What Is Roku? How Did It Get 90 Million Subscribers?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

This is the second in a series of articles that will explain in simple words what a new TV product or industry term means and/or how it works. Today, we examine Roku, the streaming device company.

TV Answer Man, I’m a newbie who doesn’t understand all this new TV stuff AT ALL. Can you explain to me what a Roku is and why people seem to like it so much? – Marie, Canton, Ohio.

Roku; An Overview
Marie, Roku is the Swiss Army knife of TV technology. It’s a brand, a streaming device and a television.  The company was founded in 2002 by Anthony Wood (he cuts his tech teeth as the head of the early DVR company, Replay TV. I remember it well. Great product that fell victim to cable DVRs). Roku started as a simple idea: make it easy for people to watch online programming on their TVs. Since then, Roku has become one of the leading players in the streaming wars, competing with the likes of Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.

What Does Roku Offer?
You can buy a Roku device—like the popular Roku Streaming Stick, Roku Express, or Roku Ultra—which plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and turns it into a streaming hub. Or you can buy a Roku TV, which has the Roku operating system (OS) built into the television itself. Either way, you can stream thousands of online channels and apps via the Roku menu.

How Does Roku Work?
You plug a Roku device into your TV, connect it to your Wi-Fi, and start streaming. After a quick setup (usually just signing into your Roku account), you’re greeted by a colorful, tile-based home screen. Each tile represents a channel—Roku’s term for apps like YouTube, Max, or even free services such as Pluto TV. You navigate with a remote (or a mobile app if you’re feeling fancy) and start streaming. It’s that easy.