Roku ( ) is a brand of consumer electronics that includes digital media players, smart TVs (and their operating systems), as well as two streaming services (The Roku Channel and Howdy). The brand is owned by Roku, Inc., an American company.
As of 2024, Roku was the U.S. market leader in streaming video distribution, reaching nearly 145 million people.
In June 2026, it was announced that Fox Corporation had agreed to acquire Roku, Inc., for $22 billion. The combined company would become the third-largest player in U.S. television by share of viewing.
In July 2026, it was announced that Elizabeth Warren and other congressional Democrats are warning of antitrust implications in Fox Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Roku.
History Roku was founded by Anthony Wood in 2002; he had previously founded ReplayTV, a DVR company that competed with TiVo. After ReplayTV's failure, Wood worked for a while at Netflix. In 2007, Wood's company began working with Netflix on Project:Griffin, a set-top box to allow Netflix users to stream Netflix content to their TVs. Only a few weeks before the project's launch, Netflix's founder Reed Hastings decided it would hamper license arrangements with third parties, potentially keeping Netflix off other similar platforms, and killed the project. Fast Company magazine cited the decision to kill the project as "one of Netflix's riskiest moves".
Netflix then decided instead to spin off the company, and Roku released their first set-top box in 2008. In 2010 they began offering models with various capabilities, which eventually became their standard business model. In 2014, Roku partnered with smart TV manufacturers to produce TVs with built-in Roku functionality. In 2015, Roku won the inaugural Emmy for Television Enhancement Devices.
In January 2018, CNET reported that Roku was debuting a new licensing program for smart audio devices such as smart speakers, sound bars and whole-home audio, while noting the "ease of use" and "superb streaming options" offered by Roku TVs.
According to CNBC in 2021, Roku was the U.S. market leader in streaming video distribution. Later in 2023, Variety called Roku "the top connected TV platform" in the U.S. In December 2023, a Popular Mechanics review cited Roku TVs to be affordable and easy to use, while also noting that the Roku-integrated TVs lacked "the premium brand badging of big players like Sony or Samsung".
According to The Verge in July 2024, a Roku OS update in June 2024 had "ruined" the Roku TV experience. This update added "motion smoothing", and was reportedly irreversible. This followed another identical issue reported in 2020 for Roku TVs made by TCL.
In August 2024, a Wired review noted that ease of use was one of the main reasons to buy any Roku product.
In February 2025, Roku said it reached more than 90 million streaming households. The Roku Channel reportedly reached households with nearly 145 million people.
On June 15, 2026, it was announced that Fox Corporation had agreed to acquire Roku, Inc. for $22 billion. The combined company would become the third-largest player in U.S. television by share of viewing.
On July 17, 2026, it was announced that Elizabeth Warren and other congressional Democrats are warning of antitrust implications in Fox Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Roku. In a letter addressed to the Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, it was stated that "Eliminating a significant competitor would reduce consumer choice for free streaming services and could give the combined entity market power to start charging for a previously free service." Also, the "merger between Fox and Roku may also give the combined Fox-Roku entity the incentive to preference and steer viewers to Fox content for the 100 million Roku households, disadvantaging Fox competitors and limiting consumer choice."
Roku streaming players
First generation The first Roku model, the Roku DVP N1000, was unveiled on May 20, 2008. It was developed in partnership with Netflix to serve as a standalone set-top box for its recently introduced "Watch Instantly" service. The goal was to produce a device with a small footprint that could be sold at low cost compared to larger digital video recorders and video game consoles. It features an NXP PNX8935 video decoder supporting both standard and high definition formats up to 720p; HDMI output; and automatic software updates, including the addition of new channels for other video services.
Roku launched two new models in October 2009: the Roku SD (a simplified version of the DVP, with only analog AV outputs); and the Roku HD-XR, an updated version with 802.11n Wi-Fi and a USB port for future functionality. The Roku DVP was retroactively renamed the Roku HD. By then, Roku had added support for other services. The next month, they introduced the Channel Store, where users could download third-party apps for other content services (including the possibility of private services for specific uses).
Netflix support was initially dependent on a PC, requiring users to add content to their "Instant Queue" from the service's web interface before it could be accessed via Roku. In May 2010, the channel was updated to allow users to search the Netflix library directly from the device.
In August 2010, Roku announced plans to add 1080p video support to the HD-XR. The next month, they released an updated lineup with thinner form factors: a new HD; the XD, with 1080p support; and the XDS, with optical audio, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a USB port. The XD and XDS also included an updated remote.
Support for the first-generation Roku models ended in September 2015.
Second generation
In July 2011, Roku unveiled its second generation of players, branded as Roku 2 HD, XD, and XS. All three models include 802.11n, and also add microSD slots and Bluetooth. The XD and XS support 1080p, and only the XS model includes an Ethernet connector and USB port. They also support the "Roku Game Remote"—a Bluetooth remote with motion controller support for games, which was bundled with the XS and sold separately for other models. The Roku LT was unveiled in October, as an entry-level model with no Bluetooth or microSD support.
In January 2012, Roku unveiled the Streaming Stick - a new model condensed into a dongle form factor using Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL). Later in October, Roku introduced a new search feature to the second-generation models, aggregating content from services usable on the device.
