores will now appear on game tiles, so viewers can check scores and results from multiple games all in one place. Users can also set reminders for upcoming matchups right on the TV screen. Roku will also send a mobile notification to users when it’s time to tune in.

The streaming platform also announced updates to the Roku Mobile app, adding some of the most-requested tools like Closed Captions, Find My Remote, Sleep Timer, Daily Trivia, and more, with quick-access shortcuts for faster navigation and a more personalized experience.

While browsing on the mobile app, Roku has also added a new Rate button that lets users Like, Dislike, or mark a title as Watched—just like on their TVs—as a way to improve recommendations.

Finally, it is launching the new Vankyo Roku TV Smart Projector H500R this week at Walmart stores across the U.S.

This projector brings Roku’s TV OS to an ultraportable, easy-to-use projector that offers wireless audio expandability, a single simple remote, and quick, hassle-free setup.

More information is available here.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has launched changes to its user interface (UI) that the streaming platform says will better showcase original programming on the platform.

The first of these user interface (UI) experiences is “Live from Roku City,” which transforms its iconic animated cityscape, which is used as a screensaver in more than 90 million homes, into a stage for music, original storytelling, and interactive programming.

The first experience from “Live from Roku City” is from Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum recording artist Demi Lovato.

Starting on Oct. 14, the new UI allows streamers to explore Roku City’s skyline, select an interactive building in Roku City and be transported to an exclusive stage where Lovato will deliver a powerful rendition of “Here All Night,” a single from her upcoming album, along with a cover of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

In addition, Roku has also built an on-platform showroom featuring: behind-the-scenes videos; exclusive photos; Lovato’s personal streaming recommendations; and a pre-save option for Lovato’s new album

“With ‘Live from Roku City’ we’re doubling down on so much of what makes our platform special. Roku delivers TV’s broadest reach environment, and with the addition of original video storytelling for the first time in Roku City, we’re also providing TV’s biggest stage,” Charlie Collier, president of Roku Media, said. “Demi Lovato is an artist who has thrived on authenticity and a steadfast dedication to her fans, and we’re showcasing both in the first of many new, creative, and unique ways artists can shine at scale on our platform.”

“Live from Roku City featuring Demi Lovato” is produced by Good World Creative and London Alley. It is directed by award-winning music video director Hannah Lux Davis and executive produced by Brandon Bonfiglio. On behalf of Roku, the project is overseen by Brian Tannenbaum, head of Roku Originals.

FreeWheel, a global provider of streaming ad technology, announced that it has expanded its two-year partnership with Roku, “following strong results” from the collaboration launched in late 2024.

Roku’s premium CTV supply can now be activated through the FreeWheel Streaming Hub with better demand signals, more transparency, and more efficient monetization, the companies said. At the same time, this partnership creates greater scale for buyers to transact more efficiently with Roku inventory, with a direct path to the FreeWheel Advertiser Suite.

“At Roku, we want to create better outcomes for all our advertisers and content partners, with more transparency and streamlined workflows,” said Miles Fisher, Senior Director, Strategic Advertising Partnerships, Roku. “This collaboration with FreeWheel is a great opportunity to represent supply to buyers and deliver a more efficient, data-rich environment.”

With this deeper collaboration, Roku can seamlessly manage direct-sold and programmatic campaigns and distribution inventory, as well as tap into demand via the FreeWheel Marketplace. Participating publishers have direct access, and for the first time, they can connect directly to Roku’s supply in the FreeWheel Marketplace, through a standardized, Open Real-Time Bidding-based connection. Additional enhancements include direct access to the FreeWheel Curation Hub and FreeWheel Buyer Cloud.

“The combination of Roku’s scale and market leadership in CTV and FreeWheel’s premium content and direct connections make this collaboration a game changer for the CTV ad marketplace,” said Greg Bel, Vice President, Head of Supply, FreeWheel. “Our expanded partnership is a marked transformation, as Roku shifts from a demand partner to a full platform client, truly impacting our mutual partners by giving them the ease, speed, and precision they asked for.”

“As one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies, NBCUniversal has long been focused on making premium video easier for advertisers to buy and measure,” said Alison Levin, President of Advertising and Partnerships at NBCUniversal. “Roku’s large scale and this expanded partnership with FreeWheel creates more transparency and efficiency across the marketplace, ultimately driving better outcomes for both advertisers and publishers.”

“As audience growth across streaming continues to accelerate, Warner Bros. Discovery is focused on maximizing the value of our premium storytelling across every platform while helping shape a more integrated and efficient premium video ecosystem,” said Jill Steinhauser, Group Senior Vice President of Platform Monetization and Partnerships at Warner Bros. Discovery. “This partnership between Roku and FreeWheel enhances our initiatives by giving advertisers greater access to streaming audiences at scale and drives more effective results for both advertisers and publishers.”

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has announced that the first smart projector using its Roku TV operating system, the Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube, is now available in the U.S.

The projector is currently discounted from $249.99 to $179.99 on Amazon.

Roku said that the Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube is designed for both indoor and outdoor use, on any wall or screen.

With a single Roku remote, along with integrated auto focus and auto keystone, the projector supports variable screen sizes, giving users the flexibility to enjoy immersive entertainment at home or on the go, the company said.

“Whether you’re camping, grilling, or setting up a home theater, projectors have always promised a big-screen experience, but they often lacked the simplicity and smart connectivity that today’s viewers expect,” said Tom McFarland, vice president, Roku TV. “The Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector changes that—combining Roku’s award-winning OS with effortless setup and access to thousands of movies, TV shows, and live channels.”

Roku described the key features as follows:

• The Roku experience users know and love in smart projector form, featuring an intuitive interface, guided setup, auto focus, and auto keystone correction.
• Snappy performance with a built-in Roku OS for a seamless streaming experience and access to thousands of premium titles, Roku Originals, 500+ live TV channels, and more.
• Wireless compatibility to effortlessly connect with Roku wireless speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers for a full home theater experience.
• Bluetooth headphone mode pairing that allows users to enjoy their shows and sports without distractions.
• Seamless integration with the Roku ecosystem, including Roku’s mobile app for voice command capabilities and remote control functionality, and Roku Smart Home for on-screen notifications and easy monitoring.
• Apple AirPlay compatibility to effortlessly stream music, videos, photos, podcasts, and games from any Apple device.
• Brightness: 330 ANSI lumens
• Resolution: 1080p Full HD
• Projection size: 40 – 150 inch
• Smart features: auto focus, auto keystone
• Audio: dual 5W speakers
• Connectivity: WiFi 2.4 and 5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.2, HDMI, USB, 3.5 mm audio out.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Three months after Nielsen announced that, for the first time in history, more U.S. viewers watched TV via streaming than via traditional broadcast, Roku confirmed the trend is continuing, announcing that U.S. viewers spent more time streaming content on Roku-powered devices than watching traditional broadcast television for the third consecutive month.

