Roku announces shocking acquisition of Frndly TV
Roku announces shocking acquisition of Frndly TV
The largest streaming platform in North America is set to own its first subscription streaming service.
The era of streaming consolidation had slowed down in the early months of 2025, but on Thursday, things picked up in a major way as Roku, the largest streaming provider in North America, announced that it had acquired the family-friendly streaming service Frndly TV. The deal is expected to close later in the second quarter of the year, with Frndly’s team — including its management — to remain with the streamer after Roku officially takes over.
Key Details:
- Merger time: Roku announced that it is set to acquire Frndly TV in a deal expected to close in the second quarter of 2025.
- New streaming territory: While Roku is the largest streaming platform in North America, it has never operated a subscription service.
- Will Frndly stay friendly?: Frndly has long been the cheapest live TV streaming service, offering family-friendly entertainment channels for as little as $7 per month.
Frndly is the cheapest live TV streaming service on the market with plans starting at as little as $7 per month. While it does not offer nearly as many popular cable channels as its larger competitors like DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or even smaller streamers like Sling TV or Philo, it has carved out a niche by offering popular family-friendly entertainment options, including cable channels like A&E, Hallmark Channel, The History Channel, Lifetime, and more, as well as dozens of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels as well.
In addition, Frndly offers thousands of hours of on-demand content and unlimited cloud-based DVR. The streamer’s users are also able to watch any show or movie that has aired on one of the channels in the past 72 hours. The company has not publicly updated its subscriber total since 2022, when it reported having 700,000 paid customers, but its ability to establish itself as a small but viable player in the streaming market clearly appealed to Roku.
“Frndly TV’s impressive growth and expertise in direct-to-consumer subscription services make it a compelling addition to Roku,” Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood said. “This acquisition supports our focus on growing platform revenue and Roku-billed subscriptions, with a live content offering our users love at an industry-leading price point.”
Roku’s acquisition of Frndly is expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year, pending all of the customary and regulatory conditions and approvals. Roku will pay a total purchase price is $185 million in cash, with $75 million of that being held back to be delivered for meeting performance goals and milestones over the next two years.
“We’re incredibly excited to join Roku and continue our mission to provide customers feel-good, quality entertainment as the most affordable live TV subscription streaming service in America,” Frndly TV CEO and co-founder Andy Karofsky said. “Roku’s pioneering role in streaming and its longstanding commitment to customers aligns perfectly with our strategic vision. We believe this combination will help us accelerate subscription growth, given the alignment in core customer demographics and Roku’s leadership position in the connected TV ecosystem.”
It is too early to determine what, if any, changes Roku will make to the small but mighty streamer, but with Roku now actively entering the subscription streaming service game, the rest of the industry should be on notice. With over 90 million households streaming via Roku as of the start of this year, it is easy to imagine a world in which the company bulks up the Frndly brand and makes it a centerpiece in its massive streaming ecosystem.
Frndly TV
Frndly TV is a budget-friendly live TV streaming service in the United States that focuses on family-friendly and lifestyle programming. Launched in 2019, the service offers a curated lineup of channels that includes Hallmark Channel, UPtv, Lifetime, MeTV, INSP, The Weather Channel, Game Show Network, and dozens more. It’s designed for viewers who want wholesome content without the’ high cost or complexity of larger streaming bundles.