Roku has launched Howdy, an ad-free U.S. SVOD service that will cost $2.99 per month for access to a catalog of nearly 10,000 hours of entertainment from inaugural partners Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery and FilmRise, as well as select Roku Original titles. “Priced at less than a cup of coffee,” Howdy is “meeting a real need for consumers who want to unwind with their favorite movies and shows uninterrupted, and on their terms,” said Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood who feels people are willing to pay to avoid ads even though many ad-supported streaming services are available free. Continue reading Roku Launches Ad-Free Streaming Service for $3 per Month

Nielsen will begin measuring the performance of Lionsgate‘s MovieSphere channel (available on 18 streaming platforms), making it the first major FAST service to get a deep dive regularly disseminated to clients by the analytics firm. Nielsen also collects data from Roku, Peacock, Pluto and Tubi, compiling them as part of the macro view in its monthly trends report “The Gauge.” Detailed MovieSphere data will now be collected and distributed to Nielsen’s ad buyer clients along with the material they receive for traditional networks. Lionsgate launched MovieSphere in 2020, serving-up free movies in AVOD and linear formats. Continue reading MovieSphere Is First Major FAST Channel Measured by Nielsen