According to Nielsen data, streaming on Roku-powered devices accounted for 21.4% of all TV viewing time in the U.S. during July, surpassing broadcast TV’s 18.4% share. This continues a trend from May and June, when streaming on the Roku platform also outpaced broadcast. Roku’s share of TV viewing has grown steadily throughout 2025—up 14% year-over-year—reflecting not just a shift in technology, but how audiences discover and engage with the entertainment that shapes today’s culture, Roku claimed.

Roku remains the leading destination for streaming overall, by usage and TV unit sales. The Roku OS powers streaming on smart TVs and devices in over half of all internet-enabled households in the U.S.

“In broadcast’s heyday, TV guides directed us to ‘must-see’ television and the pop cultural moments we shared,” said Charlie Collier, President, Roku Media. “Today, the streaming platform is the guide, and the moments shaping culture are happening on Roku. We’re the ‘lead-in’ to TV for millions of viewers’ and partners’ journeys, connecting them to the content, live events, and experiences that define the streaming era.”

Roku continues to lead the connected TV device market, with a 37% share globally and 37% share of the U.S. market in Q2 2025 according to Pixalate.

The data in the study is notable because it highlights the importance of various operating systems and platforms for app developers, advertisers and others operating in the CTV ecosystem.

During Q2 2025 Poku's market share far exceeded the nearest rival, Amazon at 17% globally and Amazon 17% in the U.S. but Roku’s share did decline slightly from a 38% share globally in Q1. It had a similar slight decline 38% share in the U.S. in Q1.

Pixalate ranks the leading CTV devices by their share of quarterly programmatic advertising delivered to various devices.

Globally, Roku 37% market share in Q2 2025 was followed by Amazon (17%), Samsung (12%), Apple (11%) and LG (7%).

In the U.S., Roku’s 37% market share in Q2 2025 was followed by Amazon (17%), Samsung (12%), Apple (12%), LG (7%), Vizio (4%), Xiami (2%), TCL (2%) and Sony (1%).

More data on other regions can be found here.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku is making a notable push to expand its potential revenue streams with the launch of a new SVOD service called Howdy that will feature more than 10,000 hours of programming from such companies as Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery and FilmRise. Priced at $2.99 a month, the ad-free service will also offer select Roku Original titles.

The service is launching in the U.S. on Aug. 5 with such titles as “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Blind Side,” “Weeds” and “Kids in the Hall,” as well as iconic rom-coms, medical dramas, ‘90s comedy, feel-good classics, and more, the streaming platform said.

“Priced at less than a cup of coffee, Howdy is ad-free and designed to complement, not compete with, premium services,” Roku Founder and CEO Anthony Wood said. “We’re meeting a real need for consumers who want to unwind with their favorite movies and shows uninterrupted and on their terms. Howdy is a natural step for us at Roku, extending our mission to make better TV for everyone, by making it affordable, accessible, and built for how people watch today.”

“We’re excited to continue our longstanding collaboration with Roku on innovative ways to connect with audiences,” Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television Distribution Jim Packer added. “With engagement of over 125 million people a day, Roku is the perfect partner to launch a more accessible complement to the higher-priced SVODs. This service has the ability to scale quickly while providing us with a new way to monetize our content, and we’re proud to be part of this new streaming experience.”

The launch is a notable diversification of Roku’s revenue streams, which have traditionally been heavily dependent on advertising and ad-supported services like The Roku Channel.

“While Roku’s platform revenues have always included fees from subscription services it helps others sell on its platform, it moved decisively into its own streaming services in 2025,” analysts at LightShed partners wrote in a note to investors. “In May 2025, Roku acquired a small vMVPD, Frndly, and today it launched a $2.99 ad-free subscription service called Howdy. Howdy appears to be an ad-free version of some of the catalog content you would find on The Roku Channel.”

“With Roku now using its home screen to promote content (vs. its legacy of app icons only), it has the ability to drive content discovery,” the note continued. “By adding owned and operated subscription services, Roku has an increasing number of ways to monetize the traffic it directs from its home screen: drive users to The Roku Channel (which monetizes through advertising), drive to its subscription services, Frndly and Howdy, drive to third-party apps where it may or may not take a cut of ads and/or subscription fees and drive transactional pay-per-view. While it is still very early days for Roku’s subscription push, we believe diversifying its revenue streams will make for a more compelling long-term investment story to investors.”

For more information or to sign up, visit howdy.tv.

NEW YORK—In a landmark agreement to overtake the burgeoning connected TV (CTV) advertising market, Amazon Ads and Roku today announced a new integration that gives advertisers access to the largest authenticated CTV footprint in the U.S. exclusively through Amazon DSP.

The new collaboration, according to the two companies, will deliver logged-in reach to an estimated 80 million U.S. CTV households, representing more than 80% of those homes, according to Comscore data. The exclusive partnership will connect viewers tuned into The Roku Channel, Prime Video, and other CTV streaming services on Roku and Fire TV operating systems; as well as streaming services from Disney, Fox, Paramount, Tubi and Warner Bros Discovery; and all premium publishers.

Early tests of the integration showed that advertisers reached 40% more unique viewers with the same budget and reduced how often the same person saw an ad by nearly 30%, enabling advertisers to benefit from 3x more value from their ad spend, the companies claimed.

The CTV advertising market is the fastest-growing segment of TV advertising, expected to top $33.5 billion in 2025; however, the majority of ads are still viewed on linear TV. Prior to the announcement, Roku already had the largest share of CTV devices on the market at 38%, more than twice that of Amazon’s Fire TV platform (18%), and far ahead of Apple (13%), Samsung (12%), LG (5%) and Vizio (5%).

But competitors are not sitting still; in April, Samsung launched its Creative Canvas interactive ad service, the first TV manufacturer to offer an in-house interactive ad format. Also in April, LG Ad Solutions announced a new integration with Amazon Publisher Services (APS) that enables marketers to access expanded advertising inventory on LG Channels, LG’s free streaming service available on all LG Smart TVs.

