At a time when subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming services keep getting more expensive and their ads more extensive, Roku’s new streaming service, Howdy, is worth a closer look.
Howdy launched today in the US for $3 per month. It is currently only accessible via a web browser or the Howdy app on Roku OS. Roku said in its announcement today that Howdy will roll out to “mobile and additional platforms in the near future."
Howdy has, per Roku, “nearly 10,000 hours” of content from Warner Bros. Discovery, Lionsgate, and Filmrise. That’s a much smaller number of content distribution partners than what you’ll find on Roku’s flagship streaming service, The Roku Channel, which has shows and movies from companies like AMC Networks, MGM, NBCUniversal, and Paramount. (Roku also makes the Roku OS operating systems for smart TVs and streaming devices and Roku-brand TVs, and runs the Frndly TV streaming service.)
In its announcement, Roku touted the movies Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and The Blind Side (2009) and the shows Kids in the Hall from Canada (1984–present) and Showtime’s Weeds (2005–2012), as well as “iconic rom-coms, medical dramas, '90s comedy, [and] feel-good classics” as spotlights of Howdy’s library.
Perusing the service, you’ll find that featured movies include American Psycho (2000), Divergent (2014), Lucy (2014), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Saw (2004), and The Butterfly Effect (2004). Among featured TV shows are Ambitions (2019), Party Down (2009–2010), and Southland (2009–2013). Other titles include the movie Crank (2006), The Fate of the Furious (2017), The Iron Giant (1999), and the show Cheaters (2000–2021).
Cheap for ad-free streaming
As you can tell from above, Howdy's library isn't very modern or competitive with the likes of Netflix or other, more expensive streaming services. But at $3 per month, Howdy is notable as one of the cheapest ways to get mainstream—albeit largely dated—content without ads. For comparison, ad-free access to the much larger libraries of Netflix ($18 per month), Hulu ($19 per month), and Amazon Prime Video (starting at $12 per month without a Prime subscription) costs more.
Ars Technica asked Roku about how it is able to offer such a low-priced streaming service without ads. In an emailed response, a company representative noted Howdy's focus on “familiar” titles that are “both new and classic” and added:
We’ve been lucky to build strong relationships over the years with IP partners who have seen the value of the Roku platform through The Roku Channel. We don’t disclose the specifics of these deals, but we will always strive to acquire content within a framework that enables us to offer and maintain a $2.99/month subscription fee.
Howdy is an add-on, not the main course
Roku’s announcement said that Howdy aims to drive Roku OS monetization "and expand both third- and first-party subscriptions using the power of" Roku’s platform.
In a statement, Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood said Howdy was a “natural step” for Roku because Roku targets “affordable, accessible” TV that’s “built for how people watch today.”
Roku doesn’t see Howdy as a direct competitor to bigger SVOD services, like Netflix, though. Wood said Howdy is “designed to complement, not compete with, premium services.”
Elaborating further, Roku’s spokesperson told Ars:
We believe Howdy will appeal to a very specific segment of the market: premium subscribers who are looking for a low-cost, ad-free complement to more expensive offerings with prestige content. We also see Howdy appealing to FAST [free ad-supported streaming TV] audiences who are interested in an affordable, ad-free experience alongside their free, ad-supported offerings.
With the number of streaming services offered continuing to grow, it may be hard for Howdy to convince people that they need another service that costs money, even if the price is low. In a July survey by Hub Entertainment Research of 3,004 TV viewers in the US who are ages 14 to 75 , 61 percent of respondents said they are either somewhat or strongly planning to cancel or reduce their spending on TV-related subscriptions.
But the combination of cheap and ad-free is a rarity among today’s most popular streaming services, giving Howdy a chance, especially among The Roku Channel viewers.
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