Roku platform overview
Key resources for distributing and monetizing content on the Roku platform
Roku is an open streaming platform that is revolutionizing how consumers watch video content. Roku is at the forefront of the streaming age, having pioneered video streaming in the United States and rapidly expanding its reach across the globe. Roku produces award-winning streaming players and soundbars, and has developed what is now the #1 selling smart TV streaming OS in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
With 100 million streaming households worldwide and 37.9 billion hours watched last quarter, Roku gives content publishers a large, engaged audience. As TV viewing continues to shift to streaming platforms, Roku provides a sophisticated suite of tools that make it easy to distribute and monetize content.
Our goal is to encourage the success of partners on our platform. We offer multiple paths to monetization, whether you choose to charge a subscription fee, offer free streaming content supported by advertising, or combine both. We have a team that is dedicated to helping content publishers grow their audience on our platform and capture the increasing number of viewers who are no longer tuning into traditional TV.
Introduction to the Roku platform video
Two ways to put your content on Roku
You can put content on the Roku platform in two ways. Many publishers use both.
| Build a streaming app | Distribute on The Roku Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your own branded app, built with the Roku SDK and listed in the Roku Streaming Store. | Your content in The Roku Channel, Roku's own streaming app for linear and on-demand content. |
| You provide | Original or licensed video content, a place to host it, a content feed, and the app itself. | Original or licensed video content, metadata, artwork, and rights information (avails). Content is either hosted by Roku or hosted by you. |
| You control | The complete app experience, including the UI, sign-in, and billing model. | Your catalog, rights windows, branding, and promotional assets. Roku controls the viewing experience. |
| You manage it in | The Developer Dashboard. | The Roku Content Partner Portal. |
| Start here | How apps work | The Roku Channel overview |
Both paths use the same Roku account, the same account access controls, the same Roku Partner Payouts Program, and the same Roku Distribution Agreement. If you are not sure which path fits, or you want to use both, start with the account setup guide and then read about each path.
Where to start
- Set up your Roku account. Every publisher begins here, whether you are building an app or distributing on The Roku Channel. The guide covers creating the account, choosing between a company and an individual account, giving your team access, and enrolling in payouts.
- Choose your path:
- Build an app. Read How apps work, then App development models and Getting started.
- Distribute on The Roku Channel. Read The Roku Channel overview, then the Roku Content Partner Portal documentation.
What is in this section
The pages in this section apply to app developers and to publishers who distribute on The Roku Channel, unless a page says otherwise.
| Page | What it covers | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Set up your Roku account | Creating and enrolling your account, granting your team access, and enrolling in payouts. | Everyone |
| Monetization | Ad-supported and subscription revenue models, Roku Pay, and payout terms. | Everyone. Subscription billing through Roku Pay applies to apps. |
| Content engagement | Programs for increasing the discoverability of your content and growing your audience. | Everyone. Some programs apply to apps only; each section says so. |
| Legal | The agreements and policies that apply when you distribute content on Roku. | Everyone. Some requirements apply to apps only. |
Information that applies to only one path lives in the documentation for that path:
- Analytics and reporting. App analytics and Roku Pay sales reports are in the developer documentation. Analytics for The Roku Channel are in the Roku Content Partner Portal documentation.
- Platform and security fundamentals for apps. How apps work, App development models, and Security on the Roku platform are in the developer documentation.
- Content delivery for The Roku Channel. Delivery, metadata, and artwork specifications are in the Roku Channel documentation.
For device, streaming format, and DRM details, see the Specifications section.
Updated 2 days ago