(Read: CTV: TV's Latest Gold Rush)

In addition to giving Roku and Amazon a leg up on competitors Google, Disney and Comcast, the companies said the joint venture will unlock an addressable CTV audience at such unprecedented scale, that it "will drive improved performance, planning, optimization, and measurement for all advertisers, further enabling CTV as a true performance solution."

“Our exclusive partnership with Roku is a giant leap for advertisers, bringing best-in-class planning, audience precision, and performance to TV advertising,” said Paul Kotas, senior vice president, Amazon Ads. “The collaboration enables agencies and brands that use Amazon DSP to benefit from greater efficiency and higher performance. We’re removing the guesswork to provide advertisers with unprecedented capabilities and delivering performance in ways that simply weren't possible before. By combining our technologies, advertisers can now drive full-funnel campaign outcomes—from awareness through conversion—while eliminating media waste across Amazon and Roku streaming audiences.”

The integration utilizes a custom identity resolution service, allowing Amazon DSP to recognize logged-in viewers across the Roku OS and devices in the U.S. This exclusive capability enables advertisers to reach the same viewer deterministically across different streaming channels and devices, providing more accurate audience targeting and measurement than previously possible, according to the companies.

“For years, Roku has been committed to delivering performance-driven, open, and interoperable solutions that provide visibility and accountability for advertisers. Our partnership with Amazon strengthens this mission, as Amazon DSP exemplifies these principles,” Roku Media President Charlie Collier said. “This collaboration delivers a unified, future-ready solution at an unprecedented scale, one designed to drive measurable outcomes by unlocking performance across CTV. With nearly half of all TV streaming time in the U.S. happening on Roku, and the power and depth of Amazon in retail and beyond, together we’re uniquely positioned to prove performance and differentiate DSP offerings for our shared advertisers and marketers.”

The new solution will be available in the U.S. to all advertisers that use Amazon DSP by the fourth quarter.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has announced that its 2025 Roku Select, Plus, and Pro Series televisions are now available in the U.S.

Designed for a high-quality experience, the new lineup of Roku-made TVs delivers seamless setup, fast performance, stunning picture quality and intuitive features such as a built-in remote finder, the company reported.

“Since launching our first Roku-made TVs two years ago, we’ve focused on creating products that marry our easy-to-use software with thoughtfully designed hardware to give our customers the best possible experience—something simple that both looks and sounds great,” Paul Nangeroni, senior director of product management at Roku, said. “Our 2025 lineup furthers that commitment with performance upgrades and intelligent features designed to take the guesswork out of getting the best picture and sound, no matter what you’re watching.”

The Roku Select Series will be available in a range of 24-inch to 85-inch sizes. Roku Plus and Pro Series are available in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes. Roku-made TVs are available nationwide at retailers including Best Buy, Walmart, Target and Amazon with prices beginning at under $130.

Roku described the features of the 2025 Pro Series as follows:

• “Life-like content: Roku is making its most premium TV line even better with a focus on improving the realism and accuracy of the content on the screen. With the majority of TV viewing now being streamed, Roku worked closely with content providers and supply chain partners to make streaming content more life-like, enhancing both the image processing and manufacturing quality of the latest Pro Series TVs.
• Roku’s most advanced video ever: The 2025 Pro Series features the next generation of Roku Smart Picture Max, Roku’s in-house image processing suite, which automatically adjusts picture settings on a scene-by-scene basis—improving motion clarity, correcting compression artifacts, and intelligently selecting the best picture mode for the content on screen. Complementing the software is a re-engineered Mini-LED backlight that produces sharper highlights and minimizes blooming with 75% higher dynamic contrast than the previous model, all with precision tone mapping and factory-calibrated color for lifelike images and video. Altogether, this results in Roku’s most advanced video pipeline to date, performing over 100 billion operations per frame to enhance detail, optimize picture quality, and deliver an inspiring viewing experience.
• Mini-LED with QLED color, a 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ Adaptive, and Dolby Vision IQ deliver a brilliant picture with dazzling highlights, deep blacks and accurate color—now with 75% more dynamic contrast.
• Refined Roku Soundstage Audio, featuring side-firing Dolby Atmos speakers and enhanced tuning for clearer dialogue and deeper bass.
• Snappy performance with Wi-Fi 6 and a streamlined OS for quicker app launches and smoother navigation.
• Hands-free voice control for quick actions, easy streaming, and finding your lost remote.
• Game-ready features, including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM, and 120-Hz refresh rate elevate the Pro Series experience.
• Headphone Mode with Bluetooth pairing lets you enjoy shows and sports your way—ideal in shared spaces or during quiet moments.
• Thin, modern, shadow-box aesthetic designed to flush-mount to the wall like a picture frame—transforming your TV into a work of art with Backdrops showcasing a free, curated catalog of digital artwork.
• Slim-profile Wall Mount Kit, an optional accessory designed by Roku with hinge and kickstand, for easy access to TV ports and cables.
• Streamlined setup with tool-free stands, integrated cable management, and a placement guide for easier wall mounting.
• The Roku Voice Remote Pro with backlit buttons, customizable shortcuts, a rechargeable battery with USB-C, and a remote finder built into the TV.”

Roku described the features of the 2025 Plus Series as follows:

• “Some of the best Pro Series features—now including Smart Picture Max: The 2025 Roku Plus Series brings many of Roku’s most celebrated Pro Series features to a broader audience, delivering high-end performance at an accessible price. Now equipped with Roku-tuned mini-LED backlighting and enhanced QLED color, the Plus Series delivers deeper blacks, better contrast, and life-like vibrancy. Smart Picture Max, previously a Pro Series exclusive, is now also available on the Plus Series, providing intelligent scene-by-scene adjustments that make everything from live sports to dramas look their best—no manual setting adjustments required.
• Smooth performance and a refined user experience: The Plus Series also adds thoughtful upgrades, such as an on-TV remote finder button, the same streamlined cable management introduced with the Pro Series, a new processor-and-memory architecture for faster navigation, and a built-in subwoofer for richer audio.”

All Roku-made TVs will ship with the latest software, including new features such as Daily Trivia, short-form content rows for effortless browsing, award badges for seamless discovery, personalized sports highlights and game-time mobile notifications. Additionally, the 2025 Roku-made TVs now support Bluetooth Headphone Mode for seamless private listening. Thanks to Roku’s refined software and optimized components, even the Select Series feels faster and more responsive, the company said.

