Roku CEO Anthony Wood Arturo Holmes/Getty Images Roku’s low-cost streaming service, Howdy, has hit more than one million subscribers, according to research firm Antenna.
After launching in August 2025, Antenna estimates that the $2.99 a month service added close to 300,000 subscribers in its first month, with an additional 100,000 or more added each subsequent month. The streaming research firm also estimates that 51 percent of subscribers that signed up for Howdy in August and September are still subscribed, giving it a higher retention rate than many other streaming platforms.
Roku itself has not released subscriber numbers for the streaming platform, but a spokesperson said the company has been “encouraged by the momentum.”
“We’re pleased with Howdy’s strong early performance. While we aren’t confirming any third‑party data, we’re encouraged by the momentum we’re seeing so far and the positive reception from streamers. Howdy is meeting growing demand for a low‑cost, ad‑free subscription streaming service, and it’s clearly resonating with viewers,” the spokesperson said.
Antenna notes that the high retention rate is likely due to the low price point, which comes as the costs of other premium streaming services rise. The average premium streaming platform has a 47 percent retention rate, with specialty streaming platforms averaging 38 percent, according to the firm.
The 1 million subscriber number still pales in comparison to subscription giants like Netflix, which has surpassed 325 million global paid subscribers, and even free services like Tubi, which last reported 100 million monthly active users, but has the added advantage of being free.
However, Howdy’s distribution strategy appears to have helped build momentum, as Howdy was initially only available through Roku and heavily advertised to the Roku base of more than 100 million streaming households. In March, Howdy broadened out the distribution base by launching on Amazon Prime.
Howdy offers a lot of the same content that’s on the Roku Channel, but ad-free. The company also plans to bring more recent movies onto Howdy in the near future, Lisa Holme, Roku’s head of content, told The Hollywood Reporter in February.
“The vast majority of Howdy subscribers are Roku channel viewers who are now just adding Howdy on top as another part of the ecosystem,” Holme said at the time.
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