Is Roku Sneakily Becoming the Market Leader?

For a long time, Roku was seen as just a middleman in the streaming world, a helpful tool to get to Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+. But with Roku now in over 90 million streaming homes, more than Netflix’s reach, it’s clear the company is doing a lot more than simply hosting apps. The bigger story? Roku may not be competing with Netflix at all. Its long-term rivals might look more like Amazon and Google than any streaming platform.

More Than a Streaming Device

While many companies fight to create the next binge-worthy show, Roku has positioned itself as the go-to platform to access those shows. It’s essentially the delivery system, the interface, for streaming apps. And that puts it into more homes than all the major cable providers combined. Comcast, Charter, DirecTV, and others once dominated the living room, but they’ve lost their grip as consumer habits changed. Roku filled the gap, offering something cable couldn’t: convenience, flexibility, and no contracts.

As those legacy TV providers pivot toward broadband and experiment with bundling streaming services into traditional packages, Roku is already light-years ahead, offering access to dozens of apps on a user-friendly home screen.

Stepping Into the Smart Home

What many people may not realize is that Roku has quietly been expanding beyond TVs. In recent years, it’s rolled out a line of smart home products, including video doorbells, indoor and outdoor security cameras, smart light bulbs, and more. This puts Roku in direct competition with Amazon’s Alexa and Echo devices, Google’s Nest, and other smart-home tech brands like Ring and Philips.

One potential advantage for Roku? Simplicity. Instead of having to check your phone for alerts or open a separate app, you could just turn on your TV and get a live view of your front porch. That kind of seamless integration could appeal to users looking for a more streamlined experience.

Roku's Disruption Is Just Getting Started

Roku has already shaken up the traditional TV industry, outpacing cable giants and proving that the platform matters just as much as the content. Now, as they expand into home tech and possibly even beyond, Roku is showing that it's not just a player in the streaming world, it's building the foundation for the future of connected living.

Cate Bender, the author, is Project Coordinator of Marketing Keys