What’s happened? There’s a new streaming service available in the US called Howdy, it’s ad-free, and it’s dirt cheap.
- It’s been launched by Roku, the company behind streaming hardware such as the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, and the TV operating system built into some sets, such as the Roku Pro Series.
- Roku claims Howdy offers thousands of titles from Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery, and FilmRise, with almost 10,000 hours of content available for you to watch.
- Initially the service is available via Roku devices and software only – so you’ll need to have a Roku streaming stick of TV to gain access.
- Howdy will be available on mobile and other platforms “in the near future”.
- And the cost? Just $2.99 per month.
This is important because: As prices for the most popular streaming services continue to rise every year, it’s refreshing to see an offering which is keeping costs low, and saying no to ads.
- Amazon’s Prime Video requires you to pay a $8.99 per month subscription (or it’s included with a Prime Membership), and it’ll still show you ads. The ad-free option will cost you an addition $2.99 per month.
- Netflix’s ad-supported tier is $7.99 per month, while the ad-free service starts at $17.99 per month.
- But Howdy isn’t here to compete with the premium services, rather it’s “designed to complement”, according to Roku founder and CEO, Anthony Wood.
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Why should I care? If you’re looking to cut down on the number of streaming services you’re signed up to, Howdy presents an extremely affordable option for you to consider.
- Roku says you’ll be able to “enjoy award-winning favorites like ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ ‘The Blind Side, ‘Weeds,’ and ‘Kids in the Hall,’ as well as iconic rom-coms, medical dramas, ’90s comedy, feel-good classics, and more.
- Don’t expect any originally programming to pop up on Howdy – a way of keeping its costs down is to not produce its own content like Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Disney+.
Okay, what’s next? If Howdy sounds like your sort of streaming service, you can sign up today.
- And keep an eye out for the mobile app, and wider platform support. While Roku hasn’t given us an exact time line, we’re hoping “near future” means within the next few months.
- We expect Roku to continuing adding content to the service as its release notes a “growing library” of titles – suggesting more are on the way.
