The Roku Channel

Leading FAST channel with native integration into the #1 streaming OS in the US, offering premium CTV ad inventory backed by Roku's first-party data

The Roku Channel is Roku's owned-and-operated free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service, launched in 2017. It offers a broad library of movies, TV shows, live news, sports, and premium subscription add-ons, all accessible without a paid subscription. As a native property of the Roku platform — the leading streaming OS in the United States by active accounts — The Roku Channel benefits from deep integration across Roku devices, smart TVs, and web browsers, giving it unparalleled reach into connected TV households. From an AdTech perspective, The Roku Channel is a premium inventory source within Roku's broader advertising ecosystem, which includes the OneView ad platform (formerly Dataxu). Advertisers can reach highly engaged streaming audiences through video ads, display placements, and branded content, leveraging Roku's first-party ACR (automatic content recognition) and viewership data for precise targeting. The channel's ad-supported model means advertising revenue is central to its business, making it a significant player in the rapidly growing CTV and streaming advertising market. The Roku Channel competes directly with other FAST services such as Pluto TV, Tubi, Peacock (free tier), and Amazon Freevee, but its native integration into the Roku OS gives it a structural distribution advantage. With Roku reporting over 80 million active accounts as of 2024, The Roku Channel commands substantial reach and has become a key monetization vehicle for Roku, Inc., contributing meaningfully to the company's platform revenue segment which has consistently outpaced device revenue.