Howdy's dated $3/month ad-free streaming service said to have 1M subscribers

Six months after its launch, research firm Antenna estimates that the Howdy streaming service has more than 1 million subscribers.

Roku debuted Howdy in August. The subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service is $3 per month and doesn’t have commercials.

In an announcement today, Antenna estimated that almost 300,000 people signed up for Howdy in August and that the service gained 100,000 subscribers in each subsequent month.

Credit: Antenna Credit: Antenna

Roku initially only offered the service through The Roku Channel, which is Roku’s free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service. People can also subscribe to non-Roku streaming services, like Apple TV and HBO Max, through The Roku Channel. Since Howdy launched, it has represented 23 percent of all SVOD subscriptions made through The Roku Channel, Antenna said.

In March, Roku expanded Howdy’s distribution channels by making the service available through Amazon Prime Video and as a standalone iOS and Android app.

Howdy doesn’t claim to offer the latest and greatest TV shows or movies. In fact, part of its slogan is: “Almost everything you want to watch.” Currently, its list of featured movies is notably dated with titles including Brooklyn’s Finest (2009), Foxcatcher (2014), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Raw Deal (1986), and The Age of Innocence (1993). Under “recently added TV,” you’ll find All of Us (2003–2007), Mad TV (1995–2009), Nash Bridges (1996–2001), Nip/Tuck (2003–2010), and Southland (2010–2013).