Future Today is expanding the footprint for its most successful programming by launching three new free advertising-supported linear TV (FAST) channels on The Roku Channel.
A leading publisher in video streaming, that reaches millions of OTT viewers, has chosen the free and premium television channel on the Roku platform, in the U.S to launch its properties – HappyKids, iFood.tv and The LEGO.
This comes after Future Today co-founder and HappyKids CEO Vikrant Mathur revealed to Animation Xpress that they have been looking at partnerships with different companies for further expansion and forging new partnerships with emerging platforms, OTT linear channels with Vizio Smartcast.
Mentioned he about the partnership, “Over the last few years, The Roku Channel has become a formidable force in delivering free, ad-supported linear entertainment. The company is always innovating and improving its customer experience by growing its significant channel offerings. We’re excited to partner with Roku to deliver even more free linear TV channels on The Roku Channel. We are an innovation-first company helping shape the OTT landscape. Roku is a foundation for consumers who count on them to deliver the latest and greatest in entertainment content.”
Closer Look at the free (FAST) channels:
> iFood.tv has a tantalising collection of over 50,000 cooking shows and video recipes every foodie will devour. Already a popular channel in the Food & Home category on the Roku platform, iFood.tv was one of the first streaming channels to launch on the Roku platform in 2011.
> The LEGO Channel is dedicated to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow where kids can watch their favorite LEGO Minifigure characters.
> HappyKids is a free and safe app designed to educate and entertain millions of kids of all ages with music, stories and activity guides across multiple platforms every day. Parents trust HappyKids to provide kid-safe content for every age group with music, rhymes, stories, movies, popular shows, DIY, activity guides, gaming videos, and more.
A couple of weeks ago Mathur told AnimationXpress that HappyKids has experienced extensive growth over the past few years culminating with YoY users and watch time growth of over 150 per cent in 2020 of which 40 per cent owing to COVID-19. He added that its COPPA and CCPA compliant environment assure parents that their kids can watch curated video content.
Future Today properties are featured in The Roku Channel’s Live TV Channel Guide, which provides a convenient way to discover and tune in to linear TV channels available on The Roku Channel.
Commenting on this, Roku (The Roku Channel) director of AVOD Growth Ashley Hovey stated, “Future Today is a great partner and we’re very excited to include their free linear channels on. We strive to deliver amazing, free ad-supported content to our engaged users. This partnership not only provides easier and immediate access to some of Future Today’s most popular free content, it also reflects our continuing commitment to enhancing experience on The Roku Channel.”
Future Today has quickly become the largest publisher of family-friendly content on streaming platforms, with a portfolio of over 150 apps for channels dedicated to the genre, and provides 24/7 access to many of today’s most popular TV series and movies free of charge to viewers across the world.