With a wide range of sizes and thoughtful design upgrades, Roku-made TVs offer a perfect fit for every room—from bedrooms and kitchens to home theaters. Across the lineup, updates such as simplified cable management and clearly labeled, easy-to-reach ports make setup more intuitive than ever. This year, Roku’s helpful placement guide is available on all Pro Series models, as well as on Select Series TVs 65 inches and larger. The latest Select Series includes HD, FHD, and 4K models, now available in sizes up to 85 inches, with Dolby Audio on all models and HDR10+ support on 4K models, plus compatibility with expandable wireless surround sound.

For more information, please visit https://go.roku.com/roku-made-tvs.

MIAMI—Spanish Broadcasting System has announced that LaMusica, its popular audiovisual entertainment app, has begun live streaming as LaMusica TV on The Roku Channel.

LaMusica TV offers a 24/7 slate of programming including live streaming of SBS's top-ranked radio shows, popular hosts and iconic personalities, SBS reported.

“This groundbreaking connected TV distribution partnership marks a significant milestone for our company as we expand access to our growing portfolio of audiovisual content, hosted by our recognized team of popular personalities, to millions of Hispanics nationally,” SBS Chairman and CEO Raúl Alarcón said. “We’re building on LaMusica's position as the No. 1-ranked Latino music app through live streaming a broad and unique mix of digital video offerings on the nation's top-ranked TV streaming platform. This partnership reinforces LaMusica's evolution into a premier audiovisual entertainment destination and sets the stage for the dramatic growth of our audience. We look forward to working with Roku to expand the reach of LaMusica’s award-winning content while simultaneously introducing the Roku platform to a new universe of Latino viewers.”

More specifically, LaMusica TV debuts with a variety of its perennially popular live on-air offerings including “El Vacilón de la Mañana” from WSKQ-FM in New York; the “Raúl Brindis Show” from KROI-FM in Houston; “Alex Sensation’s MegaMix” from WXDJ-FM in Miami; popular personalities El Terrible, Eddie One and Chiquilín from KLAX-FM and KXOL-FM in Los Angeles; as well as a selection of the ever-popular “El Despelote,” “El Circo,” “La Guerrilla,” “Whatsup?” and “Mega Reguero” programs from SBS's roster of formats in Puerto Rico.

LaMusica TV ultimately will also premiere SBS's live concert series, including major events such as its Calibash, MiamiBash and MegaMezcla venue performances, as well as its unplugged artist showcases, SBS reported.

“The addition of LaMusica TV to our platform strengthens our position as a destination for inclusive and relevant entertainment,” said Jennifer Vaux, vice president, content acquisition and programming at Roku. “As our audience continues to grow and diversify, we're thrilled to offer even more content that serves our Spanish-speaking viewers.”

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has announced new TVs, new streaming devices and significant upgrades to its user interface and software platforms that are designed to strengthen the company’s leadership in the streaming platform area, where it is currently the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

The company also reported that its streaming platform is used in more than half of all U.S. broadband homes and more than 90 million households worldwide each day.

“As we step into the new streaming-first era, our focus at Roku is where it’s been since day one: redefining what streaming can be,” Roku CEO and Founder Anthony Wood said. “With our intuitive interface, unmatched scale and insights, and cutting-edge innovation, the full Roku Experience doesn’t just meet expectations—it sets a new standard. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and I’m even more excited about where we’re headed next.”

Added Mustafa Ozgen, president of devices, product and technology at Roku: “With this new device lineup and beyond, we are changing the future of television, with streaming that is seamless, innovative, and enjoyable.”

As part of that effort, Roku announced new features for its platform that make streaming smoother and more personalized. New content discovery updates include a “Coming Soon to Theaters” row, personalized sports highlights, and more. More details are available here.

Roku is also introducing two new streaming players, the Roku Streaming Stick and Roku Streaming Stick Plus. These new devices are the most compact sticks on the market—more than 35% smaller than other brands—ithout compromising performance or speed, the company said. More details are available here.

In terms of Roku-made TVs, the company said it is bringing unique hardware innovations and under-the-hood enhancements that will provide better picture quality and sound. The Roku Plus Series, for example, will now feature mini-LED backlighting, powered by Roku’s software, to upgrade the picture quality at the same affordable price. With mini-LED technology enhanced by QLED, the Roku Plus Series will feature better dynamic contrast, deeper blacks, and a wider color range. More details are available here.

Also announced were improvements to Roku Smart Home products, along with Roku’s purpose-built Smart Home OS, designed to make homes smarter and safer. With no plugs required and impressive battery life, it is launching the new Roku Battery Camera and Roku Battery Camera Plus. More details are available here.

Roku is also expanding its product line into projectors. Roku announced an all-new Roku TV Smart Projector reference design, available to all Roku TV partners, adding that more details are coming soon

Globally, the company said it is expanding the Roku player lineup to Canada with the launch of the Roku Streaming Stick and Roku Streaming Stick Plus. Learn more here.

In addition, new Roku Players and the Sports Zone will launch in Mexico; new Roku Players are coming to the United Kingdom; the Roku Players lineup is expanding in Central and South America; and new Roku Players are coming to Brazil.

More information on Roku’s new lineup of televisions, players, and smart home products, plus its content, ads and advanced operating system, is available at Roku.com.

SAN JOSE, Calif.— Roku and Adobe have announced that they are collaborating on a real time data platform made possible by a a new integration of the Roku Data Cloud and Adobe Real-Time Customer Data Platform (CDP).

The integration will allow advertisers and publishers to jointly discover, activate, and measure high-value audiences while prioritizing privacy, the companies said. This will offer improved insights into streaming behavior, enabling them to drive more effective media strategies and discover new audiences.

“Our partnership with Adobe is another step forward for the Roku Data Cloud. Advertisers can now better understand their audience, make use of valuable proprietary Roku data, and ultimately maximize their TV investment,” said Miles Fisher, senior director of strategic advertising partnerships at Roku. “This integration will unlock the opportunity for traditional performance marketers – like search and social buyers – to plan, activate, and measure campaigns on Roku."

The Adobe integration builds off the recent launch of Roku Data Cloud, which provides a seamless connection for partners to access, analyze, and leverage Roku’s proprietary data to enhance CTV media efforts.

