Avails format, Direct Publisher feed structure, technical specifications, and delivery workflow for the device-native FAST/AVOD platform pre-installed on 80M+ Roku devices.
Roku Channel is the device-native FAST and AVOD platform built directly into every Roku device — giving it a reach of more than 80 million active accounts without requiring users to download a separate app. For independent distributors, Roku Channel offers one of the most accessible major platform delivery models: a Direct Publisher feed system (JSON or MRSS), a standard rev-share AVOD deal structure similar to Tubi, and a growing international footprint across the US, UK, Canada, Mexico, and Germany. Molten Cloud, the rights management and royalties platform for film and television, automates Roku Channel avails generation, manages Direct Publisher feed metadata from verified rights data, and tracks ad-revenue royalties across every territory where content is distributed.
Roku Channel's content strategy spans broad genres with particular strength in movies, TV series, news, and lifestyle content. The platform benefits from Roku's scale as a device ecosystem — content that performs well on Roku Channel reaches a massive installed base across multiple screen types.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Revenue Model | AVOD rev-share — distributor earns percentage of ad revenue based on content viewership hours |
| Deal Structure | Non-exclusive licensing (typically 1-3 year terms) — content can be on other AVOD/FAST platforms simultaneously |
| Content Preferences | Movies, TV series (all genres), documentary, news, lifestyle, reality, classic films, family content |
| Territories | US (primary), UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany — international expansion ongoing |
| Minimum Catalog | No strict minimum; larger catalogs preferred for direct deals — smaller catalogs via aggregators or Direct Publisher |
| Exclusivity | Non-exclusive — Roku Channel rarely requires exclusive rights, making it stackable with Tubi, Pluto TV, and other AVOD/FAST services |
The non-exclusive, rev-share model makes Roku Channel a natural complement to other AVOD platforms. Distributors regularly license the same titles to Roku Channel, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Freevee simultaneously — maximizing ad-revenue across platforms from the same underlying rights without territorial exclusivity conflicts.
Roku Channel avails submission follows a content proposal and review process before Direct Publisher onboarding. Once approved, distributors maintain a JSON or MRSS feed that serves as the ongoing avails and metadata source for the platform.
| Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Exact title as it should appear on platform | Must match metadata feed and artwork exactly |
| Content Type | movie, series, episode, shortFormVideo | Series require season and episode structure in feed |
| Territory | Available countries for licensing | Roku Channel operates in 5 countries — specify each separately |
| License Start / End | Availability window dates in ISO 8601 format | Windows reflected in Direct Publisher feed automatically |
| Genre | Primary and secondary genre using Roku taxonomy | Must use Roku's genre values — custom labels cause feed rejection |
| Content Rating | MPAA or TV rating per territory | Required for parental controls; TV-MA and R-rated accepted |
| Language / Captions | Original audio language + available caption tracks | English captions required for US distribution of non-English content |
| Rights Confirmation | Distributor confirms AVOD/FAST rights for each territory | Roku verifies against rights claims — conflicts delay or block ingestion |
Roku Channel's technical specifications are intentionally standard, accepting H.264 in MP4 containers — the same accessible profile used by Tubi and other AVOD platforms. This reduces transcoding complexity compared to premium platforms like Netflix or Apple TV+ that require MXF or proprietary packaging.
| Specification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Video Codec | H.264 (AVC) — high profile |
| Container | MP4 (preferred) or MOV |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 (HD) — minimum 1280 × 720 |
| Frame Rate | 23.976, 24, 25, or 29.97 fps (constant frame rate required) |
| Video Bitrate | 8-20 Mbps for HD (higher preferred) |
| Audio Codec | AAC or AC-3 (Dolby Digital) |
| Audio Channels | Stereo (2.0) or 5.1 surround |
| Audio Bitrate | 192+ kbps (stereo) / 384+ kbps (5.1) |
| Captions | SRT or WebVTT — English required for non-English US content |
| Artwork | 16:9 landscape (1920×1080 min) + 2:3 portrait (800×1200 min) |
| Feed Format | JSON (Roku Content Feed spec) or MRSS — hosted at a stable public URL |
Roku Channel delivery uses a feed-driven model distinct from upload-based platforms. The core workflow combines a content proposal, Direct Publisher feed setup, and ongoing automated ingestion.
