If you're a Roku user, you can access lots of exclusive original content under the banner of Roku Originals. These were launched in May 2021 to celebrate the Roku-created holiday National Streaming Day. While Roku has traditionally been a place to watch content from other services, the launch represents Roku's first big foray into original shows.
At launch, Roku Originals offered 20 shows, featuring stars like Kevin Hart, Liam Hemsworth, Adam Devine, and Chrissy Teigen, and with shows offered in several genres, including comedy, reality, and action.
So, what exactly are Roku Originals, and how can you watch them?
Roku Originals Rose From the Ashes of Quibi
The first batch of Roku originals are not, despite their name, original. That's because those shows are leftovers from Quibi, the short-form streaming service that launched in early 2020 and folded just over six months later.
The idea behind Quibi was to sign up A-listers to produce and star in shows in which the episodes were never more than eight minutes, in order to appeal to younger people on the go. But the launch came just after the coronavirus pandemic began, with the majority of its target audience stuck at home and not on the go at all.
In January 2021, three months after Quibi shut down, Roku acquired Quibi's library and announced plans to relaunch the shows. They retired the Quibi name and referred to the shows as Roku Originals.
Roku had acquired 75 shows at launch, presumably with the intention of rolling out the other ones at a later time.
Who Can Access Roku Originals?
Roku Originals are available to anyone with a Roku account. At launch, all the shows are available for free and supported by ads. The Originals are also available on the Roku mobile app.
How to Access Roku Originals
There are two different ways to access Roku Originals. There is a Roku Originals option on the main Roku menu that you can select directly to reach the Originals menu.
In addition, the Roku Originals menu is available as part of the Roku Channel, which is the Roku-owned channel in the regular menu on each Roku device. Also, Roku Originals shows are spread throughout the different Roku Channel categories.
What's the Difference Between Roku Originals and the Roku Channel?
Roku Originals and Roku Channel are two different things, although Roku Originals is listed under Roku Channel.
Roku Channel offers you much more, however. This includes live TV channels, movies, and TV shows that are ad-supported, and the opportunity to subscribe to other streaming services through Roku.
Roku's Future Plans For Originals
Roku is believed to have big plans for original content in the future, even beyond the shows that it picked up following the demise of Quibi.
In February 2021, shortly after the announcement of the Quibi purchase, a job listing appeared online for a legal position with Roku, meant to deal with an "expanding slate of original content." This indicates that Roku, like so many tech companies, is planning a big push into making its own shows, although the company hasn't made an official announcement about such plans.
Will Roku Originals Be Successful for Roku?
Roku Originals are here, consisting of material left over from the departed Quibi, but repackaged in a way that's likely to put them in front of many more eyeballs than they ever were on that dead platform.
They are easy to access if you're a Roku user, and integrated into the existing Roku Channel, allowing for shows to go viral or become word-of-mouth hits, the way they never did on the original Quibi.
Roku added millions of customers during the pandemic, and now appears poised to become a significant player in the world of original content.
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