Roku partners with Hisense for UK Roku TV launch

Roku has announced the European expansion of Roku TV, bringing the operating system outside of North America for the first time. 

Speaking at the company’s IFA keynote speech, CEO Anthony Wood announced that Hisense will be the first European Roku TV partner, with Roku TV models expected to launch in the UK in Q4.

Roku TV was first introduced in 2014 and now there are over 100 Roku TV-equipped models available from more than 10 manufacturers. The company claims that one in three smart TVs sold in the US were Roku TVs, and that this makes it the best-selling smart TV OS in the country. 

The OS has widely been praised for its ease of use and the wide range of apps available for the platform.

Wood said: “While consumers love Roku TV’s simplicity and advanced features, TV manufacturers benefit from the low cost of manufacturing, a variety of technology options, and support from Roku. The ability to quickly bring to market a leading smart TV experience that is regularly updated by Roku and is packed with entertainment gives TV manufacturers an edge in the competitive TV business.

“We are pleased to bring the Roku TV licensing programme to Europe and look forward to the first Hisense Roku TVs in [the] market this year.”

The announcement also reflects the company’s overall shift away from being a mostly hardware-focused business to one emphasising software.