If you’ve been wondering how long it would take for streaming prices to loop back around and pretend it’s 2007 again, congratulations: Roku has just launched Howdy, a brand-new subscription service that somehow only costs $2.99 per month and doesn’t force you to sit through a single ad. No, you didn’t fall into a time rift. This is real.
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Available starting today in the U.S., Howdy arrives with a library of nearly 10,000 hours of content from Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery, and FilmRise. That means stuff like Mad Max: Fury Road, The Blind Side, Weeds, and Kids in the Hall—plus a smattering of Roku Originals, rom-coms, medical dramas, and enough ‘90s sitcom energy to keep your remote glued to “Play Next.”
Roku CEO Anthony Wood, clearly aware of how outlandish this sounds in 2025, described Howdy as a “complement, not competition” to existing premium streamers. At $2.99 a month—and with zero ads—that’s like calling a vintage diner a “complement” to Michelin-starred restaurants. He’s not wrong, but you’re probably going to eat there a lot more often.
The platform’s early partners see it as a chance to bring their content to new eyeballs without the headaches of ad-tech or complicated bundling. Lionsgate’s Jim Packer praised Roku’s reach (over 125 million people daily) and hinted at Howdy scaling up fast. FilmRise, now tucked under a company named Radial Entertainment, also gets a mention, which sounds impressive even if you’re still not sure who they are.
Roku’s doing a full Times Square billboard blitz to promote the launch through August, which feels oddly fitting—Howdy is both nostalgic and kind of wild, like seeing a cowboy hat on a subway. The service launches on Roku devices today, with mobile and other platforms “coming soon.”
Whether Howdy turns out to be a clever side hustle or the future of budget streaming, the value proposition is hard to ignore. No ads. No contract. Three bucks. In a world where every app wants your email, phone number, and half your paycheck, Roku just offered a warm smile and said “howdy.” Kind of nice for a change, isn’t it?
