Roku today announced that its first slate of Roku Originals will drop on May 20, which also is known in the industry as Streaming Day. (Around here, every day is streaming day, but we digress.) They'll be accessible via The Roku Channel, Roku's free (as in ad-supported) channel that's available in the United States, Canada and in the UK.
Some 30 shows acquired from the now-defunct Quibi service will premiere in their entirety, including Kevin Hart's Die Hart, more from the Reno 911! gang, and Chrissy's Court with Chrissy Tiegen. The shows will be streamed as they were initially intended, with nothing changed for the Roku platform. Additional Roku Originals from Quibi will premiere later in the year, Roku said.
“The launch of Roku Originals will bring incredible, premium entertainment that has breadth, depth and diversity to the millions of streamers who regularly visit The Roku Channel and to many new viewers who may not even have a Roku device — and it’s all available for free,” Sweta Patel, Vice President of Engagement Growth Marketing for Roku, said in a press release. “We’ve created a fantastic user experience to deliver exclusive, original content that’s accessible everywhere The Roku Channel is streamed.”
In addition to the new Roku Originals, May 20 also will see the launch of Kevin Hart's LOL! Network, a linear channel (meaning not on-demand) that features a curated collection of some of the boldest voices in comedy. It'll join a lineup of more than 190 live linear channels available on The Roku Channel.
“LOL’s partnership with Roku is the culmination of a lot of hard work by two great teams, and I’m excited that both Die Hart and LOL! Network will be available on The Roku Channel,” Hart said in a press release. “Our mission is to keep the world laughing, whether that’s through the action and laughs in Die Hart or the best in comedy on LOL! Network, this partnership allows us to further that mission by bringing laughs to millions of viewers on Roku.”
MORE: What's new on The Roku Channel in May
Here's the full list of Roku Originals that will premiere on May 20:
- #FreeRayshawn
- About Face
- Bad Ideas with Adam Devine
- Barkitechture
- Big Rad Wolf
- Blackballed
- Centerpiece
- Chrissy’s Court
- Cup of Joe
- Die Hart
- Dishmantled
- Dummy
- Fight Like a Girl
- Flipped
- The Fugitive
- Gayme Show
- Iron Sharpens Iron
- Last Looks
- Let’s Roll with Tony Greenhand
- Most Dangerous Game
- Murder House Flip
- Murder Unboxed
- Nightgowns
- Prodigy
- Punk’d
- Reno 911!
- Royalties
- Shape of Pasta
- Thanks a Million
- You Ain’t Got These
The Roku Channel is available on all Roku devices, of course, including Roku players like the new Roku Express 4K+, as well as on Roku TVs. The Roku platform will ensure that it takes no more than two clicks to get to the new Roku originals, and you can look for a new "Roku Originals" section in the navigation on the main screen. The Roku Channel also is available on select Samsung Smart TVs, and on Amazon Fire TV. And you also can get to The Roku Channel from a web browser, but only if you're in the United States.
