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Roku launches free, ad-supported streaming channel in Britain

Roku launches free, ad-supported streaming channel in Britain
Roku launches free, ad-supported streaming channel in Britain

Roku, Inc., an American publicly traded company, has recently launched its free, ad-supported Roku Channel amid coronavirus outbreak in Britain. The channel will give users access to nearly 10,000 movies, documentaries, and TV episodes to serve the rising demand for stay-at-home entertainment while promoting social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Users can get access to the Roku Channel on Roku streaming player, NOW TV device (pay-TV company Sky), Roku TV or Sky Q box, which will reportedly stream various British series such as ‘Skins’, ‘Ultimate Force’, and ‘Homes Under the Hammer’, as well as the Hollywood hits including ‘Get Carter’. Additionally, the channel will also feature children’s content selected from digital platforms such as YouTube and linear TV.

According to Rob Holmes, VP of programming at Roku, the California-based company also had an opportunity to supplement SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) services such as Disney+ and Netflix with a free offer. He further stated that the recent launch of the Roku Channel will significantly fulfill the consumers demand for free TV with its ad-supported channel, which is a rapidly growing category in the video streaming market.

The company is launching the Roku Channel to deliver its ad-supported content to customers during the economic slowdown caused by coronavirus, which has led to a sharp decline in advertising on UK televisions platforms. Mr. Holmes alluded to the long-term trajectory of connected TV and also spoke about the company’s plan take a long view and reach wide number of audiences in Britain.

In the current scenario, streaming services have become more dominant as users prefer streaming channels over other platforms such as linear television. The advertisers can gain significant advantage from this trend and reach more audiences through the recent ad-supported channel by Roku, which will boost the growth of the company in the United Kingdom for long-term.

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Vinisha Joshi
