Roku’s low-priced streaming service, Howdy, has reached a new milestone.
The subscription service has passed 1 million subscribers, according to recent data from research firm Antenna.
Rising Numbers
After Howdy launched in August 2025, Antenna estimates the service added around 300,000 subscribers in the first month. For each subsequent month, the platform added 100,000 or more subscribers.
Antenna also estimates that around 51 percent of the subscribers who signed up in August are still subscribed now, resulting in a higher retention rate than many other popular streaming platforms.
This includes the average six-month retention rate for premium SVOD services (47%) and specialty SVOD platforms (38%).
Connecting to the platform’s success in subscribers is Roku’s ability to promote the new streaming platform. Earlier in April, Roku announced it had surpassed 100 million streaming households worldwide.
Pleased by Performance
While Roku itself has not released official subscriber numbers for Howdy, a spokesperson said the company is “encouraged by the momentum.”
They added, “We’re pleased with Howdy’s strong early performance. While we aren’t confirming any third‑party data, we’re encouraged by the momentum we’re seeing so far and the positive reception from streamers. Howdy is meeting growing demand for a low‑cost, ad‑free subscription streaming service, and it’s clearly resonating with viewers.”
Low Price Point
Antenna points out that Howdy’s high retention rate is likely due to its low price point, at just $2.99 a month.
This is a premium deal, especially as many of the other prominent streaming platforms have been raising their prices over the last two years.
The average premium streaming platform has a 47 percent retention rate.
Broadening its Horizons
While the 1 million subscriber number for Howdy is still quite low compared to giants like Netflix or even free services like Tubi, it is still making significant growth.
The service was only available through Roku at first, but in March, the platform widened its distribution base by launching on Amazon Prime. This switch probably had a large influence on the platform’s 1 million subscriber mark.
As for now, the majority of the subscribers are connected to Roku.
Lisa Holme, head of content at Roku, stated, “The vast majority of Howdy subscribers are Roku channel viewers who are now just adding Howdy on top as another part of the ecosystem.”
That’s what Howdy was for, after all. It’s always been meant to serve as a cheap, ad-free option that complements other subscriptions. The model seems to be working so far.