Roku has launched a new streaming service called Howdy, priced at $3 a month. I subscribed to see what it offers and shared the experience in my latest video.
The marketing is straightforward: “almost everything you want to watch,” ad-free, for around the cost of a cup of coffee. At the moment, it’s only available through Roku devices, including Roku TVs, streaming players, the Roku Channel website, and their mobile app on iPhone/iPad and Android. While it may eventually expand to other platforms, this is currently a Roku-only service.
Comparing titles through JustWatch, I found that many Howdy offerings can also be found on other platforms, sometimes for free but with ads, or for a rental fee. For example, Reservoir Dogs can be rented on a few services for more than the monthly cost of Howdy, or streamed free with ads on Plex. The series Southland is available on Howdy without ads, while Prime Video offers it with ads for a higher subscription price. So far it looks like there are not many exclusives, but the content that is available is not always widely available either.
The interface is basic, and while there is a search function, browsing can be clumsy. You can save content that you want to watch for later so you don’t have to go hunting for it on subsequent sessions. Like other streaming services, I expect content to cycle in and out as licensing deals change.
One surprise was that some of Roku’s own popular exclusive productions, like The Spiderwick Chronicles and Die Hart, aren’t on Howdy at all, even though they’re available on the free Roku Channel with ads. On the other hand, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is available ad-free. I’m guessing Roku may rotate its original programming on and off the service much like it does with licensed content. So unfortunately Howdy is not the gateway to watch all of Roku’s exclusives ad-free.
Kids & family content is limited—about 20 titles in the “family favorites” section—and there’s no dedicated kids’ mode. That’s a missed opportunity, since ad-free children’s programming at a low price could have been a strong draw.
Overall, Howdy seems designed for people who already enjoy free streaming content but dislike ads. For three dollars a month, you get an ad-free experience with a mix of familiar and lesser-known titles, most of them older back catalog type of stuff. It’s a low-cost way to remove interruptions, but given the small library and lack of exclusives, it may lack value for many.
Disclosure: I paid for the Howdy subscription and the Roku player demonstrated with my own funds.