Roku celebrates 100 channels in the UK and Ireland, says more are on the way
Hitting any milestones or goals are usually worthy of a celebration, and on this occasion it's Roku's turn to party on. The LT, HD, XD and XS creator is flaunting the reach of 100 channels in its UK and Irish boxes, adding over 60 since its launch date back in January. The outfit isn't planning on slowing down anytime soon, though, saying more channels are expected in the upcoming months and that it aims to bring the one-channel-per-day model to streamers across the pond. Congrats, Roku, congrats.
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Roku Streaming Platform Reaches 100 Channel Milestone
Roku Broadens Channel Offering in U.K. and Ireland
4 APRIL 2012 – Streaming platform Roku ® announced today that the company has more than doubled the number of channels on offer in the U.K. and Ireland since its launch in January.
Roku launched in the U.K. and Ireland with 40 channels of video, music and casual game content including Netflix, and since then has grown its entertainment selection to more than 100 channels including BBC iPlayer, FoxNews.com and Euronews, with more expected over the coming months.
Clive Hudson, Vice President and General Manager for Europe at Roku said: "People are accustomed to streaming content on their computers but the ability to stream programmes and films on their TVs is starting to take hold in the U.K. with the availability of dedicated platforms like Roku.
"In the U.S. we are adding about one new channel per day and this gives us an enormous appeal to a wide variety of audience segments. We aim to follow this model in the U.K. with content for different communities and special interest groups in addition to mainstream channels like Netflix and BBC iPlayer."
Roku streaming players are known for their low prices, simplicity and quality of content. Two models of Roku players – Roku LT and Roku 2 XS – are available in the U.K. and Ireland for suggested retail prices of £49.99 and £99.99, respectively (visit www.roku.co.uk to find retailers). Both models feature on-demand films and programmes from Netflix and Crackle (Crackle is available in the U.K. only); live and on-demand sports from MLB.TV and Ultimate Fighting Championship organisation; music from Classical TV and TuneIn; photos and videos from Facebook and Flickr; news and entertainment from WSJ Live, the Wall Street Journal, FoxNews.com and others from around the world – plus casual games like Angry Birds.
The Roku LT is the lowest-cost option for streaming video and music entertainment directly to a TV, without a PC. The Roku LT connects to the Internet instantly via built-in WiFi and supports up to 720p high-definition video.
The Roku 2 XS provides the ultimate in TV entertainment. It features the content found on the Roku LT and also adds casual games. To enable casual gaming, the Roku 2 XS features an included motion-controlled game remote – which connects via Bluetooth – and a MicroSD slot for additional game storage. The Roku 2 XS supports up to 1080p high-definition video and includes an Ethernet port in addition to built-in WiFi as well as a USB port for playing music, videos and photos from any USB drive.