1. AVOD/FAST rights not confirmed per territory. Roku Channel requires AVOD and FAST distribution rights for each territory in the feed. Distributors who submit titles without verifying per-territory AVOD rights face ingestion blocks and rights conflict notices from Roku.
2. Feed URL instability. Roku's Direct Publisher crawls a hosted feed URL on a regular schedule. If the feed URL changes, goes offline, or returns errors between crawl cycles, content can be removed from the channel without warning. A stable, always-available feed URL is a production requirement, not an optional detail.
3. Using incorrect genre values. Roku's Content Feed specification requires genre values from Roku's defined taxonomy. Submitting custom genre labels or values from other platform taxonomies (e.g., Tubi's genre list) causes feed validation failures.
4. Missing or malformed availability windows. License start and end dates in the feed must be in ISO 8601 format. Missing end dates or incorrect date formatting causes Roku to either reject the feed entry or ingest content without proper expiration handling — leading to content remaining live after license expiry.
5. Variable frame rate video. Roku Channel requires constant frame rate (CFR). Variable frame rate (VFR) content — common from consumer-grade encoders and screen-capture tools — triggers QC failure and asset rejection.
Molten Cloud connects rights data directly to Roku Channel's feed-driven delivery workflow:
Distributors deliver content to Roku Channel through a feed-driven process: a content proposal is submitted to Roku's content partnerships team for title selection and deal agreement; approved titles are then delivered via a JSON or MRSS feed (conforming to Roku's Content Feed specification) hosted at a stable public URL. Video assets (H.264 in MP4, 1080p), caption files (SRT/VTT), and artwork are hosted at URLs referenced in the feed. Roku ingests the feed via Direct Publisher on a scheduled crawl cycle, meaning metadata updates and new titles are reflected automatically without manual re-upload. Roku Channel operates a 100% AVOD/FAST model with non-exclusive licensing, and distributors earn ad-revenue share. Molten Cloud automates avails generation, Direct Publisher feed creation, and ad-revenue royalty tracking from verified rights data.
Roku Channel requires video in H.264 codec within MP4 containers at minimum 1280×720 resolution (1920×1080 preferred), with constant frame rate (23.976, 24, 25, or 29.97 fps). Audio must be AAC or AC-3 in stereo or 5.1 surround at 192+ kbps (stereo) or 384+ kbps (5.1). Caption files must be in SRT or WebVTT format — English captions are required for non-English content distributed in the US. Artwork requires a 16:9 format (1920×1080 minimum) and 2:3 portrait (800×1200 minimum). The distinguishing characteristic of Roku Channel delivery is the feed format: metadata and asset references are submitted via a JSON or MRSS Content Feed hosted at a stable URL, rather than via direct file upload to a portal.
Yes. Roku Channel typically licenses content on a non-exclusive basis, meaning distributors can make the same titles available on other AVOD and FAST platforms simultaneously — Tubi, Pluto TV, Freevee, and others. This non-exclusive model makes Roku Channel an ideal platform for distributors maximizing ad-supported revenue across multiple services from the same catalog. License terms are typically 1-3 years with revenue-share compensation based on viewership-driven ad revenue. Molten Cloud manages non-exclusive AVOD/FAST licensing across multiple platforms from a single rights database, tracking territorial availability consistently and preventing rights conflicts across simultaneous platform deals.
Molten Cloud automates Roku Channel delivery through four core capabilities: AVOD/FAST-specific avails generation (one-click export of titles with confirmed rights per Roku territory), Direct Publisher feed generation (automated JSON Content Feed creation from rights and metadata data, maintained as windows change), ad-revenue royalty tracking (automated ingestion of Roku revenue reports with per-title, per-territory royalty calculations), and license window monitoring (automated alerts before Roku license expirations at 90, 60, and 30 days, with feed window updates applied automatically). Because Roku Channel is non-exclusive, Molten Cloud simultaneously manages the same content's avails, feeds, and royalties across other AVOD/FAST platforms — all from the same verified rights data, eliminating duplicated work across parallel platform relationships.
Molten Cloud generates Roku Channel-ready avails and Direct Publisher feeds from your rights data, and tracks ad-revenue royalties automatically — across Roku Channel and every other AVOD platform.
See how AVOD delivery works in Molten Cloud