“As consumers play a more active role in customizing their privacy preferences, brands are now focused on leveraging consent-driven data to personalize ad experiences and drive performance,” said Ryan Fleisch, senior director of product marketing, Adobe Real-Time CDP and Audience Manager. “Adobe Real-Time CDP Collaboration empowers brands to jointly discover high-value audiences without moving or exposing directly identifiable customer data, and with Roku as a publisher partner, users can easily activate and measure campaigns that connect directly with streaming audiences.”

Roku and Adobe described the key features of the Real-Time CDP Collaboration as follows:

• Real-time audience planning: With real-time insight into Roku’s engaged CTV audiences – and how they overlap – advertisers will be able to plan audience-based campaigns built to achieve specific business objectives.
• Seamless audience activation: Brands will be able to build custom audiences using Roku Data Cloud in Adobe’s Real-Time CDP Collaboration and seamlessly activate them across Roku’s ad product suite.
• Optimized campaign measurement: Coming soon, on-demand dashboards will integrate Roku data with advertiser conversion data, to gain clear visibility into campaign attribution and overall performance and to inform future optimizations

Pixalate’s new "CTV Device Market Share" report for Q1 2025 shows that Roku has the highest open programmatic CTV device market share in the United States, with 38% share of voice (SOV).

To compile the data, Pixalate’s data science team analyzed programmatic advertising activity across 26 billion global open programmatic ad transactions on CTV devices from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025 to compile this research.

Roku’s market share was more than twice that of Amazon’s Fire TV platform (18%), and far ahead of Apple (13%), Samsung (12%), LG (5%) and Vizio (5%).

Roku was also highest in the United Kingdom, with 25% SOV, LATAM (48%) and Mexico at 73%. Apple topped the rankings at 25% in Canada.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.—CNBC has announced distribution deals that will launch its subscription streaming offering CNBC+ on Apple TV and Roku.

The service began rolling out on the platforms on April 2 at the time when CBNC and other cable networks owned by Comcast NBCU are preparing to be spun off into a separate company. With the ongoing decline of the pay TV ecosystem, direct-to-consumers offerings like CNBC+ are expected to be a major part of the spun-off company’s growth prospects.

CNBC reported that subscribers will have non-stop access to CNBC’s business news content by streaming their favorite shows from the U.S., Europe and Asia, live or on demand, for $14.99 per month.

The DTC service offers two CNBC+ livestreams for an enhanced viewer experience. Both streams offer live global programming, including award-winning shows like Squawk Box Asia, Squawk Box Europe and Closing Bell in the U.S., every weekday from market open to market close around the world. Viewers who want more information on their screen can watch the market data livestream, showcasing advanced real-time data meant to complement the opinions and analysis of CNBC anchors and guests through stock charts, news headlines and more, CNBC explained.

CNBC+ also includes an on-demand library of the network’s U.S. programming, including regularly scheduled Business Day shows and special content produced by CNBC such as CNBC Leaders. Subscribers can watch all U.S. Business Day programming on demand for up to seven days after premiere.

“We’re thrilled to expand our distribution of CNBC+ to Apple TV and Roku,” said KC Sullivan, CNBC president. “Giving new and existing audiences another way to engage with our content ensures they never miss a moment of CNBC’s highly valued insights and analysis that matter most for their money.”

Users can get CNBC+ content by downloading the CNBC app through the Apple TV App Store or the Roku Channel Store.

CNBC+ subscribers can also watch CNBC’s coverage on CNBC.com or via the CNBC iOS and Android mobile apps.

CNBC+ is the company’s latest product available for purchase from CNBC’s suite of direct-to-consumer offerings, including CNBC Pro and the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer.

To learn more about CNBC+, visit cnbc.com/subscribe/cnbcplus.

Roku and Incrmntal have announced that they are working together to provide marketers a clearer view of CTV advertising performance.. By combining Incrmntal’s advanced incrementality measurement with Roku Ads Manager, advertisers will be able to access real-time insights into the revenue impact of their ad spend, the two companies reported.

One early user of the combined measurement solution, Nathan Johnson, paid acquisition manager at Acorns said that, “historically, measuring the impact of our streaming TV efforts has been challenging. With INCRMNTL, we now have a clearer view of the value our Roku campaigns deliver, giving us the confidence to scale them.”

In launching the efforts, the two companies noted Incrmntal measures performance on CTV by analyzing shifts in spend and marketing activities over time compared to aggregated funnel metrics provided by the advertiser. Using a unique AI model to isolate the relationships between data sets without relying on user-level data, the platform quantifies the incremental impact of CTV campaigns using a powerfully accurate statistical inference model. Incrmntal’s statistical approach to measurement removes the need to share user level data, while also avoiding the challenges with a last touch attribution approach.

By utilizing Incrmntal’s measurement with Roku Ads Manager, advertisers can have greater visibility into the effectiveness of their CTV campaigns. This, the two companies said, will help set new benchmarks for measurable, data-driven advertising in the CTV space.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Roku has further expanded its sports content with a new media rights deal with Bassmaster that will make Roku the streaming hub for Bassmaster professional bass fishing tournaments.

Upcoming Bassmaster Live events streaming for free on The Roku Channel will include action from the brand-new Elite Qualifiers (EQ) Series, five Bassmaster Open Series events, which set the field for the EQs, select coverage of all nine Bassmaster Elite Series events, Friday coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour and a special prime time production of the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am presented by Yokohama.

Kicking off with Thursday and Friday coverage of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series season on Feb. 20, the Bassmaster tournaments will stream live on The Roku Channel's Roku Sports Channel. Professional fishing fans can also enjoy replays of the live stream alongside additional on-demand content, clips and highlights across The Roku Channel, Roku Sports Channel and Roku's Sports Zone, plus a dedicated Bassmaster FAST channel launching later this year. The partnership will expand coverage availability of Bassmaster LIVE properties and further bolster Roku's free lineup of exclusive live sports.

"It's an honor to call Roku the streaming home of Bassmaster, an iconic brand with a decades-spanning history of producing best-in-class professional fishing tournaments," said Joe Franzetta, head of sports, Roku Media. "We look forward to bringing these events for free to the passionate fanbase of this top outdoor sport, as well as introducing Bassmaster to new audiences, expanding the tournaments' reach to millions of streaming households in the U.S."

