For years, Roku has been best known for two things: its popular streaming devices and The Roku Channel, the free, ad‑supported service loaded with thousands of movies and TV shows.
Now, Roku is making a new play for viewers who want to ditch commercials entirely without paying premium streaming prices.
On August 5, the company launched Howdy, a subscription video‑on‑demand service that offers ad‑free viewing for just $2.99 per month. That’s less than many people spend on their morning coffee, far below the cost of ad‑free tiers from Netflix, Hulu or Disney+.
A look at Howdy’s $2.99 content library
Howdy arrives with nearly 10,000 hours of licensed content, drawing from major partners like Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery and FilmRise, as well as select Roku Originals. The library is heavy on popular catalog titles, including:
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- The Blind Side
- Weeds
- Kids in the Hall
You’ll also find a rotating selection of rom‑coms, medical dramas and classic comedies from the ’90s and early 2000s.
While Howdy isn’t aiming to replace your go‑to for the latest blockbuster releases, it offers enough variety to keep comfort‑watchers and casual streamers entertained.
Howdy is designed to add value — not take over
At $2.99 a month, Roku isn’t trying to take on Netflix or Max head‑to‑head. Instead, Howdy is designed to complement your existing streaming mix. Think of it as an affordable add‑on for those nights when you just want something familiar without the interruption of ads.
Anthony Wood, Roku’s CEO, described the move as meeting “a real need for consumers who want to unwind . . . uninterrupted.” In other words, Roku sees an opening for budget‑friendly streaming when many households are re‑evaluating their monthly subscriptions amid price hikes across the industry.
This also builds on Roku’s existing reach. With more than 125 million daily engaged users and a robust device ecosystem, the company can market Howdy directly to millions of people who already stream through a Roku TV or device.
Roku’s Howdy arrives as streaming fatigue sets in
Streaming fatigue is hitting households in a real way. In the past year, multiple major platforms have increased prices (sometimes more than once) while also introducing ad‑supported tiers. For budget‑conscious viewers, these changes can add up quickly.
Howdy gives Roku another revenue stream beyond its free, ad‑supported Roku Channel while offering consumers a low‑risk way to go ad‑free. At under $3 a month, the psychological barrier to trying it out is low, and the ability to cancel anytime means there’s no long‑term commitment.
Potential drawbacks
While Howdy’s $2.99 price tag is a major plus, it’s still, at its core, another subscription you’ll have to manage and factor into your monthly budget. Even low-cost services can add up quickly if you’re juggling several at once.
For example, Amazon Prime recently began offering an ad‑free upgrade for the same $2.99 monthly fee. So if you already prefer the content on that platform, upgrading there might make more sense than adding an entirely new service.
The flip side? With most streaming platforms, prices rarely stay the same for long. What starts as a budget-friendly add‑on could easily creep up in cost over time, eating into the very savings you were hoping to find.
Howdy also doesn’t offer much in the way of newly released movies, and its current availability is limited to Roku devices. Still, for viewers who already use Roku hardware and don’t mind a library built around older but still popular titles, Howdy could be a bargain worth grabbing.
Is Howdy worth it for $2.99 a month?
If you’re tired of ads but not ready to shell out $15 or more per month for ad‑free streaming, Howdy is a refreshingly affordable option. It won’t replace your main streaming service, but it’s an easy, low‑cost way to expand your library and enjoy uninterrupted viewing.
And in a market where prices keep creeping upward, Roku’s $2.99 offer might just be the friendliest “howdy” your budget gets this year.