Late last year, Roku launched Howdy, its own premium streaming service that focused on ad-free retro content. And while it had a decent enough library, its real selling point was its extremely low $3 a month subscription price. While I wasn’t initially all that impressed with Howdy, it looks like Roku is investing in making this paid service (which exists in contrast to the always-free, ad-supported Roku Channel) something worth taking a second look at.
According to Cord Cutter News, Roku is expanding the content offerings on Howdy with major new licensing partnerships with Disney Entertainment, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery. That means that content you’re used to seeing on Disney+ and HBO Max will be making its way to Howdy, but for a much lower price.
Howdy subscribers will also be seeing a lot more recent entertainment options, as the deal with Warner Bros. Discovery specifically will bring movies from the studio’s blockbuster 2025-2026 slate to the affordable streamer for the first time.
What is Howdy?
Ad-free streaming at an affordable price
Howdy first launched back in August 2025, serving as Roku’s first paid subscription-based streaming service. Home to roughly 10,000 hours worth of ad-free TV shows and movies, the service focuses largely on retro content from the 20th century.
Currently, Howdy is only available on Roku Devices and through a browser via the Roku website, but the streamer has announced plans to eventually make Howdy its own cross-platform app.
Should you subscribe to Howdy?
It’s all about what you want from a streamer
Though I didn’t really find a lot to love about Howdy last year, Roku has beefed up Howdy’s library in the months since their initial debut, and there are definitely more recognizable movies and TV shows on there than there used to be. You can check out their library here before you subscribe so you can get a feel for the kind of content that awaits you, should you become a subscriber.
The only thing that might be a dealbreaker is that Howdy does not stream in 4K, and doesn’t seem to have any plans to offer this in the future. So, even though recent films like A Star is Born, Paddington, and A Haunting in Venice are all streaming in 4K elsewhere, if you watch them on Howdy your picture definitely won’t be as sharp as it would have been if you had streamed these titles elsewhere.
Still, for $3 a month, it is hard to argue Howdy’s value proposition. As I said in my initial review, if you find just one movie a month to watch on the service (and don’t care about video quality) it may end up saving you money on your streaming budget. Which we all know is important, especially as the price of other everyday expenses continues to go up.
