Resources For TV Channel Developers

Roku has evolved from a small startup in 2008 into one of the world’s leading TV streaming platforms.

Today it boasts tens of millions of active households (around 90 million by early 2025) and a top position in major markets like the U.S., offering content creators an enormous, engaged audience.

For TV channel developers, Roku represents an opportunity to put your content on the big screen with global reach, robust monetization options, and full control of your branding and app experience.

This overview will cover Roku’s history, its current market stature and user base, key streaming statistics, unique advantages for publishers, and why launching a Roku channel is a smart strategic move for content creators. 

2008 – First Roku Player Launches

Roku (founded by entrepreneur Anthony Wood) releases its first streaming set-top box in May 2008 in partnership with Netflix.

This “Netflix Player” was one of the first devices to stream internet video directly to televisions, kickstarting the streaming revolution in living rooms.

2009 – Roku Opens to All Channels

The Roku Channel Store debuts, turning Roku into the first open TV app platform. Roku publishes a free SDK for developers, allowing anyone  - from major media networks to independent creators  - to create their own channel apps.

Early additions included Pandora, Revision3, and more, proving that content could reach viewers without cable or satellite gatekeepers.

2014 – Roku TV & International Expansion

Roku partners with TV manufacturers (like TCL and Hisense) to launch “Roku TV” models with Roku’s operating system built in. This move transforms Roku from a devices-only player into a widely adopted smart TV platform, expanding its footprint in North America and eventually into Europe and Latin America via licensed Roku-powered TVs.

2017 – The Roku Channel & IPO

Roku goes public (NASDAQ: ROKU) and launches The Roku Channel, a free, ad-supported streaming service on its platform offering movies, shows, and live news.

 The Roku Channel quickly becomes one of the platform’s most popular channels, showcasing Roku’s ability to drive huge audiences to content. This year cemented Roku’s dual role as both a platform provider and a content curator.

2023–2025 – Massive Growth Milestones

Streaming explodes and Roku grows with it.

By the end of 2023, Roku surpasses 80 million active accounts worldwide, who collectively streamed over 100 billion hours that year. In early 2025, Roku reaches 90 million streaming households, now representing nearly half of all U.S. broadband homes.

Roku also celebrates 10 years of the Roku TV program, 15 years since its first player, and remains the #1 TV streaming OS in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

From its debut as a single-purpose Netflix box to its status today as a dominant smart TV platform, Roku’s journey has been defined by continuous innovation and openness. Roku pioneered the idea that any content producer can “own” a channel on the television.

This history underpins why Roku is so attractive to channel developers: the platform was literally built to let creators deliver content directly to viewers, bypassing traditional TV distribution hurdles. 

Roku is currently one of the most popular streaming platforms in the world, and a market leader in North America.

In the United States - the planet’s largest streaming market - Roku has been the top-selling smart TV operating system for the past several years. By late 2024, Roku-powered devices or TVs were in nearly 50% of U.S. broadband households, outpacing competitors like Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV in user adoption.

In Canada and Mexico, Roku also holds a #1 position in smart TV market share. This wide adoption means that if you publish a channel on Roku, you’re accessing the single largest installed base of streaming TV users in those regions. 

Importantly, Roku isn’t just widely distributed - it’s heavily used. Industry surveys and Roku’s own reports highlight that Roku leads rival platforms in streaming engagement (hours viewed).

For example, Roku users streamed an average of over 4 hours per day per account in Q4 2023 - a testament to how sticky the platform is for viewers.

Moreover, Roku’s active account base in the U.S. now exceeds the number of subscribers to all the traditional cable companies combined. In other words, more people are watching TV through Roku than through cable TV packages. 

Globally, Roku’s footprint is growing. While North America is its strongest region, Roku is expanding into parts of Europe (the UK, France, Germany and others) and Latin America.

Roku devices and Roku TVs are available in dozens of countries, and the company has stated ambitions to continue entering new markets. For developers, this means a Roku channel can potentially reach audiences far beyond the U.S. as the platform’s international presence increases. 

By the Numbers: Roku at a Glance (2025) 

Active Accounts Worldwide - 90 Million
Approx. count of global active Roku accounts (early 2025)

Streaming Hours in 2023 - 100 Billion+
Total hours of content streamed on Roku in 2023 (record high engagement)

US Market Reach ~50%
Nearly half of all U.S. broadband households have Roku (Q1 2025)

Top Platform Ranking - #1
Roku’s rank among TV streaming platforms in the US, Canada, and Mexico (by usage and device sales)

From a channel developer’s perspective, these figures indicate a massive potential audience. Roku’s user base isn’t a niche - it’s mainstream and still growing.