"We are proud to bring so much live programming to Roku's fast-growing sports channel, and we're very excited about the creation of a new outlet for posted video content on a dedicated Bassmaster FAST channel on Roku. It's thrilling to have one of the first streaming-rights partnerships in outdoor sports and the first for professional fishing on America's No. 1 streaming platform," said B.A.S.S. chief operations officer Phillip Johnson. "This partnership will allow Bassmaster to bring our exciting coverage of the highest level of professional bass fishing to Roku's enormous audience and introduce our sport to a new fan base."

David Katz and Mike Kelly of ThePostGame, a leading sports media consultancy and content production company, represented Bassmaster in its recent third-party media negotiations and helped secure the partnership with Roku.

A new study from Pixalate indicates that Roku remains by far the dominant player among streaming devices in North America where its market share was more than double its closest competitor.

Pixalate data from Q4 2024 shows Roku had the highest open programmatic CTV device market share in the United States, with 39% share of voice (SOV) in Q4, 2024.

Roku also led in Canada with a 35% SOV and Mexico with a 74% SOV.

In the U.S. Prime Video was second at 15%, followed by Samsung (13% share), Apple (12%), LG (8%), Vizio (3%).

The study did find, however, that Roku’s share had declined from a 55% share in 2023 to 39% in 2024, a 28% drop. In contrast Amazon increased its share by 40% from a 11% share in 2023 to 15% share while Samsung increased its market share from 8% to 13%, a 51% increase in its market share.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku today annnounced what it terms “a significant milestone,” surpassing 90 million streaming households worldwide in the first week of January. Roku is the largest TV OS in North America and is in nearly half of all U.S. broadband households, the company said.

“Roku’s extensive scale sets us apart in the streaming industry, with more engagement than any other TV OS platform in the U.S.,” Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood said. “Thanks to our laser focus on simplifying and enhancing the streamer’s journey, Roku is the preferred choice for millions of viewers. I’m grateful to our customers, partners, advertisers, and employees for helping us reach this notable milestone.”

Roku launched its first connected streaming devices in 2009 and its Roku TV program in 2014. In addition to North America, Roku is also available in Europe, Latin America and Australia. The Roku Channel is a top 10 streaming service in the U.S. and has seen over 80% year-over-year growth, the company said.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku today launched Roku Data Cloud, giving its partners seamless access to its proprietary TV data for analysis and making planning, optimization and measurement more transparent.

Roku Data Cloud connects advertisers, agencies and partners with accurate and reliable information from its TV operating system (TV OS), offering extensive insight into viewership habits, preferences and identity.

The company’s partners can access Roku Data Cloud via Roku’s clean room, driving outcomes via inventory in Roku Exchange. Roku Data Cloud offers brands a greater understanding of viewers and how to reach them more precisely, and provides a means to unearth ad campaign data to inform future strategy across all phases of the marketing cycle, the company said.

“Starting with Roku Exchange, we have been working for greater interoperability in the entire programmatic ecosystem, and Roku Data Cloud is the perfect next step on delivering business outcomes for our advertisers,” said Miles Fisher, senior director of strategic advertising partnerships at Roku.

“As the No. 1 selling TV OS, we believe Roku is in the best position to help advertisers reach consumers and is shepherding digital precision to the largest screen at home,” Fisher said. “We are committed to making Roku more accessible and performant, and Roku Data Cloud is a milestone of progress.”

Roku is partnering with companies across the planning, activation and outcomes and measurement phases of the campaign journey.

Expanding on existing partnerships, Roku will integrate its TV data into marketing intelligence platforms for planning, including:

• Omnicom Media Group, which will leverage the new solution to maximize the effectiveness of clients’ spend on the streaming platform, combining Roku viewer data with customized audience data in Omni, the open operating system that supports all Omnicom agencies, thereby enabling more precise planning and relevant messaging.
• PMG’s Alli, which allows media planners to gain valuable insights into audience behavior and preferences to tailor and optimize client campaigns. With the ability to plan directly addressable audiences, Alli connects strategic insights to media trafficking in an end-to-end solution that ensures marketing campaigns can be effectively targeted.

The company also plans to expand its partnership with Yahoo with three new integrations: enabling Yahoo ConnectID through the Roku Data Cloud, directly connecting the Roku Exchange to Yahoo Backstage and activating Roku audiences on the Yahoo Demand-Side Platform (DSP). Through the partnership, advertisers are expected to have seamless access to Roku inventory and later this year apply Roku audiences in the Yahoo DSP for enhanced targeting and performance across an entire campaign, it said.

To address outcomes and improve CTV measurement, Roku is partnering with:

• Innovid, which intends to collaborate with Roku to share in-flight campaign information. This allows the Roku Exchange additional signals to optimize for multiple KPIs, including reach, unique reach and conversions, to increase campaign effectiveness, relevance and impact.
• iSpot, a previously announced partner, which intends to continue to work with Roku on incorporating Roku signals into its measurement suite and share in-flight campaign insights for optimized campaign performance.

More information about Roku Data Cloud, Roku Clean Room and Roku Exchange is available online.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku today announced The Roku Channel will be the exclusive U.S. home of X Games Aspen and major X Games events next summer.

The games will livestream on Roku’s recently launched Roku Sports Channel. Roku also has launched an X Games TV free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel and will curate a dedicated X Games Zone, launched leading up to live events, where fans can browse, discover and stream everything X Games from a single destination. The zone will offer highlights, clips, interviews and archival content, the company said.

“This partnership with X Games is the perfect marriage between content and distribution—more than half of The Roku Channel’s monthly FAST audience are between the ages of 18 and 49, and the X Games have built a lifestyle brand that sits right at the intersection of sports and youth culture,” Roku Media Head of Sports Joe Franzetta said. “We look forward to using the reach of Roku to make these competitions—and the athletes at the heart of it all—accessible to millions of viewers for free.”

X Games Aspen, set for Jan. 23-25, 2025, in Aspen, Colorado, will witness some of the world’s best action-sports athletes competing in ski and snowboard events. An additional X Games will be held this summer.

“As the new CEO of X Games, I’m thrilled to announce this partnership with Roku, a platform that shares our commitment to delivering the best possible experience for our athletes and fans,” X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom said. “This collaboration ensures that the world’s premier action sports events will reach a broader audience, while celebrating the brilliance, creativity and passion of the incredible athletes who make the X Games the ultimate stage for action sports.”

The Roku Channel is available to stream for free with no subscription or sign-up required. Audiences can watch the channel on Roku devices or TVs. It is also accessible at TheRokuChannel.com on iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TVs, Samsung TVs and Google TVs and other Android TV OS devices.

