Given the prevalence of Roku devices, it only makes sense Disney+ would be immediately available upon its imminent Tuesday release.
Although it doesn’t appear the new streaming giant is available for pre-order, Disney relayed this Roku resolution during a recent earnings call, per Cord Cutters News.
Needham & Co. research analyst Laura Martin said back in April that Disney+’s launch could elevate Roku’s market value to as high as $1 billion. In other words, a 15 percent overall increase.
Roku’s rapid rise
In early January, Roku announced its 27 million active accounts were an increase of 68 percent from the prior year. Its influence in households is only growing as streaming becomes more prevalent, so Disney made a savvy business move here.
It stands to reason Roku’s account user base will only balloon even further in the next year or so, especially with Disney+ in the fold. This should also bump up revenue from advertising.
Roku also has its own streaming channel, launched in October 2017. That’s free of charge and includes select movie titles from MGM, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Entertainment and others. This gives a unique variety to its customers in addition to hosting all the major streaming providers.
There are also easy-to-access add-on channels such as Showtime, HBO, Cinemax and Starz. All of these are available directly through The Roku Channel.
A user-friendly interface and one-stop shop for all things streaming make Roku an appealing product for converted cord cutters.
Multinational giants loom large
Whereas Roku is a highly specialized service, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV are big competitors in the at-home media player market.
Amazon and Apple obviously have a ton more resources at their disposal than Roku. They each have a wealth of original programming, too. Apple TV+ just launched at the top of November and has a formidable TV series lineup.
Apple TV and Amazon Fire grant access to all the major streamers, and will also host Disney+. If the new streamer really does generate $1 billion for Roku, though, this shouldn’t be a big worry for now.