Roku today announced that, as promised , premium subscriptions are now available in The Roku Channel.
That means you'll be able to subscribe to premium channels like Showtime, STARZ and Epix from directly within The Roku Channel, with billing handled through Roku itself.
Roku Players — such as the new Roku Premiere+ — will be the first to receive the update starting today. Roku TVs will follow later. Also, Roku is updating its iOS app today so that you can watch from within it as well. (Roku's Android app will get an update in mid-February.) Or if none of those tickles your fancy, you can check things out in a web browser, too.
As an added bonus, if you sign up for Showtime, STARZ or Epix before March 31. you'll get a free 30-day trial.
Here's the full list of premium channels available at launch:
- STARZ
- SHOWTIME
- EPIX
- Baeble Music
- CollegeHumor's DROPOUT
- CuriosityStream
- Fandor Spotlight
- FitFusion
- The Great Courses Signature Collection
- Grokker
- Hi-YAH!
- Hopster
- Lifetime Movie Club
- DOX, LOLFlicks, Monsters and Nightmares, Magnolia Selects, and Warriors & Gangsters presented by Magnolia Pictures
- MHz Choice
- NOGGIN
- Shout! Factory TV, Smithsonian Channel Plus
- Stingray Karaoke
- Tastemade
- Viewster Anime
- ZooMoo
Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel Available Starting Today
Customers Are Eligible for 30-Day Free Trials of SHOWTIME, STARZ and EPIX; Roku Mobile App Viewing on iOS Devices Starting Today
LOS GATOS, Calif. – Jan. 28, 2019 – Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) announced it will begin rolling out Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel later today. All supported devices are expected to receive the update in the coming weeks, beginning with Roku players and concluding with Roku TV models. Premium Subscriptions enables users to browse, trial and subscribe to popular premium entertainment services within The Roku Channel. Users who sign-up for EPIX, SHOWTIME and STARZ before March 31, 2019, can enjoy a 30-day free trial of those services on The Roku Channel. Additionally, viewing of The Roku Channel directly from within the Roku mobile app is available for iOS devices starting today. The update for Android devices is expected to begin to roll out in mid-February.
"We've made subscription streaming easy for our customers and are putting them in control. Now there is one place on the Roku platform where users can seamlessly access both free and premium entertainment, with one click sign-up, easy subscription management and a single monthly bill," said Rob Holmes, Roku Vice President, Programming and Engagement. "The Roku Channel already delivers a great, free ad-supported experience for our users and a valuable distribution opportunity for our content partners. With the addition of Premium Subscriptions, The Roku Channel will be a better experience for our users and even more valuable for our partners."
Users can access to 25+ premium partners including: STARZ, SHOWTIME and EPIX, as well as Baeble Music; CollegeHumor's DROPOUT; CuriosityStream; Fandor Spotlight; FitFusion; The Great Courses Signature Collection; Grokker; Hi-YAH!; Hopster; Lifetime Movie Club; DOX, LOLFlicks, Monsters and Nightmares, Magnolia Selects, and Warriors & Gangsters presented by Magnolia Pictures; MHz Choice; NOGGIN; Shout! Factory TV, Smithsonian Channel Plus; Stingray Karaoke; Tastemade; Viewster Anime; and ZooMoo. More partners are expected be added over time.
The Roku Channel provides users access to 10,000+ free, ad-supported movies and TV episodes. With the addition of Premium Subscriptions, users can watch free and premium entertainment in one easy-to-navigate interface, pay a single monthly bill for subscriptions and enjoy simple account management. Customers can start a free trial or subscribe to new Premium Subscriptions with one click using their existing Roku account information once they visit the subscription page. Premium Subscriptions are only viewable within The Roku Channel.
Phased Rollout
Premium Subscriptions via The Roku Channel begins rolling out today to select Roku devices in the U.S. All supported devices are expected to receive the update in the coming weeks, beginning with Roku players and concluding with Roku TVs. Customers can check if their device can access Premium Subscriptions by launching The Roku Channel on their Roku device. If the device has received the update, a new row called "Browse Premium Subscriptions" will be visible below the Featured row.
Web Availability
Sign-up and Web streaming are available via supported Web browsers later today, offering customers an alternative way of watching premium entertainment when they are not at home. To view Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel via the Web, visit www.therokuchannel.com . Due to the phased rollout, customers should check if their Roku player or Roku TV can currently access Premium Subscriptions before signing up on the Web. Premium Subscriptions via The Roku Channel are not available for Samsung TVs.
Mobile Viewing
Viewing of The Roku Channel via the Roku mobile app is available on iOS devices starting today. The Android version of the Roku app is expected to roll out in phases beginning in mid-February. With the updated mobile app, customers can view The Roku Channel anytime, anywhere, including over 10,000 free, ad-supported movies and TV episodes as well as any Premium Subscriptions they have subscribed to on their Roku device or therokuchannel.com .
For more information, visit www.therokuchannel.com .