More information about X Games Aspen is available on XGames.com.

SEATTLE—Local news streaming service NewsON said it has launched an upgraded app for Roku, offering new features and a refreshed user interface that gives viewers access to live and on-demand news coverage across the United States.

The redesigned app offers users ad-supported access to a range of local news content, including live newscasts and on-demand clips from over 285 TV stations in more than 135 markets, covering over 90% of the country. Many local stations have FAST channels, which are available for streaming on NewsON, which is wholly owned by Sinclair, it said.

New NewsON features include:

• Weather radar, forecasts, current conditions and video: Users can access a zoomable national radar map with additional layers, including winds, precipitation, icy conditions and more. Local current conditions and seven-day forecasts are available for each NewsON market on the app, along with a curated collection of weather videos and up-to-date coverage from around the country.
• Trending stations map: Enables easy navigation of breaking news stories from across the U.S., ensuring instant access to the most relevant and up-to-date coverage both locally and out of market.
• What’sON—new original series: What’sON is a daily segment featuring unique and trending news stories beyond the headlines, presented in an interactive format. Each day brings new content like “True Crime Tuesday” and “Strange but True Thursday.” Viewers can interact with the host and fellow users through comments on their mobile device, sharing their voice and connecting with the community.
• Unique mobile features: iOS and Android apps now offer a focus on mobile-centric short-form content, polls, user commenting and push alerts.

“The release of our updated app on Roku is a significant milestone for NewsON. We are very focused on building on our core service of nationwide local TV news access with unique features like VOD newscasts, while enhancing multiplatform engagement and interactivity with a host of new content and features including interactive weather radar, user commenting and polls,” Ron Stitt, vice president and general manager of NewsON, said.

NewsON is free to download with no login required on Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV devices, Samsung, Android TV, Vizio, web, iOS and Android. An additional app for LG is in development.

More information is available on the Roku Channel Store.

More information is available on the Sinclair website.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku and Comcast’s FreeWheel ad tech platform have expanded their programmatic ad partnership to make Roku content, including The Roku Channel, available to FreeWheel demand-side advertising partners through the Roku Exchange.

For the first time under the partnership, a new, standard protocol and integration between Roku and FreeWheel will enable real-time bidding among programmatic platforms, providing advertisers with easier access to inventory on Roku’s app ecosystem and The Roku Channel.

This integration expands the existing partnership between Roku and FreeWheel, which has been focused on interoperability, data collaboration and signals. It will help reduce the fragmentation of the CTV marketplace and provide advertisers with better reach and performance.

“If we want to ensure that ad-supported streaming is a premium experience, the need for interoperability across the fragmented TV landscape is imperative,” said Adam Royle, director, ads business development and strategic partnerships at Roku. “This is why we are thrilled to give more advertisers access to our amazing content in a direct and transparent way with FreeWheel.”

“Having Roku inventory available alongside our other premium publishers is a major victory for not just FreeWheel clients but consumers as well,” added Mark McKee, general manager, FreeWheel. “Roku understands that providing viewers with the best experience and brands with a premium destination for their ads is only possible through a transparent TV landscape.”

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has launched the BET+ Essential ad-supported subscription streaming services on The Roku Channel.

The launch means that Roku users can subscribe to the service via the in-house platform.

BET+ Essential provides Roku viewers access to the entire BET+ content library with minimal ads at $5.99 per month, compared with the existing, ad-free premium subscription option priced at $10.99 monthly. Both options are available on The Roku Channel.

Premium subscriptions on The Roku Channel are available for more than 55 streaming services in the U.S.

BET and Roku said the benefits of signing up for the BET+ Essential Plan on The Roku Channel include:

• The same content library as the BET+ premium tier at a lower monthly cost
• More than 2,000 hours of programming, including exclusive original content from creators like Tyler Perry, Gabrielle Union, Lee Daniels, Mary J. Blige, Kevin Hart, Kenya Barris and more
• Access to all seasons of three-time Emmy Award-nominated “The Ms. Pat Show,” “Martin: The Reunion,” “Diarra from Detroit” and all seasons of “College Hill: Celebrity Edition”
• BET specials (BET Awards) and exclusive originals from Carl Weber including “The Family Business” and “The Black Hamptons”
• The BET+ Essential plan includes limited video ads that play before and during programming, while the Premium plan offers an uninterrupted viewing experience.

DALLAS—Parks Associates has released a study highlighting how a handful of tech giants dominate the platforms used for streaming video and media among U.S. internet homes.

The firm's new study, “Battle of the Platforms: Assessing Connected TV Ecosystems,’ said Roku and Amazon’s Fire TV are the most popular brands of streaming media players purchased, while Samsung is the most popular brand of smart TV purchased. Together, these three brands dominate in terms of consumer viewing habits, with 65% of U.S. internet households naming one of these brands as their primary streaming video device.

The study also found Roku and Amazon are the most popular brands of streaming media players among owners and in U.S. households overall. Both have expanded into smart TVs as well, broadening their overall CTV platform penetration.

“Samsung has a sizable lead in the smart TV market,” Parks President and Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Parks said. “The company’s strength in smart TVs earns it the No. 2 position in CTV platform use, even though Samsung does not have a separate streaming media player offering.”

Parks also reported that it will highlight the results of that study and others during its seventh annual Future of Video event, set for Nov. 19-21 at the Marina del Rey (California) Marriot.

“Most consumers prioritize software capabilities, customer service, and hardware specifications when purchasing a new smart TV,” Parks said, “but a cohesive and carefully designed interface within a single operating system can significantly enhance the user experience after purchase and help to increase brand stickiness. At Future of Video, we will address strategies to increase consumer loyalty for these platforms, devices, and streaming services.”

Future of Video hosts hundreds of leaders in entertainment to discuss ad-based and subscription streaming, bundled services and the changes around advertising and video services. More information is available here.

New research indicates that Roku remains the top connected TV (CTV) streaming device in North America, with a 37% share of the open programmatic ads sold on specific devices in third-quarter 2024.

Samsung Smart TV (17% share), Amazon Fire TV (15%), Apple TV (11%), and LG (10.8%) round out the top-5 CTV platforms in North America.

The new Pixalate reports, which are broken down by region, also found Roku on top in Latin America with a 50% share of what Pixalate calls Market Share of Voice (SOV). SOV is calculated by the share of the open programmatic ads sold on specific devices.

