The video streaming services industry continues to grow steadily. And while some companies are locked in a battle for paid subscriptions, others are betting on the rise of free Advertising Video on Demand, also known as AVOD.
With many media companies attempting to break through in this business, Roku has managed to attract users much faster than the more traditional media and and plans to stay at number 1.
More than 60 million viewers
The Roku Channel was created in 2017 by Roku and that was the best year to do so. By then, cable removal had been accelerating as SVOD prices began to rise.
Since launching its services, the company has grown to three times the number of users using its TV devices. As in 2020, the company noted that Roku Channel users were growing twice as fast as Roku.
In fact, Roku Channel consumers grew more than 100 percent, while active accounts increased nearly 40% during the year. The company has continued to grow its audience rapidly, and at the end of 2020 it reached more than 50 million viewers. In 2021, the number of viewers is currently in excess of 60 million.
What about the competition?
It is true that all AVOD services saw a huge jump in viewership last year, but Roku Channel has not been far behind. The company closely follows its “biggest” competitors, Tubi and Pluto TB.
Analysts at the research firm eMarketer expect Roku viewers to increase another 19% in the current year, while Pluto TV and Tubi viewership would rise 17% and 20%, respectively.
New content added
Roku has negotiated additional content for the Roku Channel as part of its distribution agreements for Premium streaming services, andis starting to have original content for the AVOD service.
The CEO of the company has stated that the growth of Roku Channel will allow them to invest better and in more content. As a result, Roku Channel’s growth is expected to continue to outpace the competition this year and into the future.
