Roku is coming out with its own Netflix-style subscription video service that provides thousands of TV and movie titles without any ads. But the company sees the new Howdy service as a cheaper complement to the likes of Netflix — not a direct competitor.
The streaming platform company’s Howdy provides nearly 10,000 hours of content, comprising thousands of movies and TV episodes, priced at $2.99 per month, with no ads. The content in Howdy’s lineup is licensed from partners including Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery and Radial Entertainment’s FilmRise, alongside select Roku original titles like “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”
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Per Roku, movies and shows on Howdy will include “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Elvis,” “The Fate of the Furious,” “Dirty Dancing,” “Fruitvale Station,” “American Psycho,” “The Graduate,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Blade,” “Party Down,” “Best in Show,” “Southland,” “Nurse Jackie,” “The Blind Side,” “Unforgiven,” “Weeds” and “Kids in the Hall.”
Howdy is launching Tuesday in the U.S. Initially, it is available on the Roku platform with rollout on mobile and third-party platforms promised in the near future.
Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood emphasized that Howdy is designed to “complement” and “not compete with” other premium streaming services. “We’re meeting a real need for consumers who want to unwind with their favorite movies and shows uninterrupted and on their terms,” Wood said in a statement. “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.”
Jim Packer, Lionsgate’s president of worldwide television distribution, commented: “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.”
From Aug. 5-31, Roku is running a branded takeover of digital billboards in New York City’s Times Square promoting the Howdy service and its notable launch titles.
Roku said the launch of Howdy was factored into the outlook provided with its Q2 2025 earnings. In addition to Howdy, Roku’s streaming services include the popular Roku Channel, which it claims is the most-watched free ad-supported television (FAST) service in the U.S. The company earlier this year acquired Frndly TV, a live TV subscription streaming service.
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