Smart Tv: Roku vs Rakuten

The American company Roku, a provider of streaming video programs and devices, has announced its arrival in Germany and the United Kingdom with the not-so-hidden intention of conquering more than half of the televisions worldwide.

The American giants are therefore targeting Europe, as it seems Amazon is also responding with the expansion of Fire TV. Industry insiders agree: partnerships established with TV manufacturers will play a primary role.

The gap between the two streaming video giants

With their smart TV devices, Roku and Amazon are sharpening their weapons and are about to expand their presence in Europe to continue growing in international markets.

The streaming device sector is growing and evolving: both companies, on the occasion of IFA (the consumer electronics fair held in Berlin), announced their readiness to expand, as mentioned, in Germany and the United Kingdom—two European countries considered strategic for different reasons and characteristics.

The growth of Roku Smart TVs

The Roku brand can be considered a pioneer in the streaming player sector; it currently offers a wide range of smart TV models manufactured by various partner producers, from TCL to Sharp, Insignia to Hitachi, Hisense to Element. Moreover, the company has developed an operating system that provides access to many streaming channels.

Not only that: the company has also developed an operating system that guarantees access to countless streaming channels. Like Amazon, Roku is also focusing on alliances with brands that have a strong presence in Europe. Roku TV models will be sold in the United Kingdom starting in October.

The company, not surprisingly, announced that it has finalized its first licensing agreement in the Old Continent and communicated that some Roku TV models will be sold starting in October in the UK through the Chinese manufacturer Hisense: in other words, these smart TVs will come with Roku’s operating system installed by default. As Wood highlighted, the goal the brand aims to achieve is to have Roku present on more than half of the televisions worldwide.

Amazon’s response

Amazon has announced that Fire TV from the Seattle giant will soon be available on numerous smart TV models:

In the United Kingdom on JVC and Toshiba

In Germany on Grundig models

In these two countries, an innovative streaming device called Fire TV Cube will also be launched, which will integrate Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant.

The Fire TV program allows access to live content, apps, and thousands of channels. At IFA, Fire TV Vice President Marc Whitten spoke about offering a better TV experience.