The high average watch time per user suggests Roku owners are very engaged, often using Roku as their primary way to watch TV. This kind of usage depth can translate into more opportunities for your channel to be discovered and regularly watched. 

On top of user count and engagement, Roku’s audience is diverse in demographics. An analysis by Roku in late 2022 found that one in three Roku households includes someone from Gen Z (under 25), many of whom are “streaming natives.” At the same time, nearly 40% of Roku’s viewership hours are from adults over 50 - a group that has been rapidly adopting streaming. In short, Roku’s viewers span all ages, from cord-cutting baby boomers to young adults who never had cable.

This diversity means whatever your content niche or target audience, you’re likely to find them on Roku’s platform. 

Roku’s growth trajectory over the past several years underlines the platform’s momentum: 

• Active user growth: Roku reported about 70 million active accounts at the end of 2022, which grew to roughly 80+ million in 2023 and then to ~90 million by the end of 2024. This is a steady double-digit growth rate in users/year, remarkable for a platform that is already at huge scale. Even as competition increases, Roku continues to add millions of new households annually - showing that streaming overall is a rising tide and Roku is capturing a large share of that rise. 

• Streaming hours: Total streaming hours on Roku jumped from 58 billion hours in 2020 to over 100 billion hours in 2023. This metric highlights not just more users, but more usage per user as streaming becomes the dominant way people consume TV. For channel developers, increasing streaming hours mean more opportunities to capture viewer attention. In fact, Roku said the average account streamed 4.1 hours per day in late 2023, up from around 3 hours/day a few years prior. Users are spending more time on the platform each year. 

• Engagement vs. linear TV: By 2023, Roku frequently emphasized that its platform accounts for a significant share of total TV time. For example, during major live events like the NFL Super Bowl or the Oscars, tens of percent of the viewership now comes via streaming on Roku devices rather than traditional broadcast. This indicates a tipping point where to reach TV audiences, being on Roku is as important as (or more important than) being on cable TV. 

• Revenue and ads: Roku’s financials (as of 2025) show strong platform revenue growth, mainly from advertising. This reflects that more advertisers are shifting budgets to reach Roku viewers. In practical terms, a channel with popular content on Roku can benefit from this influx of advertising spend (through higher fill rates and ad prices, if you enable ads on your channel). Roku’s Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) hit roughly $40 annually in late 2024, an indicator of how much monetization potential exists per user on the platform. 

• Global expansion: Roku’s user growth is also fueled by entering new markets. In recent years Roku launched in countries like Brazil, Germany, and Chile, often through partnerships with local TV manufacturers and content providers. While the U.S. remains about 70%+ of Roku’s user base, international growth is accelerating. This trend is important if you have content that could appeal to audiences outside the U.S. - a Roku channel could gradually find global viewers as the platform expands. 

Overall, the key trend is upward: more users, more hours, and more revenue flowing through Roku year over year.

For publishers, this momentum means that a channel launched now is riding a growing wave.

Roku is not a stagnant or declining platform - it’s a dynamic ecosystem where new hits can emerge and where viewer appetites continue to broaden. 

Why develop your channel for Roku specifically?

There are several unique advantages that Roku offers to content publishers compared to other platforms or distribution methods: 

1. Enormous & Engaged Audience: The sheer scale of Roku’s active users and the high engagement levels have been covered above, but it’s worth emphasizing: Roku gives you access to one of the largest TV audiences on any streaming platform.

If you create a channel on Roku, you’re placing your content in a storefront (the Channel Store) that is visited by tens of millions of people looking for things to watch. Roku’s user base includes many cord-cutters who only watch streaming, meaning Roku might be the primary way they discover new content.

This audience is also very active - they’re accustomed to installing new channels and trying out content from various sources (the average Roku household uses 7 different streaming channels/apps in a quarter).

For an independent creator or a niche content provider, that means you can realistically attract viewers on Roku even if you’re not a household-name brand yet. 

2. Monetization Options and Revenue Share: Roku’s platform was built with publisher monetization in mind. You can choose different business models for your channel, including: 

• Advertising-supported (free to viewers): You can include video ads in your channel’s content and earn advertising revenue. Roku’s developer framework provides a built-in Advertising SDK (called Roku Advertising Framework, RAF) to make integrating ads straightforward. Importantly, Roku uses an inventory split model rather than a typical revenue split - by default, you (the publisher) keep 100% of the ad revenue from 70% of the ad slots in your channel, while Roku reserves the other 30% of ad slots to sell its own ads. In practice, this is very publisher-friendly: it means if you can fill your 70% of ad time with advertisers (direct or via ad networks), all that income is yours. For small channels that use Roku’s automated ad fill, Roku will fill the 30% and you fill the rest with network ads. As your channel grows, Roku might invite you into their programmatic ad sales program, where they help sell ads across 100% of your inventory in exchange for sharing a portion (typically you’d get 60% of ad revenues in that case). Bottom line: Roku lets you start monetizing with ads from day one, and you keep the majority of the revenue, a contrast to platforms like YouTube which take a large cut or require minimum audience sizes before monetization. 

