Roku Channel Delivery: Avails and Specs

The Roku Channel is the device-native FAST and AVOD surface built into every Roku device, reaching more than 100 million streaming households worldwide as of April 2026. For independent distributors, delivery into The Roku Channel runs through a licensed content deal with Roku's content-partnerships team, with ongoing asset and metadata delivery typically handled by a Roku-approved aggregator (Amagi, Wurl, and similar) using an MRSS or JSON feed that conforms to Roku's Content Feed specification. Note that the Roku Content Feed spec, the legacy self-service path, was sunset on January 12, 2024, and is no longer a content-intake mechanism. The deal structure is rev-share AVOD similar to Tubi, with a footprint across the US, UK, Canada, and Mexico. Molten Cloud, the rights management and royalties platform for film and television, automates Roku Channel avails generation, Roku Content Feed (MRSS/JSON) metadata creation from verified rights data, and ad-revenue royalty tracking across every territory.

Roku Channel, Platform Snapshot

100M+

Streaming Households Worldwide

Countries Available

AVOD

+ FAST + Premium Subs

Free

AVOD/FAST Tier (Premium Subs Paid)

Key Facts

Key Facts: Delivering to Roku Channel

Roku Channel operates as a device-native FAST and AVOD platform, pre-installed on every Roku streaming device and Roku TV. Unlike channel apps in the Roku Channel Store (which users must install), Roku Channel content is surfaced directly in the home screen experience, giving it structural distribution advantages over third-party FAST channels on the same platform.
Roku accepts content via a licensing deal with The Roku Channel team, with ongoing metadata and asset delivery typically handled through an MRSS or JSON feed (conforming to Roku's Content Feed specification) ingested by a Roku-approved aggregator such as Amagi or Wurl. the Roku Content Feed spec, the legacy self-service feed tool, was sunset on January 12, 2024 and is no longer a delivery path. Distributors who want to operate their own Roku channel (rather than license content into The Roku Channel) can still publish an SDK/SceneGraph-built app to the Roku Channel Store.
The deal structure is rev-share AVOD, similar to Tubi and Pluto TV. Content is free to viewers, revenue is generated from advertising, and distributors earn a percentage based on viewership. Licensing is typically non-exclusive, making Roku Channel stackable with other AVOD and FAST platforms simultaneously.

Content Profile

What Roku Channel Acquires and How Deals Work

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.

Roku Channel, Content & Deal Profile

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 (4 territories total as of April 2026)
Minimum Catalog	No strict minimum; larger catalogs negotiate direct deals with The Roku Channel team, smaller catalogs route through a Roku-approved aggregator (Amagi, Wurl)
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 Prime Video (with ads) simultaneously, maximizing ad-revenue across platforms from the same underlying rights without territorial exclusivity conflicts.

Avails Format

Roku Channel Avails Requirements

Roku Channel avails submission follows a content proposal and review process before a licensing deal with The Roku Channel team is finalized. Once approved, ongoing avails and metadata flow through a Roku-approved aggregator (Amagi, Wurl, and similar) via an MRSS or JSON feed built to Roku's Content Feed specification.

Roku Channel Avails, Key Fields

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 4 countries, specify each separately
License Start / End	Availability window dates in ISO 8601 format	Windows flow through the aggregator's MRSS/JSON feed and are reflected on Roku on the next feed crawl
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

Technical Specs

Video, Audio, and Caption Requirements

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.

Roku Channel Technical Specifications

Specification	Requirement
Video Codec	H.264 (AVC) high profile for HD, H.265/HEVC for 4K deliverables on capable devices
Container	MP4 or MOV for flat files; HLS or DASH adaptive streams accepted and often preferred by aggregators
Resolution	1920 × 1080 (HD), minimum 1280 × 720; 4K UHD accepted on capable devices
HDR (4K Titles)	Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HDR10+ supported on capable Roku devices
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	MRSS or JSON built to the Roku Content Feed spec, hosted at a stable public URL and ingested by a Roku-approved aggregator (Amagi, Wurl) on the distributor's behalf

Delivery

How Content Gets to Roku Channel

Roku Channel delivery is contract-driven: a licensing agreement with The Roku Channel content-partnerships team, followed by asset and metadata delivery through a Roku-approved aggregator (Amagi, Wurl) via an MRSS or JSON feed built to the Roku Content Feed specification.

Content Proposal

Submit catalog overview to Roku's content partnerships team. Include title list, genres, available territories, and performance data from other platforms if available.

Title Selection & Deal Agreement

Roku reviews and selects titles for the channel. Deal terms (rev-share percentage, window length, territories) are finalized in a content licensing agreement.

Aggregator Onboarding & Feed Build

Onboard with a Roku-approved aggregator (Amagi, Wurl, and similar) or, if publishing a standalone Roku Channel Store app, an SDK/SceneGraph developer path. Build an MRSS or JSON feed to Roku's Content Feed specification containing all metadata, availability windows, video URLs, artwork URLs, and caption file URLs for licensed titles. The aggregator hosts and delivers the feed on the distributor's behalf.

