Though Roku has only been lending its name and platform to TVs for a few years, it has taken off in terms of popularity. Earlier this year, Roku announced that one out of every eight TVs sold in the U.S. is a Roku TV. Now, that family is getting even bigger, as RCA will be the next brand to manufacture and sell Roku TVs.
“Our TV partners have seen incredible success growing their brands and market share, making Roku TV 1 out of every 8 smart TV purchases in the U.S.,” Chas Smith, general manager of Roku TV & Players, said in a statement. “RCA is an iconic brand with deep roots in the living room. Consumers love the brand, and as we combine that with today’s modern streaming approach, RCA Roku TVs are sure to be a favorite this year.”
The deal was announced Tuesday by Roku, RCA, and Display-Vu Corp, one of the companies behind the RCA relaunch. The first RCA-branded Roku TVs will be available in the coming months in both the U.S. and Canada. There are currently no details on what these TVs will offer in terms of features. The Roku platform currently offers access to more than 5,000 channels and 450,000 movies and TV episodes.
“The TV landscape has evolved, and we want to give our customers the best smart TV experience we can offer,” Aaron Herzog of Display-Vu Corp said. “We’ve seen how much consumers like Roku TVs – after all, Roku is synonymous with simple streaming. We’re thrilled to enter living rooms with Roku TV, offering consumers simple yet world-class smart TVs.”
Based on RCA’s recent track record, it doesn’t seem likely that its offerings will be particularly high end. At CES in January, TCL unveiled the first Roku TVs to feature Dolby Vision, so RCA could offer something similar, but there are also plenty of lower-end TVs on the market powered by the Roku platform, so it’s difficult to guess what the company will ship.
