Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) and Warner Bros. Discovery, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies, have inked a groundbreaking deal to bring Warner Bros. branded FAST channels to The Roku Channel. Featuring popular premium content including “Westworld,” “The Bachelor,” “Cake Boss,” “Say Yes to the Dress,” “F-Boy Island,” and more, the channels will arrive on The Roku Channel in spring 2023.
On top of bringing streamers brand-new FAST channels, the deal will also usher in about 2000 hours of on-demand library programming to The Roku Channel. Hundreds of TV series and movies from Warner Bros. Discovery’s esteemed brand portfolio, including HBO, HBO Max, Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, and more, will now be available for audiences to stream for free on The Roku Channel.
“As FAST continues to explode in popularity amongst cord-cutters, we’re seeing content players increasingly shift their focus towards capturing this audience, by bringing some of their best stuff to FAST. The rapid expansion of premium content on FAST is a win for both the viewer and content owner, as well as advertisers looking to reach these audiences through well-known programming, said Rob Holmes, Roku vice president of programming. “We’re delighted to be one of Warner Bros. Discovery’s inaugural FAST partners, and we look forward to introducing its incredible TV series, films, and entertainment brands to a whole new audience on The Roku Channel.”
The news builds on The Roku Channel’s significant enhancement of its FAST offering over the last year, with deals that added popular programming from AMC Networks, NBCUniversal, WMX (Warner Music Experience), the National Hockey League, and more to the service.
David Decker, President of Content Sales for Warner Bros. Discovery added: “We love working with world-class, cutting-edge partners like The Roku Channel. Their innovative platforms provide us with new ways to bring our valuable content to fans across the country.”
Roku is America’s #1 TV streaming channel by hours streamed*, and The Roku Channel is a leader in FAST** and AVOD*** streaming. The Roku Channel was a top 5 channel by both active account reach and streaming hour engagement on Roku in Q3 2022 and ranked first in reach amongst AVOD/FAST services in the U.S., according to TiVo’s most recent quarterly Video Trends Report.
Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free and premium entertainment on the Roku platform. In Q4 2021, The Roku Channel reached U.S. households with an estimated 80 million people. Today, The Roku Channel features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 free movies and programs and more than 350 free live linear television channels in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners. In addition to Roku devices, The Roku Channel is available on web, iOS, and Android devices, as well as Amazon Fire TV and select Samsung TVs.
