Roku Channel launching on some Samsung smart TVs

Roku’s ad-supported video channel will be launching on some Samsung smart TVs later this summer.

“The Roku Channel has been a tremendous success giving our customers the free content they desire,” said Scott Rosenberg, general manager of the platform business at Roku, in a statement. “By broadening our distribution of this app to other viewing platforms such as Samsung, the #1 TV maker in the U.S., we are able to engage millions more consumers with free ad-supported entertainment.”

The expanded device availability for the Roku Channel arrives several months after the service first launched in September 2017. The Roku Channel features content from studios including Lionsgate, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Brothers, as well as content from existing channel publishers like American Classics, Fandor, FilmRise, Nosey, OVGuide, Popcornflix, Vidmark and YuYu.

“We’re always looking for ways to add value and make TV better for our customers,” said Rob Holmes, vice president of programming at Roku. “With The Roku Channel, we’re responding to consumer demand and helping content publishers deliver content through a new experience that makes finding free entertainment easy for our customers.”

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Last year, ahead of its IPO, Roku announced that it would be placing much more emphasis on its platform business as opposed to its device sales. Last month, Roku reported its fourth-quarter earnings, which included a 129% rise in platform revenue. About three-fourths of that platform revenue comes from advertising.

“Looking forward to 2018, we are excited about this momentum, and the opportunity to create more advanced new ad products, like the ACR-based ad products that we began beta-testing with clients in Q4 and Q1, as well as the new suite of measurement products called Roku Ad Insights announced in January,” said Roku.