Roku launches Howdy, a new $2.99 ad-free streaming service with 10,000 hours of movies

Roku has introduced Howdy, a new ad-free subscription streaming service priced at $2.99 per month. This new budget service provides access to a library of nearly 10,000 hours of movies and series, sourced from Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery, FilmRise, and select titles from the Roku Originals catalog.

At launch, Howdy is available exclusively on Roku hardware, including 4K and budget streaming sticks. Roku has announced plans to expand Howdy to mobile and other platforms later on, but has not provided a specific timeline for this broader rollout. While the service is positioned as a budget-friendly alternative, Roku CEO Anthony Wood noted that Howdy is intended to complement premium services rather than compete directly with platforms like Netflix or HBO Max.

These offerings build on Roku's ecosystem, which already includes The Roku Channel, a leading free, ad-supported streaming service. With over 90 million streaming households and 125 million daily users, Roku gives Howdy strong reach among viewers looking for affordable and recognizable content, and while initially limited to Roku devices, it could appeal to those considering more niche streaming platforms like Tubi, Pluto TV, or The Criterion Channel, especially as prices rise and more mainstream services like Disney+ and HBO Max follow Netflix’s lead in cracking down on password sharing.