Roku — having already dominated the United States and squarely set its sights on Europe — today announced that it's entering the Brazilian market this month with an initial slate of Roku TVs from AOC.
The 32- and 43-inch AOC Roku TVs will be available online starting Jan. 22 in Casas Bahia, Ponto Frio and Extra. They'll be available in stores starting in early February. The smaller of the two models will cost $1.199,00 Reais, with the larger at $1.599,00 Reais.
The hardware is just half of the Brazilian equation, however. Brazil's own streaming service, Globoplay, will be one of the first local Brazilian streaming services available on Roku, and it'll enjoy its own shortcut button on the Roku TV remote control.
From the press release (available in full below):
"What our customers most want is great, local content and we are thrilled to bring to Brazilian consumers the best streaming entertainment from Globo through Globoplay on the Roku platform," said Arthur van Rest, Vice President of International at Roku. "Globo is the ideal partner for us to enter the Brazilian market. With Globoplay and Roku, together we can create the ultimate living room experience by providing the best streaming content for everyone in the family."
In addition to Globoplay, the AOC Roku TVs also will enjoy many of the streaming services we're used to in other parts of the world, including Apple TV+, YouTube, Google Play and HBO.
Roku arrives in Brazil
Roku TV launches in Brazil in partnership with AOC; Globoplay channel debuts on the Roku platform
LOS GATOS, CA – January, 21, 2020 – Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU), the No. 1 TV streaming platform in the United States*, today announced its arrival in Brazil, bringing affordable streaming to consumers in the country.
"I'm delighted to bring Roku to Brazil, one of the largest streaming markets in the world," said Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO of Roku. "With the arrival of Roku, consumers in Brazil will now be able to enjoy their favorite TV programs and movies on the easy to use Roku platform. We want to bring streaming to everyone in Brazil."
AOC Roku TV
At the heart of the Roku platform is Roku's proprietary operating system, the Roku OS, which is purpose built for TV. Roku has the #1 licensed TV operating system in North America. In 2014, Roku launched the Roku TV licensing program enabling TV partners an easy and cost-effective way to make best-in-class smart TVs at competitive price points that consumers love.
In Brazil, Roku is partnering with AOC to bring the AOC Roku TV to consumers in the country. The new AOC Roku TV will offer consumers a smart TV experience that is easy to use, with great streaming entertainment at an affordable value.
The new AOC Roku TV lineup includes:
- 32-inch: HD with integrated wired and wireless connectivity
- 43-inch: FHD with integrated wired and wireless connectivity
"TPV Group has an excellent relationship with Roku in the United States, and we are glad to bring this partnership to Brazil. It makes perfect sense for AOC to work with the No. 1 TV streaming platform in the U.S. and to launch the Roku platform in Brazil. Consumers will enjoy many great Roku TV features on the 32- and 43-inch televisions for the best streaming experience," said Andre Romanon, Head of Marketing and Product at TPV Brazil.
Additional AOC Roku TV features include:
- Simplicity: A simpler smart TV experience that displays all the entertainment options (streaming, cable/satellite, antenna) on one personalized home screen.
- Roku Search: Makes it easy to discover something great to watch. Simply search by title or actor to find shows or movies to watch.
- Roku Remote: A simple remote to navigate TV and streaming channels along with channel shortcut buttons.
- Free Roku mobile app: Control the TV via the mobile remote or keyboard, enjoy private listening with headphones, available on both Android and iOS.
- Automatic Software updates: Receive new streaming channels and features automatically without lifting a finger.
"We are excited to partner with AOC to bring the first Roku TV models to Brazil," said Arthur van Rest, Vice President of International at Roku. "AOC is one of the top smart TV brands in Brazil and now, with the Roku OS, consumers can enjoy an easy to use, affordable streaming experience."
In Brazil, Roku will offer a streaming line-up with thousands of movies & TV episodes across 5,000 streaming channels available in the Roku Channel Store. Consumers can access the streaming channels directly from the home screen on their Roku TV.
What's On: Globoplay
A key part of Roku's entertainment experience is to offer the best local content in each country where the company operates. In Brazil, Globoplay will be among the first local Brazilian streaming services available on the Roku platform. Through Globoplay on the Roku platform, consumers will be able to enjoy live TV, TV shows and top movies, on demand.
Globoplay is the largest Brazilian streaming platform that brings together internationally renowned movies and TV series, including exclusive productions that will only be available online, in addition to original Globo content. In order to allow users to enjoy direct access to Globoplay's content, the Globoplay shortcut button will be added to the Roku TV remote control in Brazil in the coming months.
"Roku is an important partner for Globoplay's expansion plans. This will improve the experience for those who consume streaming content on TV, and it will bring more competition and quality to the market," said Erick Brêtas, General Director of Globoplay.
"The partnership with Roku has a strategic importance for the development of the streaming market in Brazil. Globoplay content will allow Roku to have an excellent position in our market in the long run. Given the importance of the Roku platform in other countries, we believe Roku has a great opportunity in our country," said Fernando Ramos, Executive Director of G2C Globo.
"What our customers most want is great, local content and we are thrilled to bring to Brazilian consumers the best streaming entertainment from Globo through Globoplay on the Roku platform," said Arthur van Rest, Vice President of International at Roku. "Globo is the ideal partner for us to enter the Brazilian market. With Globoplay and Roku, together we can create the ultimate living room experience by providing the best streaming content for everyone in the family."
What's On: Brazil
In addition to Globoplay, consumers in Brazil will be able to enjoy entertainment from paid and free channels on the Roku platform, such as:
- The Apple TV app to enjoy Apple TV+ and browse, buy or rent movies.
- BabyFirst TV to introduce young children to basic building blocks like numbers, colors, animals, art and music.
- The largest, fastest growing global sports streaming service DAZN to enjoy live football, basketball, boxing, tennis and more.
- Audio streaming channel Deezer, where you can enjoy more than 56 million tracks and 10+ million non-music content like podcasts, audio books and more.
- Google Play, to enjoy movies and TV programs on demand, including the latest blockbusters and the classics.
- Happy Kids to entertain and educate children of all ages with music, stories and activity guides.
- HBO GO with the best of HBO's exclusive content, including the eight seasons of the most acclaimed series of all-time "Game of Thrones," hit series such as "Chernobyl" and "Big Little Lies," as well as HBO Latin America original Brazilian hits such as "Joint Venture" (Pico Da Neblina), "The Business" (O Negócio), PSI, and Magnífica 70, as well as movies, documentaries, HBO specials, and Hollywood blockbuster releases before any other subscription service.
- Brazilian streaming service Looke that allows users to enjoy movies and TV series when and where they want, by subscription and on demand.
- Streaming entertainment service Netflix, where users can enjoy Oscar-nominated movies such as The Irishman and Marriage Story.
- Brazilian educational channel Playkids, featuring great content for children.
- Global audio streaming subscription service Spotify to enjoy access to millions of songs.
- YouTube, to enjoy videos and music and upload original content.
Pricing and Availability
AOC Roku TV models will be available online on January 22 in Casas Bahia, Ponto Frio and Extra, and in stores as of early February. The 32-inch AOC Roku TV will be priced at $1.199,00 Reais and the 43-inch AOC Roku TV will be priced at $1.599,00 Reais.
*by hours streamed. Source: Kantar Roku Streaming Leadership Study, Nov. 2019
