Roku plans to bring its Howdy streaming service to other platforms

Roku is planning to expand its $2.99 per month streaming service, Howdy, beyond its own hardware ecosystem. Speaking at the Variety Entertainment Summit at the CES 2026 event, Anthony Wood, Roku’s founder, chairman, and CEO, offered details about the future of the company’s newest streaming channel and its ambition to become a broader competitor in the market. Wood confirmed that the company intends to take the service off-platform. In this context, off-platform refers to the service’s availability outside of the primary Roku device ecosystem. Wood stated that the company wants to distribute the service everywhere and intends to take it off-platform to reach a wider audience.

The Howdy streaming service originally launched in August 2025, offering ad-free access to library content. Wood explained that the opportunity for Howdy arose from current trends in the streaming industry, where services are becoming increasingly expensive. He noted that competitors continue to raise their prices while simultaneously introducing larger ad loads, which refers to the amount of advertising content shown within a streaming service. According to Anthony Wood, Roku’s founder, chairman, and CEO, “And so, the part of the market where it actually started — low-cost and no ads — is gone now. There’s no streaming services that address that portion of the market.” Wood expressed optimism about the service’s trajectory, stating that he thinks it is going to be a big streaming service.

While Roku has not yet specified which devices, mobile apps, or web platforms will support the service, the company’s stated ambition is to distribute it everywhere. When asked to clarify offstage if this expansion meant mobile apps, the web, and other platforms, Wood told TechCrunch that the company has not yet said where, specifically, it plans to bring Howdy. This lack of specific detail suggests that Howdy could be an app available on any device, though specific rollout details and supported platforms remain unconfirmed. Wood also declined to share subscriber numbers for the service during the event.

Why it matters

Roku is positioning Howdy as a direct challenger to mainstream streaming services by capitalizing on consumer frustration with rising subscription costs and increasing ad loads.