Can Roku Channel Keep Pace in the Streaming Wars? Its Head of Content Thinks So

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In the era dominated by vast streaming services that annually shell out over $15 billion for content, an unexpected contender garnered attention recently as it captured 2% of total TV viewing hours according to Nielsen’s survey: The Roku Channel.

Although two percent might seem minimal when compared to YouTube’s 11%, Netflix’s 8.5%, it still outperformed Max, Paramount+, and Peacock in terms of viewership, as well as surpassing Tubi, Fox’s free streaming platform.

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In comparison to YouTube (11%) and Netflix (8.5%), two percent might appear small, but it exceeded the viewership of Max, Paramount+, Peacock, and even Tubi, Fox’s free streaming platform.

Or:

While YouTube boasts 11%, and Netflix 8.5%, a mere 2% may seem insignificant, however, it surpassed the viewership of Max, Paramount+, Peacock, and Tubi, Fox’s free streaming platform.

Or:

Although YouTube boasts an impressive 11%, and Netflix 8.5%, a mere 2% may seem insignificant in comparison, it actually surpassed the viewership of Max, Paramount+, Peacock, and Tubi, Fox’s free streaming platform.

David Eilenberg, in his role as Roku’s content chief, stated that although Roku doesn’t aim to rival giants like Netflix and YouTube, it still has plenty of room for expansion in the long term.

From the onset of our venture, it’s been made abundantly clear that we won’t engage in extravagant spending wars with Streaming Video On Demand services. Such a tactic doesn’t lead to victory for us,” Eilenberg explains.

Roku Channel boasts a wide variety and extensive collection of content it’s obtained, but when it comes to original productions, it tends to focus on particular themes.

Eilenberg explains that we’ve narrowed down our primary areas of focus to a select number where we’ve achieved success, and we plan to further invest in these. The main ones include lifestyle sectors such as food and home, as well as content related to sports. There are several factors behind this decision; firstly, we’ve discovered a dedicated audience for these categories, and secondly, they align with the comfort zone of our advertisers, thereby catering to both our key stakeholders.

He mentions discovering several appealing pathways and outstanding businesses, followed by naming programs such as “The Great American Baking Contest” and “The Rich Eisen Program”. He implies that the business intends to broaden its scope within these topics.

However, Roku boasts several hidden advantages, such as its current user base of approximately 90 million active users each month, which continues to expand.

He notes that due to the vast reach of our platform, the potential audience is incredibly substantial. Consequently, it’s crucial for us to adopt a multi-faceted strategy when curating content for the Roku channel. Therefore, you observe a variety of content, ranging from classic sitcoms on networks to news feeds provided by major news agencies to the Mr. Beast FAST channel.

Moreover, the channel is open to collaborating with entertainment titans as partners rather than merely competitors. For instance, Apple recently offered a promotional initiative where season one of Severance was made available at no cost on Roku Channel before the premiere of season two.

Essentially, what plays on everyone’s TV is also playing on ours, as NBC’s late-night shows are additionally shared on the Roku Channel following their initial broadcast. The aim is that this leads viewers to Peacock, which aligns with our ultimate goal – to be the go-to destination for any streaming service a user might prefer.

Furthermore, Eilenberg explains that the business is also leveraging “micro insights” to adapt to shifting viewing patterns or behaviors. Consequently, Roku Channel blends Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels, which provide a selection of curated programming similar to traditional linear TV, and on-demand streaming options.

You might have noticed an abundance of family films if you launched the app back in December, as that’s when such content is typically highlighted.

In December, we had an exceptionally rich collection of licensed films, which is primarily due to the observation that during family gatherings, people tend to watch more movies. This differs from a new TV series where it’s unlikely you’d have the same group to follow along with the story.

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2025-01-25 17:25