Roku, the streaming hardware manufacturer and operator of the free Roku Channel, has announced its intention to acquire the budget-priced streaming service Frndly TV, which offers TV entertainment live and on demand.
Frndly TV, launched in the summer of 2019, bills itself as “the most affordable Live TV streaming service.” And it is pretty cheap, considering you can get more than 50 channels of mostly family friendly fare—including the Hallmark Channel, the History Channel, Lifetime, and A&E—for a subscription that starts at $6.99 per month (billed annually, with a 7-day free trial available).
But that’s for a Basic subscription that streams to a single device at a time in standard definition (video resolution of 480p) and that doesn’t include cloud DVR service. If you want HD resolution and a DVR, you’ll need to step up to the Classic tier at $7.99 per month or the Premium tier at $9.99 per month.
The differences between Classic and Premium subscriptions are that you can stream to two devices simultaneously and you’ll get three months of DVR storage with Classic, while the Premium tier gives you nine months of DVR and the ability to stream to four devices at the same time.
“Frndly TV’s impressive growth and expertise in direct-to-consumer subscription services make it a compelling addition to Roku,” said Roku CEO and founder Anthony Wood in a press release. “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.”
This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best live TV streaming services.
Roku is paying $185 million for Frndly TV, with $75 million held back and tied to the service “meeting performance goals and milestones over the next two years.” Frndly TV CEO and co-founder Andy Karofsky and the rest of the Frndly TV team are expected to stay on after the deal closes.
Roku says Frndly TV will continue to be available on the web and on streaming platforms other than Roku’s own, including Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Google TV, Apple TV, on Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, and on mobile Android and iOS devices.
In other Roku news, the company released its first-quarter 2025 earnings report today, reporting a 16-percent year-over-year increase in net revenue, but forecasting second-quarter revenue below Wall Street estimates.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor, TechHive
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering smart homes, home networking, and home audio/home theater. He holds a BA in Multimedia Journalism, authored the book Desktop Video Production, and was awarded Best Online Review by the Computer Press Association. Michael built a smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world product-testing lab. Now living in the Pacific Northwest, he is converting his 1890 Victorian bungalow into a modern smart home. Michael has worked at CNET, PCWorld, Electronic Musician, and Maximum PC. As a freelancer, he contributed to New Media, Camcorder, MacWeek, and more.