The streaming device that once existed mainly to help people find other people's programming is now, it seems, in the business of courting the talent directly.
Roku announced this week that it would create a dedicated destination for creator content on its platform, along with a slate of new FAST channels — the free, ad-supported streaming channels that have become the basic cable of the streaming age — featuring programming from digital personalities including Prof G Podcast, iShowSpeed, Jesser and the Stokes Twins. The company also said it would increase the amount of licensed programming it acquires from top creators, in what amounts to a significant expansion of its content ambitions.
"We just see that the demand among both audiences and, really significantly, advertisers has just continued to grow," said Lisa Holme, the head of content for Roku Media. Ms. Holme said the platform was responding to user behavior, including search traffic for creator content and specific digital personalities. "The goal is to just make it easier for them to get to, since we already know they're looking for it."
The new hub will aggregate creator content from across Roku's ecosystem, including programming from partners like Peacock and Max. Users who select partner content will be redirected to those apps — a reminder that Roku's core identity remains that of a platform operator rather than a studio, even as it increasingly behaves like both.
Ms. Holme said Roku was in active discussions with larger YouTube creators, making an argument that Netflix has also made in recent months: that television screens reach audiences who never encounter the same content on their phones. The difference, she noted, is that Roku's offering is free. (Whether creators find that distinction compelling or slightly insulting may vary.)
The move reflects a broader industry recalibration, as the creators who built audiences on social platforms increasingly find themselves courted by legacy media companies seeking to borrow some of that audience — and, not incidentally, some of that advertiser enthusiasm.
Original story published in The Hollywood Reporter: "Roku Doubling Down on Creators With Dedicated Destination and New FAST Channels (Exclusive)"