Roku announces expansion into Germany

Roku has announced a plan to expand into Germany.

The company on Monday announced plans to launch its streaming players in the country later this year, providing competition with Amazon Fire TV and Google Chromecast devices.

When it launches in the country, Roku will be partnered with Seven.One Entertainment Group, RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland to offer local content. This is in addition to offering access to apps including Netflix, Disney+ and its own The Roku Channel FAST service.

In comments made to Reuters, VP international Arthur van Rest said that the country represents a major opportunity for Roku due to its high level of streaming adoption. He said that nearly half of all households in Germany are subscribed to one or more SVOD service. 

This marks the company’s second expansion into Europe, and comes two years after Roku touched down in the UK as a software partner for smart TV maker Hisense. The company now sells its first-party streaming sticks in the UK starting at £29.99, with pricing expected to be similar for the German market. 

The brand was first established in the US in 2008, and has since gone on to be one of the largest streaming device and smart TV OS makers in the country.