Roku CEO mum on IPO plans
Fred Imbert
Tuesday, 6 Jan 2015 | 11:40 AM ET
CNBC.com
Roku's Chief Executive Anthony Wood remained quiet about the company's IPO plans.
"We can't talk about it," he told CNBC's "Squawk Alley" on Tuesday. "It's company policy."
Roku provides an online television streaming service that allows users to display content from Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, among others, into the television.
Wood added there are two major ways TV streaming is growing. "One way is through streaming players, and we're doing extremely well in that market," he said. "The other is through the so-called smart TVs."
He said smart TVs present a big opportunity for the company because of Roku's simple platform and the amount of content it provides. "Until now, most smart TVs that are on the market are hard to use with complicated menus and limited content choices," , Wood said.
The company is also focusing on 4K televisions because of the way 4K content will be delivered, Wood said. "Unlike in the past, when next-generation content was delivered in disks, content is going to be delivered by streaming," he said.
Wood said the launching of Sling TV, an online platform that allows users to stream content from ESPN, TNT and other channels, and HBO's HBO GO service are good for the company because they accelerate the availability of streaming content. "We're America's most powerful streaming player," he said. "We stream more hours every week than Chromecast, Apple TV and Fire TV combined, so we're competing very well."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102314187#.
=======================
Roku Looks Like IPO Magic
The timing for a Roku offering looks compelling as it follows on the success of GoPro
Oct 27, 2014, 12:45 pm EST | By Tom Taulli, InvestorPlace Writer & IPO Playbook Editor
Roku, which makes a leading device for streaming online video, is preparing for an initial public offering, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal (paywall) last Friday. The company is reportedly in discussions with underwriters like Bank of America (BAC) and Citigroup (C). While most of the details are still sketchy, the timing looks good for a Roku IPO.
Amazon TV Roku Roku Looks Like IPO MagicAs seen with last summer’s GoPro (GPRO) offering, there is plenty of investor interest in innovative consumer electronics companies. Since GPRO pulled off its IPO in late June, the shares clocked a return of nearly 200% before slipping some in October.
Can a Roku IPO can do something similar? Perhaps so.
Why Roku?
The Roku player is the mastermind of Anthony Wood, a pioneer of digital media. He was the former vice president of Internet TV at Netflix (NFLX) and even invented the digital video recorder (DVR). He also founded ReplayTV, which was ultimately sold to DirecTV (DTV). His vision for Roku is powerful. According to the company’s website, “Roku has always believed that anything you want to watch, listen to, and enjoy should simply be there on your TV, whenever you want it.”
With a Roku player, you can easily play over 1,800 channels on your TV, computer or mobile device. The content includes free channels, subscription channels from operators like Netflix and Hulu, as well as cable channels from HBOGo, Showtime Anytime, WatchESPN, WatchDisney, FOXNow, A&E and the HISTORY Channel. You can view all this content with a remote or even your iOS or Android device. With the flick of your wrist, you can even play games on a Roku.
All in all, the company has amassed a large footprint. It has sold over 10 million players in use since the launch in 2008. In the past year, sales were estimated at over 3.8 million units.
NEW: Vanguard's Best & Worst Funds for 2015 — If you have any money at Vanguard, please read this Special Report now. It names the Vanguard funds that will double your money... and the time bombs to avoid. Click here to download your FREE copy now.
More Growth Ahead
Roku sees plenty of additional opportunities to monetize its platform. For example, the company sells software applications to cable companies and also produces is own line of televisions. But the new venture that could have the biggest impact is the launch of a video ad network. It reportedly allows for high levels of targeting. Roku partnered with Facebook’s (FB) LiveRail division to pull this off.
The market opportunity for Roku is massive. According to media firm Magna Global, brands are expected to boost their spending on digital video from $8.3 billion in 2013 to $22.5 billion by 2017. This comes to a compound annual growth rate of about 28%.
Given the opportunity, it’s not surprising that Roku also faces intense competition. So far, Apple (AAPL) is the largest player, with over 20 million players on the market. But it also looks like Google (GOOG) is gaining ground with Chromecast. Amazon.com’s (AMZN) Fire TV is also showing promise. These companies have tremendous brands and resources, which could pose a threat to Roku.
The competitive risks may explain why it makes sense for Roku to go public soon. A deal would help provide not only more cash to better compete, but also more visibility.
Keep in mind, a Roku IPO will probably not happen this year because of the long SEC approval process. Instead, it’s likely an offering will get done sometime during the first quarter of 2015.
http://investorplace.com/ipo-playbook/roku-ipo/#.VLbJYIrF9Uk
Fred Imbert
Tuesday, 6 Jan 2015 | 11:40 AM ET
CNBC.com
Roku's Chief Executive Anthony Wood remained quiet about the company's IPO plans.
