Roku officially launched its ad-free streaming service, Howdy, on Amazon Prime Video this Tuesday. This strategic move marks the first time the $3-per-month platform has expanded beyond the proprietary Roku ecosystem, signaling a major shift in the company’s distribution strategy.
What Howdy Offers to Prime Users
Since its inception in August 2025, Howdy has amassed a library featuring nearly 10,000 hours of curated content. The catalog is bolstered by high-profile partnerships with major studios, including Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Disney Entertainment, Warner Bros. Discovery, and FilmRise, alongside a selection of exclusive Roku Originals.
Subscribers gain immediate access to a diverse range of genres, from classic ’90s comedies and medical dramas to rom-coms and popular films such as “A Haunting in Venice,” “Ice Age,” “Weeds,” and “Kids in the Hall.” To access the service through Amazon, users must maintain an active Amazon Prime membership or a standalone Prime Video subscription.
Strategic Growth and Market Positioning
Roku’s decision to bring Howdy to third-party platforms follows comments made by CEO Anthony Wood at CES in January, where he hinted at a broader multi-platform rollout. According to Gil Fuchsberg, Roku’s president of Subscriptions and Partnerships, the expansion aligns with the company’s mission to provide high-quality, ad-free entertainment at an accessible price point.
Howdy was originally designed to function as a complementary service rather than a direct competitor to premium Tier-1 streaming platforms. This development follows a period of aggressive growth for Roku, highlighted by the acquisition of Frndly TV for $185 million in 2025, which added live TV and cloud-based DVR capabilities to their portfolio.
Roku’s Broader Streaming Ecosystem
The Howdy service operates alongside The Roku Channel, which currently holds the title of the industry’s most popular FAST (free, ad-supported) service, boasting over 125 million daily active users. This massive reach places it ahead of key competitors like Pluto TV and Tubi.
Financially, the company remains on solid footing. In its fourth-quarter earnings report released last month, Roku posted a net income of $80.5 million. Looking ahead, the company has confirmed plans to introduce new streaming bundles to further diversify its revenue streams and content offerings.