Other key findings include:

• Roku leads in market share in Latin America with 50% SOV, followed by Samsung Smart TV (21%), LG (7%), Amazon Fire TV (3%), TCL (3%)
• Samsung Smart TV devices lead in EMEA with 30% SOV, followed by LG (16%), Amazon Fire TV (15%), TCL (12%), and Sony (6%)
• While Roku leads in market share in North America (37%), it saw a 29% decrease YoY.

For the report, Pixalate analyzed open programmatic advertising activity across more than 100,000 CTV apps and nearly 6 billion global open programmatic ad transactions in Q2 2024.

The full reports can be found here.

SAN FRANCISCO—Instacart and Roku have expanded their advertising partnership by adding a number of capabilities, including new interactive ad formats that allow consumers to purchase goods directly from an CTV ad.

The companies said their partnership on interactive ad formats, enhanced targeting capabilities and closed-loop measurement helps brands get more from their advertising efforts and provides consumers with simplified, personalized shopping experiences when watching TV at home.

“We are proud to expand our partnership with Roku, creating an advertising experience that helps people see an ad and get that product from their TV screen to their doorstep in as fast as an hour,” Tim Castelli, vice president of global advertising sales at Instacart, said. “With our combined scale and advanced data insights, we're delivering precision targeting, highly relevant ads and measurable outcomes in a privacy-compliant way to drive performance at a new level. Together, we are transforming how CPGs connect with consumers, making every ad not just an impression, but a direct pathway to purchase.”

The announcement builds on a 2023 partnership between Instacart and Roku to offer advertisers insights to measure the impact of TV ads on e-commerce purchases. Since then numerous brands, including winery Josh Cellars, have leveraged the Instacart x Roku advertising partnership. On average, across multiple advertisers, 52% of streamers who purchased a product they saw advertised on Roku via Instacart were new to that brand, the companies reported.

“In 2023, we partnered with Instacart to unlock TV measurement. Now, a year later, we’re turning our attention to what every modern CPG marketer needs: massive scale and full-funnel solutions,” Jay Askinasi, senior vice president and head of global media revenue and growth at Roku, said. “Advertisers can utilize even more of the Roku experience, from Home Screen ad placements to interactive shoppable ads. With the click of the Roku remote, users can make a purchase directly from their TV screen.”

Instacart and Roku described the new advertising capabilities as follows:

• Shoppable ads: On Roku, consumer packaged goods advertisers can create a direct path to purchase from their ad creative via text messaging or QR code, with Instacart as the landing destination. With Instacart, people watching Roku can go from seeing an ad to getting the advertised products in their hands in as fast as an hour, shopping from their favorite retailers.
• Home-screen ad formats: Advertisers can now make targeted, high-impact shoppable placements on the Roku home screen that drive users to purchase those products on Instacart. This premium real estate helps brands capture viewers’ attention as they decide which shows they want to watch on Roku.
• Targeting: Roku said it can help brands reach consumers more effectively by delivering more relevant ads based on their Instacart purchase behavior. Advertisers can layer their Roku campaigns with Instacart first-party data to build category-based audience segments, both granularly (e.g., consumers who have bought their category and brand, lapsed users or consumers new to their category or brand) and more broadly (e.g. consumers who have purchased kids products or zero-sugar products), depending on their campaign objective.

Roku has announced significant improvements to its top of the line streaming player, Roku Ultra that include faster processor, an upgraded remote and other improvements. 

Key upgrades include: 

• All new quad core processor delivering 30% faster performance and seamless navigation 
• Quicker streaming app launches 
• Upgraded Wi-Fi 6 radio architecture is Roku’s fastest ever 
• Equipped with Roku’s best remote, Voice Remote Pro (2nd edition) 

More specifically, Roku said in a blog post that “our new 2024 Roku Ultra is our most powerful player to date, a culmination of years of listening to customer feedback and leveraging our streaming expertise. With lightning-fast performance, cinematic Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, quicker app loading, and invaluable features, the Roku Ultra is our ultimate streaming experience.”

At the heart of Roku Ultra is an all-new quad core processor purpose-built for cinematic streaming, Roku reported. This chip supports all the latest in streaming video, including 4K, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos for immersive theater-quality picture and audio, turning any night into the ultimate movie night.   

“With a more powerful CPU, content loads quicker, navigation is more fluid, and streaming feels snappier – a big upgrade from your smart TV that’s starting to feel outdated,” Roku said. “Plus, as a HDMI 2.1 streaming player, Roku Ultra offers Quick Media Switching (QMS) delivering seamless, judder-free transitions between different refresh rates or content sources on premium TVs. It’s also smarter. Roku Ultra uses advanced machine learning to anticipate which app you are going to open next and tees it up for our snappiest app loading to date.”

More information on the upgraded device, which sells for $99.99, can be found here. It is currently available at Roku.com and will be rolling out to major retailers in the coming weeks.  

In addition, Roku unveiled a number of new features that are designed to enhance the streaming experience. These improvements include making family-friendly content easier to find and simplifying how you browse and discover content on both TV and mobile and expanding voice controls.

Roku made the announcement at the Roku Developer’s Summit on Sept. 24. 

These include: 

• Knowing that many of our users are parents, in 2019 Roku launched a Kids & Family destination within The Roku Channel, making it easier for children and parents to find a great selection family-friendly shows for free. Today, we’re bringing the Kids & Family zone to our home screen, with quick access to a newly expanded content library of more than 50,000 titles, from popular streaming apps across the platform, right at your fingertips. The immersive kid-centric experience delivers a curated selection of content that not only highlights a diverse selection of kids programming—from family movie nights to popular series—but also organizes it by age range, genre, and series.
• Tailor your experience with likes or dislikes. Roku has added new thumbs up and thumbs down icons, so users can let them know if they liked or disliked the show or movie.
• Take control of your settings with voice commands
• A recent Harris Poll survey found that that 60% of smart TV viewers say having to manually update their smart TV’s settings. To overcome that problem, Roku is allowing users to access most device settings with their voice, allowing them to customize your home screen etc.   
• Updates to the Roku Mobile App. With remote overlay, users can dive into trending entertainment faster than ever. Roku is also adding IMDb ratings to the app, letting users check TV show and movie ratings instantly, without having to launch a new window. Plus, users can now favorite your go-to sports teams and stay updated on live and upcoming events.
• Additionally, OS 14 will roll out to all supported devices in the U.S. in the coming months. 

All software updates will be available to Roku devices in the coming months.