"We can't talk about it," he told CNBC's "Squawk Alley" on Tuesday. "It's company policy."
Roku provides an online television streaming service that allows users to display content from Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, among others, into the television.
Wood added there are two major ways TV streaming is growing. "One way is through streaming players, and we're doing extremely well in that market," he said. "The other is through the so-called smart TVs."
He said smart TVs present a big opportunity for the company because of Roku's simple platform and the amount of content it provides. "Until now, most smart TVs that are on the market are hard to use with complicated menus and limited content choices," , Wood said.
The company is also focusing on 4K televisions because of the way 4K content will be delivered, Wood said. "Unlike in the past, when next-generation content was delivered in disks, content is going to be delivered by streaming," he said.
Wood said the launching of Sling TV, an online platform that allows users to stream content from ESPN, TNT and other channels, and HBO's HBO GO service are good for the company because they accelerate the availability of streaming content. "We're America's most powerful streaming player," he said. "We stream more hours every week than Chromecast, Apple TV and Fire TV combined, so we're competing very well."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102314187#.
=======================
Roku Looks Like IPO Magic
The timing for a Roku offering looks compelling as it follows on the success of GoPro
Oct 27, 2014, 12:45 pm EST | By Tom Taulli, InvestorPlace Writer & IPO Playbook Editor
Roku, which makes a leading device for streaming online video, is preparing for an initial public offering, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal (paywall) last Friday. The company is reportedly in discussions with underwriters like Bank of America (BAC) and Citigroup (C). While most of the details are still sketchy, the timing looks good for a Roku IPO.
Amazon TV Roku Roku Looks Like IPO MagicAs seen with last summer’s GoPro (GPRO) offering, there is plenty of investor interest in innovative consumer electronics companies. Since GPRO pulled off its IPO in late June, the shares clocked a return of nearly 200% before slipping some in October.
Can a Roku IPO can do something similar? Perhaps so.
Why Roku?
The Roku player is the mastermind of Anthony Wood, a pioneer of digital media. He was the former vice president of Internet TV at Netflix (NFLX) and even invented the digital video recorder (DVR). He also founded ReplayTV, which was ultimately sold to DirecTV (DTV). His vision for Roku is powerful. According to the company’s website, “Roku has always believed that anything you want to watch, listen to, and enjoy should simply be there on your TV, whenever you want it.”
With a Roku player, you can easily play over 1,800 channels on your TV, computer or mobile device. The content includes free channels, subscription channels from operators like Netflix and Hulu, as well as cable channels from HBOGo, Showtime Anytime, WatchESPN, WatchDisney, FOXNow, A&E and the HISTORY Channel. You can view all this content with a remote or even your iOS or Android device. With the flick of your wrist, you can even play games on a Roku.
All in all, the company has amassed a large footprint. It has sold over 10 million players in use since the launch in 2008. In the past year, sales were estimated at over 3.8 million units.
NEW: Vanguard's Best & Worst Funds for 2015 — If you have any money at Vanguard, please read this Special Report now. It names the Vanguard funds that will double your money... and the time bombs to avoid. Click here to download your FREE copy now.
More Growth Ahead
Roku sees plenty of additional opportunities to monetize its platform. For example, the company sells software applications to cable companies and also produces is own line of televisions. But the new venture that could have the biggest impact is the launch of a video ad network. It reportedly allows for high levels of targeting. Roku partnered with Facebook’s (FB) LiveRail division to pull this off.
The market opportunity for Roku is massive. According to media firm Magna Global, brands are expected to boost their spending on digital video from $8.3 billion in 2013 to $22.5 billion by 2017. This comes to a compound annual growth rate of about 28%.
Given the opportunity, it’s not surprising that Roku also faces intense competition. So far, Apple (AAPL) is the largest player, with over 20 million players on the market. But it also looks like Google (GOOG) is gaining ground with Chromecast. Amazon.com’s (AMZN) Fire TV is also showing promise. These companies have tremendous brands and resources, which could pose a threat to Roku.
The competitive risks may explain why it makes sense for Roku to go public soon. A deal would help provide not only more cash to better compete, but also more visibility.
Keep in mind, a Roku IPO will probably not happen this year because of the long SEC approval process. Instead, it’s likely an offering will get done sometime during the first quarter of 2015.
http://investorplace.com/ipo-playbook/roku-ipo/#.VLbJYIrF9Uk
