Yes, the World Needs Another Streaming Service: Say Hello to Howdy, Roku’s $3 Ad-Free Alternative
Roku launches its streaming service, Howdy, to compete with other major streaming giants, but at a lower cost and without ads.
Written by Jackie Leavitt (Editor at Large)
Reviewed by Aleksander Hougen (Co-Chief Editor)
Last Updated:
In a world already full of Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock, Disney Plus, HBO Max and countless other streaming services, do users need another option?
Quite possibly, yes. Enter Howdy, Roku’s new streaming service.
Rather than Roku being content serving up other streaming services’ shows, the company just launched Howdy. This new streaming service is ad-free and much more affordable than its competition, costing only $2.99 per month. Users can pay with credit cards, debit cards, PayPal or Cash App Pay.
You can stream Howdy on your Roku device, on the Roku mobile app or online at howdy.tv. (It’s currently available only in the U.S., though.)
In a kind of cute move, Howdy claims to offer “almost everything you want to watch.” That includes 3,000 movies and TV shows. Movie options range from Blockbuster movies — like ‘Fast and Furious,’ ‘Bombshell’ and ‘Space Jam’ — to classics — like ‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘Fargo’ and ‘Casablanca’ — to B-rated flicks.
There are tons of TV show options, too, from docudramas like the ‘Deadliest Catch’ to feel-good comedy classics like ‘Frasier,’ to bingeworthy dynamic duos like ‘2 Broke Girls.’
In a surprise move, Howdy also has some free content you can watch without a subscription, which changes each month. This month, the options include shows like ‘Nashville,’ ‘Weeds,’ ‘Nurse Jackie,’ ‘Heartland,’ ‘Blue Mountain State’ and more.
When most other streaming services charge double-digit prices for streaming with ads, this feels like a breath of fresh air.
Here at Cloudwards, we have subscriptions to all the major streaming services so we can perform various tests, from how to watch certain shows to whether certain VPNs can access geoblocked content. Over the years, we’ve noticed that most streaming services have steadily increased the monthly pricing (sometimes without notice) and also introduce more and more ads.
I’m not above pointing fingers. It’s hard to not feel jaded when Prime Video doubles its ad time, and it’s hard getting over the sticker shock of the Disney Plus bundle costing $16.99 per month — with ads! Netflix’s cheapest ad-free option, Standard, costs $17.99 per month.
It’s refreshing to see a streaming opportunity arise that feels like it’s an option for the everyday man, rather than just a way for streaming giants to squeeze more money out of its subscribers and advertising.
I’m excited to say “howdy” to Howdy, and the Cloudwards team will explore its streaming options in upcoming articles and guides. Stay tuned.