Streaming devices such as Fire TV, Apple TV and Google Chromecast are facing new competition in this country: The US streaming provider Roku, one of the leading manufacturers of TV streaming devices from the USA, will launch its devices on the German market this year. The company announced this on Tuesday.
The sticks and set-top boxes from Roku can be used to receive global streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney +. Roku also wants to integrate local services from Sky Ticket, TV Now and Seven One Entertainment in Germany.
At the start in Germany, however, Roku will not be showing the full range of products. In the USA and other countries, the company also equips the devices of TV manufacturers such as Hisense and TCL with its operating system, which covers all areas of Smart TV, not just the streaming component.
In Germany, however, Roku is initially limited to its own hardware, which can be connected to any television. The content that Roku offers in the USA under its own brand in a streaming channel is also not available in Germany for the time being. Roku will not publish until later in the year which specific players will be available in Germany at which prices. In the UK, the company charges £ 29.99 per month, with users paying extra for subscription channels like Netflix.
Roku was founded in 2002 by Anthony Wood in California. The streaming service made its market breakthrough in 2008 with the first player that allowed consumers to stream Netflix on their televisions. The company, which is listed on the Nasdaq, employs more than 2,000 people and posted sales of $ 1.8 billion last year. The proceeds come from hardware sales, subscription commissions from services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, and advertising income for content streamed for free.
Roku manager Arthur van Rest said that Germany is currently well on the way to making streaming the dominant form of TV entertainment distribution in this country as well. “The start in Germany is an important next step in our international expansion,” he said.