Third generation Roku unveiled its third-generation models in March 2013, the Roku 3 and Roku 2. The Roku 3 contains an upgraded CPU over the 2 XS, and a Wi-Fi Direct remote with an integrated headphone jack. The Roku 2 features only the faster CPU. A software update in October 2014 added support for peer-to-peer Miracast wireless.
Fourth generation In October 2015, Roku introduced the Roku 4; the device contains upgraded hardware with support for 4K resolution video, as well as 802.11ac wireless.
Fifth generation In September 2016, Roku revamped their entire streaming player line-up with five new models (low end Roku Express, Roku Express+, high end Roku Premiere, Roku Premiere+, and top-of-the-line Roku Ultra), while the Streaming Stick (3600) was held over from the previous generation (having been released the previous April) as a sixth option. The Roku Premiere+ and Roku Ultra support HDR video using HDR10.
Sixth generation In October 2017, Roku introduced its sixth generation of products. The Premiere and Premiere+ models were discontinued, the Streaming Stick+ (with an enhanced Wi-Fi antenna device) was introduced, as well as new processors for the Roku Streaming Stick, Roku Express, and Roku Express+.
Seventh generation In September 2018, Roku introduced the seventh generation of products. Carrying over from the 2017 sixth-generation without any changes were the Express (3900), Express+ (3910), Streaming Stick (3800), and Streaming Stick+ (3810). The Ultra is the same hardware device from 2017, but it comes with JBL premium headphones and is repackaged with the new model number 4661. Roku has resurrected the Premiere and Premiere+ names, but these two new models bear little resemblance to the 2016 fifth-generation Premiere (4620) and Premiere+ (4630) models. The new Premiere (3920) and Premiere+ (3921) are essentially based on the Express (3900) model with 4K support added, it also includes Roku Streaming Stick+ Headphone Edition (3811) for improving Wifi signal strength and private listening.
Eighth generation In September 2019, Roku introduced the eighth generation of products.
The same year, Netflix announced that it would stop supporting older generations of Roku, including the Roku HD, HD-XR, SD, XD, and XDS, as well as the NetGear-branded XD and XDS beginning on December 1, 2019. Roku had warned in 2015 that it would stop updating players made in May 2011 or earlier, and these vintage boxes were among them.
Ninth generation On September 28, 2020, Roku introduced the ninth generation of products. An updated Roku Ultra was released along with the addition of the Roku Streambar, a 2-in-1 Roku and Soundbar device. The microSD slot was removed from the new Ultra 4800, making it the first top-tier Roku device since the first generation to lack this feature. On April 14, 2021, Roku announced the Roku Express 4K+, replacing the 8th generation Roku Express devices, the Voice Remote Pro as an optional upgrade for existing Roku players, and Roku OS 10 for all modern Roku devices.
Tenth generation On September 20, 2021, Roku introduced the tenth generation of products. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K was announced along with the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ which includes an upgraded rechargeable Roku Voice Remote Pro with lost remote finder. Roku announced an updated Roku Ultra LT with a faster processor, stronger Wi-Fi and Dolby Vision as well as Bluetooth audio streaming and built-in Ethernet support. Roku also announced Roku OS 10.5 with several new and improved features.
On November 15, 2021, Roku announced a budget model Roku LE (3930S3) to be sold at Walmart, while supplies last. It lacks 4K and HDR10 support, making its features similar to those of the 2019 Roku Express (3930). It has the same form factor as the 2019 Roku Express, except the plastic shell is white rather than black.
Eleventh generation On April 23, 2025, Roku introduced the eleventh generation of products. Two new streaming players, Roku Streaming Stick and Roku Streaming Stick Plus were added to the lineup, along with hardware innovations to Roku TV and a reference design for a Roku TV Smart Projector. The new streaming sticks are more power efficient than their predecessors and can be powered by a TV USB port.
This generation of Streaming Sticks have replaced the MicroUSB ports with USB-C ports and have dropped both Dolby Vision HDR and the long range Wi-Fi connectivity.
Feature comparison
+ First generation Model Introduced Video outputs Video resolutions Audio output Network USB Remote Processor Memory Channel storage In the first generation players, the size of flash memory limited the number of channels that could be installed. Later models (>2100) removed that limit. micro SD slot Netflix with Profiles Composite,S-Video Component,HDMI 480i,480p 720p,1080p (HD) 2160p(4K) Analog Optical,HDMI Ethernet 802.11wireless Roku DVP (N1000) May 2008 PNX8935 400 MHz 256 MB 64 MB Roku SD (N1050) Oct 2009 PNX8935 400 MHz 256 MB 64 MB Roku HD (N1100) Nov 2009 PNX8935 400 MHz 256 MB 64 MB Roku HD-XR (N1101) Oct 2009 PNX8935 400 MHz 256 MB 256 MB Roku HD (2000) Sep 2010 PNX8935 400 MHz 256 MB 64 MB Roku XD (2050) Sep 2010 PNX8935 400 MHz 256 MB 64 MB Roku XDS (2100) Sep 2010 PNX8935 400 MHz 256 MB 256 MB