Asset Hosting & Feed Submission

Host video files (MP4 or HLS/DASH), caption files (SRT/VTT), and artwork at publicly accessible URLs. The aggregator delivers the feed to Roku; the distributor coordinates ingestion review through the Roku Partner Success Center.

QC & Ingestion

Roku runs technical QC against the feed and assets. Turnaround is typically 5-10 business days. Feed errors or asset rejections require corrections and feed re-submission.

Go Live & Ongoing Feed Updates

Content goes live on The Roku Channel. Subsequently, metadata changes, new titles, and expiring windows are managed by updating the aggregator's MRSS/JSON feed; Roku re-ingests on the aggregator's feed cycle without requiring manual re-delivery.

Pitfalls

Common Mistakes When Delivering to Roku Channel

Comparison

Manual Delivery vs. Molten Cloud

Manual Process

1-2 days

Per submission cycle (30 titles)

✗ Check AVOD/FAST rights per territory manually from contracts
✗ Build and maintain MRSS/JSON feed for Roku-approved aggregators by hand
✗ Track ad-revenue royalties in separate spreadsheets
✗ Monitor license expiration dates and update feed manually

With Molten Cloud

<15 min

Per submission cycle (30 titles)

✓ AVOD/FAST availability query: instant, from verified rights data
✓ Generate Roku Content Feed (MRSS/JSON) from verified rights in a few minutes
✓ AVOD revenue ingestion and royalty calculation automated
✓ Automated license expiration alerts and feed window updates (90, 60, 30 days)

Automation

How Molten Cloud Automates Roku Channel Delivery

Molten Cloud connects rights data directly to Roku Channel's feed-driven delivery workflow:

AVOD/FAST-specific avails generation. Molten Cloud queries the rights database for AVOD and FAST availability per territory, filtering out titles where only SVOD or TVOD rights exist. The generated avails and feed entries contain only titles with confirmed rights for each Roku Channel territory.
Roku Content Feed generation. Molten Cloud generates a Roku Content Feed-compliant MRSS or JSON feed from verified rights and metadata, including availability windows, genre taxonomy values, caption file references, and artwork URLs. The feed is formatted for ingestion by Roku-approved aggregators (Amagi, Wurl) or for an SDK-built Roku Channel Store app, and is maintained automatically as rights data changes, eliminating manual feed editing.
Ad-revenue royalty tracking. Roku Channel's AVOD rev-share model produces variable monthly revenue per title. Molten Cloud ingests Roku revenue reports, maps them to titles and territories, and calculates participant royalties automatically, no manual spreadsheet reconciliation required.
Cross-platform AVOD stacking. Because Roku Channel's deals are non-exclusive, the same content typically runs on multiple AVOD/FAST platforms simultaneously. Molten Cloud manages avails, feed delivery, and royalties across Roku Channel, Tubi, Pluto TV, and other AVOD services from the same rights database, ensuring consistent territorial tracking across all platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do distributors deliver content to Roku Channel?

Distributors deliver content to The Roku Channel through a licensing-first process: a content proposal is submitted to Roku's content-partnerships team for title selection and deal agreement. Approved titles are then delivered via an MRSS or JSON feed (built to Roku's Content Feed specification) ingested on the distributor's behalf by a Roku-approved aggregator such as Amagi or Wurl. the Roku Content Feed spec, the legacy self-service tool, was sunset on January 12, 2024 and is no longer a delivery path. Video assets (H.264 in MP4 or HLS/DASH, 1080p; H.265/HEVC for 4K), caption files (SRT/VTT), and artwork are hosted at URLs referenced in the feed. Roku and the aggregator re-ingest on a scheduled crawl cycle, so metadata updates and new titles are reflected automatically. The Roku Channel is primarily AVOD and FAST with non-exclusive licensing plus a Premium Subscriptions pass-through storefront, and distributors earn ad-revenue share on AVOD deals. Molten Cloud automates avails generation, Roku Content Feed (MRSS/JSON) creation, and ad-revenue royalty tracking from verified rights data.

What are Roku Channel's technical delivery requirements?

Roku Channel accepts video in H.264 within MP4 containers (H.265/HEVC for 4K) at minimum 1280×720 resolution (1920×1080 preferred) and optionally HLS or DASH adaptive streams, 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 16:9 (1920×1080 minimum) and 2:3 portrait (800×1200 minimum). 4K titles with HDR (Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+) are supported on capable Roku devices. The distinguishing characteristic of Roku Channel delivery in 2026 is that metadata and asset references flow through an MRSS or JSON Content Feed ingested by a Roku-approved aggregator (Amagi, Wurl) on the distributor's behalf rather than through a self-service portal.

Is Roku Channel non-exclusive for content licensing?

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, including Tubi, Pluto TV, Prime Video (with ads), 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.

How does Molten Cloud help with Roku Channel content delivery?

Molten Cloud automates Roku Channel delivery through four core capabilities: AVOD/FAST-specific avails generation (quick export of titles with confirmed rights per Roku territory), Roku Content Feed generation (automated MRSS or JSON Content Feed creation from rights and metadata, formatted for ingestion by Roku-approved aggregators like Amagi and Wurl and 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.