Buyer Database · Buyer / Distributor · Updated
Roku
Roku is actively building out The Roku Channel's original and licensed slate under a newly centralized content leadership structure, while simultaneously launching ad-free subscription tiers and expanding FAST partnerships with major studios.
Current mandate
Roku is operating from a position of renewed financial momentum. The company posted Q3 2025 revenue of $1.21 billion, up 14%, with its first positive operating income since 2021, and raised its full-year 2025 Platform revenue outlook to $4.11 billion. The Roku Channel held the No. 2 app position on the platform by U.S. engagement, behind only YouTube, and the unscripted original "Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross" became Roku's most-watched unscripted original and was renewed for a second season. The company also acquired Frndly TV for US$185 million and launched Howdy, a $2.99-per-month ad-free subscription service carrying nearly 10,000 hours of content from Warner Bros., Lionsgate, and other partners.
Over the past 12 months, Roku's acquisition pattern has spanned FAST licensing deals (including a pact with Warner Bros. Discovery), original programming (the Spiderwick Chronicles adaptation, "The Laguna Beach Reunion"), and library content expansions via A&E, adding channels for "The First 48," "Shark Tank," "NYPD Blue," and a "Law & Order" FAST channel. The company also struck a DSP integration with Amazon to broaden ad demand. The throughline is a dual-track strategy: grow ad-supported free content on The Roku Channel while building a paid, ad-free tier through Howdy and the Frndly TV acquisition.
Access runs through Roku Media's head of content, Lisa Holme, who was recently hired to oversee global content businesses including original programming and content acquisitions. Her office represents the centralized authority for inbound pitches and partnership inquiries. Industry contacts and representation with existing studio or FAST relationships will carry the most traction given Roku's demonstrated preference for structured licensing arrangements.
Signature peaks
- US$185M Frndly TV Acquisition — Completed May 2025; largest disclosed content-side deal in recent record
- ~10,000 hrs Howdy Launch Content Hours — Ad-free subscription tier launched with Warner Bros. and Lionsgate content
- $4.11B Platform Revenue Outlook (FY2025) — Raised full-year guidance; Platform segment includes ad sales, content sales, and subscription-revenue sharing
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- Not disclosed
- Territory focus
- Not disclosed
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Primary contact is Lisa Holme, Roku Media's head of content, who holds centralized authority over global original programming and content acquisitions. Roku's acquisition history favors structured licensing arrangements with established studios and distributors. Representation is strongly advised; cold outreach has no documented success pathway in recent coverage.
- Deal structure
- Roku operates across multiple deal structures simultaneously: outright platform acquisitions (Frndly TV at US$185 million), FAST licensing agreements with major studios (Warner Bros. Discovery, A&E, Lionsgate), original programming commissions (unscripted, scripted adaptations), and subscription content licensing for the Howdy ad-free tier. Financial terms on individual content deals are rarely disclosed. Platform revenue sharing is also a documented model within Roku's broader distribution ecosystem.
Recent acquisitions
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FAST licensing deal with Warner Bros. Discovery
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Frndly TV
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Licensing of WBD series as part of FAST push
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Paramount+ neighborhood in Roku City (advertising placement)
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Roku City advertising beta initial launch sponsor
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Roku Presents: The Laguna Beach Reunion
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Spiderwick Chronicles adaptation
Market context
"We see a significant untapped opportunity for a low-cost, ad-free streaming service, and we are leveraging the power of our platform to drive cost-efficient sign-ups and engagement, similar to our success building The Roku Channel."
Roku is operating from a position of renewed financial momentum. The company posted Q3 2025 revenue of $1.21 billion, up 14%, with its first positive operating income since 2021, and raised its full-year 2025 Platform revenue outlook to $4.11 billion. The Roku Channel held the No. 2 app position on the platform by U.S. engagement, behind only YouTube, and the unscripted original "Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross" became Roku's most-watched unscripted original and was renewed for a second season. The company also acquired Frndly TV for US$185 million and launched Howdy, a $2.99-per-month ad-free subscription service carrying nearly 10,000 hours of content from Warner Bros., Lionsgate, and other partners.
Common questions about Roku
Does Roku accept unsolicited scripts or pitches?
Roku does not have a publicized open-submission policy. Content acquisitions and original programming are managed centrally by Roku Media's head of content, Lisa Holme, who was recently hired to oversee global content businesses. Inbound approaches are most effective through established representation or existing industry relationships. Roku's recent originals and licensing deals have come via structured studio partnerships rather than open calls.
What budgets does Roku typically spend on content acquisitions?
Disclosed figures are limited. The Frndly TV acquisition was reported at US$185 million. The Howdy subscription launch involved licensing from Warner Bros. and Lionsgate at undisclosed terms. Most individual FAST licensing deals, including the Warner Bros. Discovery pact, have not had financial terms disclosed. Roku's broader Platform revenue context (raised to $4.11 billion for full-year 2025) signals meaningful content investment capacity, but per-title budgets are not publicly itemized.
Does Roku acquire content at film festivals?
No specific festival acquisition activity appears in recent coverage. Roku's documented acquisition pattern over the past 12 months has centered on structured licensing deals with established studios and networks (Warner Bros. Discovery, A&E, Lionsgate) and direct platform acquisitions such as Frndly TV. Festival-sourced acquisitions are not a confirmed part of the current mandate, though the centralized content team under Lisa Holme could engage that market.
How do I reach Roku's content acquisition team?
The primary decision-making authority sits with Lisa Holme, recently appointed as Roku Media's head of content, overseeing original programming, content acquisitions, partnerships, sports, and branded content. Roku tracks 65 decision makers across its content and platform organization according to recent intelligence. Industry representation and warm introductions through existing studio or distribution contacts are the most documented pathway into the organization.
What genres is Roku acquiring right now?
Roku's active slate spans unscripted originals ("Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross," renewed for a second season; "The Laguna Beach Reunion"), scripted adaptations (Spiderwick Chronicles), and FAST library content including crime procedurals ("The First 48," "NYPD Blue," "Law & Order"), reality ("Shark Tank"), and broad entertainment from Warner Bros. and Lionsgate. The Howdy ad-free tier signals appetite for premium library content across genres.
Is Roku currently active as a buyer?
Yes. Roku's 81 tracked records over the past 12 months and a deal velocity signal of 5 in the most recent 30-day window indicate ongoing activity, even with no newly closed deals logged in the past 90 days. The company raised its full-year 2025 Platform revenue outlook to $4.11 billion, launched the Howdy subscription service, completed the Frndly TV acquisition for US$185 million, and hired a new global head of content, all pointing to a buyer in active build mode.
Adjacent buyers in this lane
- Focus Features — Focus Features is doubling down on experiential brand-building and festival acquisitions to court th
- Roadside Attractions — Roadside Attractions is a North American boutique distributor actively acquiring festival-originated
- Fox Entertainment — Fox Entertainment is running a deliberate, low-volume acquisition strategy built around creator-led,
- 20th Television — 20th Television is actively building its overall-deal roster and deepening its animation pipeline, w
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