Streaming video marketplace MyBundle has helped its broadband Internet partners transition customers away from traditional video toward connected TV for several years, and now it is kicking that strategy into high gear thanks to a new partnership with hardware maker Roku.
On Wednesday, MyBundle CEO Jason Cohen said the service has struck a deal with electronics maker Roku that will allow more than 250 partner Internet service providers to offer their customers a free Roku Streaming Stick 4K, which can be acquired directly from the MyBundle platform.
“Through this collaboration, MyBundle and Roku will handle all the fulfillment, ensuring a seamless experience for our ISP partners and their customers,” Cohen said on Wednesday. “Eligible customers can claim their Roku Streaming Stick 4K through MyBundle and receive them free of charge, making it easier than ever to enjoy top-notch streaming.”
Cohen continued: “It may surprise most, but millions of homes across the country have yet to stream anything at all. In collaboration with MyBundle, our broadband partners are providing education and assistance for people still waiting to make the shift to streaming. There’s no better way to start than with a new Roku streaming stick.”
A source familiar with the company’s arrangement said MyBundle’s broadband ISP partners bear the brunt of the cost of the Roku streaming stick that is offered to its customers, though the devices come at a wholesale rate, meaning the broadband ISP pays significantly less than the retail price of each device. In most stores, the non-sale price of the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is around $50.
Roku devices are known for their low cost, relative ease of use and access to thousands of streaming video and other apps through Roku’s dedicated app store, which it calls the Roku Channel Store. That fits in nicely with MyBundle, which started as a streaming marketplace that helps customers figure out which streaming services they might want to subscribe to, based on the specific linear channels or packages of programming they want to watch, similar to what is available on traditional pay TV. In addition to its own standalone marketplace, MyBundle offers a white label version of its product that integrates into the websites of many of its broadband partners.
Cohen said a number of MyBundle partners “will be bundling the new Roku promotion with MyBundle streaming credits.” In April, the company released a report that showed a 50 percent reduction in subscription streaming churn when its broadband partners offered customers monthly credits to help pay for them as part of their service relationship.
