Fox’s Roku deal could shift focus to sports and free streaming
A tech columnist says Fox ownership may reshape Roku’s apps, smart-home plans, overseas push and sports placement after the acquisition closes.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Fox’s planned purchase of Roku could change what viewers see on Roku devices even if the companies keep their platforms open. The biggest shifts may involve more sports promotion, a smaller smart-home business and a clearer split between Roku’s and Fox’s free streaming services, according to The Verge columnist Janko Roettgers.
Fox announced the Roku acquisition earlier this week. Roettgers reported that executives at both companies told investors they do not expect major near-term changes, pledging that Roku would remain available to rival streaming services and that Fox would keep licensing programming broadly.
The deal would still give Fox a much larger position in streaming, Roettgers wrote. Including Fox’s television networks, the combined audience would exceed Netflix viewership in the United States, according to his analysis.
Free streaming could be split by platform
Roettgers expects Fox to make The Roku Channel available only on Roku hardware and software, while using Tubi as its free, ad-supported app on other companies’ platforms. Analysts raised the future of Tubi and The Roku Channel during a Fox-Roku investor call, he reported.
The two services overlap on third-party devices such as Fire TV, Google TV and Samsung TVs. Roettgers noted that Tubi has focused more on on-demand movies and shows, while The Roku Channel has leaned more heavily on free, ad-supported linear channels.
That overlap has also created consumer confusion, according to Roettgers. Roku users can subscribe to services such as HBO Max and Paramount Plus through The Roku Channel on Roku devices, but those paid subscriptions are not available through The Roku Channel app on Samsung TVs, he wrote.
Smart-home products may lose priority
Roettgers also predicts Fox will move Roku away from smart-home hardware. Roku has sold lower-cost cameras, lightbulbs and alarm products as part of a broader device ecosystem, after earlier efforts that included a streaming-focused mesh router that did not launch and smart speakers that have received less attention in recent years.
Under Fox, Roettgers argues, those internet-of-things products would likely be treated as a distraction because of their low margins. He expects Roku to phase them out and rely more on the Matter standard so Roku devices can work with third-party smart-home products.
Paid streaming and overseas growth
Roettgers sees a possible larger role for Howdy, Roku’s $2.99-a-month paid streaming service aimed at budget-conscious viewers. Fox launched Fox One, a sports streamer, less than a year ago, while Roku had long emphasized ad-supported streaming before building Howdy in-house.
International expansion could also accelerate, according to Roettgers. Fox has rebuilt some overseas reach through Tubi, which is available in Canada, Australia and Latin America, while Roku says it is the top streaming platform in Canada and Mexico and that hardware partners sell Roku-branded TVs in more than 15 countries.
Roku remains heavily dependent on the United States. In its 2025 annual report, the company said more than 90% of device revenue came from the U.S. and that it generated the vast majority of advertising and services revenue there.
Sports may be the most visible change for Roku users. Roettgers expects Fox to place Fox One links and sports programming across Roku’s home screen and Sports Zones, especially as Fox promotes its World Cup coverage.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.