• Subscription or Paid Content: If you prefer a subscription model (e.g., a monthly fee for premium content access) or one-time purchases (pay-per-view events, movie rentals, etc.), Roku supports that via its Roku Pay system. You can set up in-app subscriptions or purchases, and Roku will handle all billing, customer payments, and even customer support for transactions. The revenue split for subscriptions/in-app purchases is 80/20 - you keep 80% and Roku takes a 20% platform fee. This is on par or better than the app store norms (for instance, Apple and Google take 30%). The benefit of using Roku’s system is convenience and trust: many users already have Roku Pay set up, so subscribing to your service is one click, and Roku remits your share to you monthly. 

• Hybrid models: Roku doesn’t lock you into one monetization approach. You could have a free, ad-supported tier and also offer a premium ad-free subscription, for example. Or offer free content with optional paid extras. The platform’s flexibility means you can design a business model suited to your content and audience. Roku provides the tools (ad framework, billing API) to implement each option. 

3. Broad Reach and Favorable Demographics: Roku’s audience covers virtually every demographic group that advertisers and content creators might want to reach. Unlike some platforms that skew very young (like TikTok) or a specific niche, Roku’s tens of millions of users include families, young adults, middle-aged and seniors, across all income levels.

Notably, Roku is extremely popular among the coveted cord-cutter demographic - people who have actively ditched cable and are seeking content online. These viewers are valuable because they tend to watch a lot of ad-supported content (since they’re maximizing free entertainment options after canceling cable) and they are open to exploring new channels.

Additionally, Roku’s popularity with Gen Z and Millennials means you can also reach digital-first viewers who might not be on cable at all. If your content targets traditional TV audiences, Roku has them; if it targets digital natives, Roku has them too.

This broad, growing user base gives publishers confidence that their niche can find an audience on Roku. 

4. Technical Flexibility and Ease of Publishing: Developing and publishing a channel on Roku is relatively straightforward and cost-effective compared to creating a traditional TV channel or even apps for some other smart TV systems.

 Some technical advantages: 

• Robust SDK: Roku provides a mature Software Development Kit (SDK) and scripting language (BrightScript with SceneGraph) that allow for the creation of richly customized streaming apps. You have full control over your channel’s user interface, branding, and features. Whether you want a simple video list or a highly interactive app with search and personalized content, the Roku SDK supports it. 

• No Gatekeepers for Content: Roku’s channel certification is focused mainly on technical compliance and content policies (e.g. no illegal content, proper metadata, etc.), but there is no editorial curation that would block a quality channel from publishing. This means as long as you follow the guidelines, you can publish your channel on the Roku Channel Store and it will be available to all users. You don’t need a distribution deal or a special partnership with Roku to get on the platform - even an individual creator can self-publish. Roku essentially democratized TV distribution with this open model. 

• Discovery Features: Roku helps users find content across channels through features like universal search and curated sections. If you integrate your content’s metadata, Roku’s universal search will include your titles when users search by show or movie name, potentially driving viewers to install your channel. There are also category lists and the Roku home screen zones (e.g., a “Sports” zone or seasonal collections) where a well-configured channel or a popular piece of content might get surfaced. While you shouldn’t rely solely on Roku’s algorithms for discovery, it’s a nice bonus that the platform can funnel users to your content organically. 

• Promotion Tools: For publishers wanting to grow faster, Roku offers advertising opportunities on-platform. For instance, as a developer you can purchase banner ads on the Roku home screen to promote your channel to users. This means that if you have marketing budget, you can directly target Roku users in their living room interface - a unique promo channel not available on most other platforms. Roku’s audience development team and analytics in the developer portal also help you optimize your channel’s performance (by providing data on installs, streaming hours, etc.). 

• Cross-Platform and Updates: Once your Roku channel is live, updating it with new content or features is in your hands. You can push app updates or content feed updates at any time. This ease of iteration lets you treat your channel as a living product - adding new videos, improving the UI, or shifting strategy based on viewer metrics without much friction. You’re not stuck in a lengthy broadcast programming cycle; you have the agility of a digital platform combined with the TV screen reach. 

5. Low Barrier to Entry, High Ceiling for Success: Launching a Roku channel can be done with modest resources - some content, an RSS feed or JSON feed (if using a feed-based app builder), or coding up an app with a small development team.

There are even third-party tools and services (as the Roku Direct Publisher program has ended, many creators now use OTT app builder platforms or Roku’s SDK directly) that allow for creating channels without heavy coding.

