Roku to Launch Premium Channel Service

[AlphaAtlas]

Roku already offers a wide array of video streaming services in the form of "apps" available from their store. But in my experience, the quality of these apps varies widely, and juggling accounts and billing methods for different services can be a pain. Following the the footsteps of Amazon, Reuters reports that Roku will soon offer a premium video channel service through the Roku Channel App, where billing and streaming are done through Roku themselves. Showtime and Starz are among the first free channels that will be available on the service, and Roku will reportedly extend support to mobile devices.

The move by the device maker, which spun off of Netflix in 2008, resembles the lucrative channels business Amazon launched in 2015 that resold video services on an “a la carte” basis, which has been copied by a variety of rivals. Apple Inc (AAPL.O) is expected to launch its own streaming video service that will adopt a similar model, people familiar with the plan have said. Amazon’s Channels business, which has been popular among subscribers of Amazon Prime and has been a big revenue contributor for participating media companies, is expected to have generated $1.7 billion in 2018, according to a recent BMO Capital Markets report, more than doubling since 2017.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Wonder how much it would cost, if it's sub $10 than getting Showtime and Starz (plus whatever else) isn't a horribly price. But I think Starz cost more than that now so no way I see it sub-$10 for some package with multiple pay channels.

 

[Rahh]

I might bite depending on their selections but with that being said Hulu and Prime have some great shows!

 

[Loop242]

The free Roku Channel with ads isn't bad. This might be worth it if at a competitive price.

 

[Dr. Righteous]

Really I'm a big Roku fan. We have 1 Roku smart TV, 2 sticks and a Roku 3 box. Overall they work great; very rarely an issue.
Currently we subscribe to Amazon Prime and DirectTV . We dropped NetFlix earlier this year after being a subscriber since the beginning. The only program I'm interested in for DirectTV is Fox News. There are several my lovely wife likes to watch. The DirectTV channel has been rather flaky since it launched. If Roku provided like service with good reliability, I'm switching.

 

[Mad Maxx]

I'd consider this if the Nvidia Shield could get the Roku app. Playstation Vue is getting pricey.

 

[Kinestron]

Really love my Roku but I'm not sure what another premium channel can offer that the multitudes of others can't unless they compete on price.

 

[steakman1971]

I feel like I already have too many options and not enough time. I've got Netflix, Hulu, and Prime. There are shows on all of these that different family members like. One thing lacking in our selection is sports - my wife wanted to watch the Notre Dame game this past weekend. No options at this house unless its OTA (that game was not available).
Still, I like the Roku devices we have. They are easy to use and pretty reliable. I'll see what they have to offer...

 

[Wrecked Em]

This seems like a horrible way to subscribe to a premium channel. If you subscribe HBO directly, you can use their app on basically any device. If you subscribe with them, I'm assuming you're locked into one of their devices.

 

[katanaD]

its about time. Roku has been in a position where it could act like steam, the gateway to streaming channels. One place to do billing and look for new content.