Roku has launched a dedicated mobile app for its low-cost streaming service Howdy, allowing anyone with a smartphone in the United States to stream commercial-free movies and TV shows for $3 per month.
In a crowded landscape of apps and services, Roku has positioned Howdy as an affordable way to watch movies and shows with limited interruptions, though most of its content — sourced from major studios and distributors like Lionsgate, FilmRise and Paramount — are available on leading free streaming services with ads.
Still, Roku is hoping Howdy catches on, and the company has made bold moves to bring it to more streamers beyond its own ecosystem. Earlier this month, the company announced a partnership with Amazon to sell access to Howdy through the Prime Video Channels marketplace, marking the first time that the app was available beyond Roku’s own devices. The Prime Video app is widely available on other smart TV devices like those running Amazon’s own Fire TV software as well as smart TVs and systems powered by Apple, Google, Samsung, Xumo, Vizio, LG and TCL, among others.
Now, even streamers without a dedicated smart TV can watch Howdy content by downloading the Howdy app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, depending on their device.
“At a time when most things are getting more expensive, Howdy is designed to make premium, ad-free streaming more affordable and accessible for all viewers,” Gil Fuchsberg, the President of Subscriptions, Partnerships and Corporate Development at Roku, said in a statement. “Launching the Howdy mobile app on iOS and Android enables us to continue growing the service beyond the Roku platform.”
Next month, the service is expected to feature a rotating slate of recognizable titles, including “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family” and “When Harry Met Sally,” which Roku says is part of Howdy’s central mission of delivering time-tested, familiar shows and movies.