This means even indie creators or small media startups can get on Roku relatively quickly. At the same time, the scale of Roku’s user base means that if your channel resonates, the upside is huge.

There are numerous examples of niche streaming channels on Roku that quietly amassed millions of installs. In addition, many large media companies (from Disney+ to YouTube to local news stations) distribute on Roku because they cannot ignore its reach.

As a publisher, you’ll be in the same marketplace as those big players, with the chance to attract viewers alongside them. Roku doesn’t discriminate - a user can find your independent channel next to big-name apps in the Channel Store.

That level playing field means your content quality and strategy, rather than your clout with cable operators, determines success. 

Given all of the above, it becomes clear why so many content creators, media companies, and even influencers are launching Roku channels.

Here’s a summary of why having a presence on Roku is a smart strategic decision: 

• Access the Living Room Screen: Being on Roku puts your content on television sets, not just web browsers and mobile apps. For a content creator, the TV is the most engaging screen in the home - viewers spend longer sessions and are more immersed. A Roku channel allows you to have a “TV app” without negotiating with cable companies or building costly smart TV software for each brand of TV. Roku has done the hard work of getting into millions of living rooms; you just have to publish your channel there. 

• Tap Into Cord-Cutter Growth: Every year, millions more people cancel cable and turn to streaming platforms for all their entertainment. Roku is often the go-to choice for these cord-cutters because of its ease of use and affordability. By launching a Roku channel, you’re effectively setting up shop in the new TV ecosystem where these audiences are going. It’s analogous to establishing a presence on the dominant video platform of the era - and right now, for TV, that’s Roku (along with a few peers). In strategic terms, you’re future-proofing your content distribution by riding the wave of streaming growth. 

• Monetize More Effectively: Having your own channel on Roku gives you direct monetization of your content. Instead of relying solely on third-party platforms (like hoping for YouTube ad revenue or Facebook video bonuses), you control how to make money from your content. You can run ads with better revenue share, package subscriptions, or even sell products via your channel. This diversification can be crucial for sustainability. Many creators use their Roku channel as a way to earn passive income from back-catalog content or to upsell superfans on premium content. Strategically, it’s building your own asset - a viewer base and revenue stream that isn’t subject to the whims of a social media algorithm. 

• Brand Building and Ownership: A Roku channel is fully your brand. Your channel’s icon, interface, and content are all under your branding, not Roku’s (Roku just frames it as another app). This means you can create a branded destination that viewers recognize and return to, strengthening your content brand identity in a way that uploading to a generic platform doesn’t. If you’re a content creator looking to establish a media brand, having a Roku channel gives you a level of legitimacy (“I have my own TV app”) and consistency that can set you apart. Over time, as viewers add your channel and it sits on their home screen, you’ve essentially claimed a bit of real estate in their daily media habits. 

• Competitive Advantage: Many content creators are still focused on web, YouTube, or mobile and haven’t expanded to TV apps. By getting on Roku early (or now, while the field is not over-saturated in every niche), you could gain a first-mover advantage in your content category on the platform. For example, if you produce specialized content (say an extreme sports channel, a cooking show channel, a faith-based channel, etc.), establishing a high-quality Roku channel now means you become the default choice for that genre for Roku users. It can be much less crowded than trying to get noticed on YouTube where thousands of creators compete on the same keywords. In essence, Roku’s Channel Store is still a growing marketplace with room for new entrants, and success there is achievable with the right strategy and content. 

• Integrated and Future-Oriented: Roku’s vision, as stated by its CEO, is that “one day all TV will be streamed.” By aligning with Roku, you’re aligning with the future direction of television. Roku actively updates its platform with new features (voice controls, improved search, better ad tech, etc.), and as a channel publisher you benefit from those enhancements automatically. You don’t have to worry about manufacturing hardware or evolving the underlying OS - Roku handles that, and your channel rides on those improvements. This frees you to focus on content and strategy. In the long run, if streaming completely overtakes traditional TV (a trend well underway), having established your channel on Roku positions you to be a long-term player in the streaming era. 

Creating a channel on Roku offers a compelling mix of scale, monetization, and control. You reach a huge audience that is actively seeking content, you have flexible ways to earn revenue from your content, and you maintain control over your brand and app experience.

Few other platforms combine all three of these aspects. For an educational content creator, an indie filmmaker, a niche media publisher, or any content entrepreneur, Roku provides an even playing field to distribute content on the biggest screen in people’s homes. 

What started in 2008 as a novel idea - stream video on the TV - is now mainstream reality. Roku is at the forefront of that reality, and it wants content creators to be part of its ecosystem.

If you have videos or streaming content to share, a Roku channel is a strategic move to grow your audience and your business in the streaming age.