Roku is now officially part of Fox Corporation, after a merger was completed on November 6, 2026. Fox will own Roku’s hardware, software, and advertising platforms, which has some Roku users skeptical about what this could mean for the company and its low-cost products, including free channels, movies, TV shows, and other apps through the Roku Streaming Store. Fox’s streaming packages haven’t traditionally offered as many free streaming options, as its core standalone subscription, FOX One, currently costs $19.99, with popular networks such as FS1 and FOX News coming at a cost.
On the software side, this merger does concern me, but I’m a little more at ease with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division conducting its own investigation before the deal was completed. I am more optimistic about the hardware side, specifically Roku TV devices. Having more funding and resources to build upon the good variety of TVs Roku offers could really set the company further apart from others in the TV market. And there’s one TV in mind that could really use an upgrade.
Roku’s Pro Series TVs could benefit from larger sizes
The max size for the company’s first-gen OLED TVs is smaller than competitors
In September 2026, Roku released its first-ever lineup of OLED TVs, which we’ve been waiting to see from the company for quite a while. But better late than never, and for a first-gen OLED TV, the specs aren’t too bad. The two Pro Series models, the OLED and LX OLED, both feature a 4K display, high refresh rates, and Dolby Vision support. The LX OLED has a slightly higher refresh rate (up to 144Hz) than the OLED (120Hz), but both are suitable for gaming.
Roku wasn’t expected to blow the competition out of the water with its first-ever OLED displays, but if there was one area I was disappointed in, it was the size. The largest size for Pro Series models is 65 inches, whereas top TV manufacturers such as LG and Samsung have multiple TVs that surpass 75 inches, including 77-inch and 83-inch models. Roku does offer a 75-inch TV in its QLED Mini-LED TV series, but it won’t deliver the same color and contrast quality as an OLED display.
Roku’s pivot away from smart home devices could allow further TV improvements
This is a great opportunity for the company to develop better-quality TVs
In an email sent to Lowpass reporter Jank Roettgers in November 2026, Roku plans on winding down sales of its smart home products to focus more on its streaming platform. Currently, on the company’s website, many of its cameras, lights, and plugs are out of stock, and it’s likely they’ll remain so.
The items currently in stock on its website, including its video doorbell and 360 indoor camera, may be the last batch of smart home products it plans to sell. After all products sell out, you may have to rely on third-party retailers to buy a Roku smart home device in the future. Roettgers did mention that the company will continue to offer support and services for those products, so those who currently own one should still be able to contact customer support in times of need.
It was a feasible sacrifice for Roku to make, as the smart home market continues to grow and becomes increasingly competitive. Apple recently launched HomeView, its first-ever smart display and smart home hub, and one of its biggest advancements in the smart home market. And then you have companies such as Ring that are taking the market to new heights with the announcement of its Ring Drone Cam, an autonomous indoor security drone.
Let’s hope Fox doesn’t ruin Roku
Roku should be able to maintain its low-cost identity across software and hardware products
The benefit of the DOJ’s investigation into the merger was that Fox made certain commitments to mitigate competitive concerns. According to a DOJ press release, Fox must continue carrying non-Fox content and third-party apps on the Roku platform for at least 3 years. And to help maintain search neutrality, Fox cannot discriminate against non-Fox content and services in the search results on Roku devices. Roku TVs also tend to have less bloatware on the home screen than other smart TVs, and that should remain fairly consistent, as Fox has committed to preserving Roku users’ ability to customize the home screen layout.
The temporary period framework for some of the agreements is somewhat concerning, as it raises the question of what happens when those periods expire. Does Fox get to make major changes after that? Regardless, it would be hard to imagine Fox completely altering Roku’s business model, especially given the company’s potential to be a strong competitor in the smart TV market. It will be interesting to see how Roku improves on future Pro Series OLED models.
