# Fox is buying Roku **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 15, 2026, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914 "2026-06-15T17:21:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/21 "2026-06-15T23:36:51Z")
I agree; Lachlan Murdoch bought Roku because he wants to make money, not advance a political agenda. That Fox News does just that is because doing so makes money. The New York Times notes that he previously bought Tubi. It also says > The younger Mr. Murdoch has for years been orchestrating a series of moves to position the company to reach customers who are abandoning traditional TV. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/22 "2026-06-16T14:10:12Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > I use my Roku device mostly as a gateway to stream other paid subscription services Exclusively as in my case. Are specific Roku stuff something that actually matters to many? There was a time I think that certain services didn’t play nice with others, like YouTube not on … Amazon maybe? Is that still a thing? What is the difference practically between using Roku or any other interface? I assume there must be but my ignorance abounds! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/23 "2026-06-16T14:14:22Z")
That “specific Roku stuff” is the main reason I have Roku. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/24 "2026-06-16T14:16:38Z")
Well, I don’t know if it’s connected, but I have Roku and my picture is awful, I’ve lost some of my recorded shows and it takes a long time to load. I don’t know what the actual cause is, but maybe it’s this. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/25 "2026-06-16T14:21:59Z")
Again honest ignorance: what are they? ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/26 "2026-06-16T14:22:39Z")
There are different operating systems for the different streaming devices. The common operating systems are Roku, FireTV, GoogleTV, and WebOS. A streaming service written for one platform will only work on that platform. To support multiple devices, they need their service written for each device. It’s kind of like how apps are written for Apple and Windows operating systems. An app written for one can’t just be run on the other. If you are using a service which only has been written for Roku, then it will only work on Roku. The major services don’t have a problem developing for all the platforms, but a niche service won’t have that kind of development resource. A smaller service might only have the resources to write their streamer for one or two services. For them, it might be Roku or nothing. If a service is also available on the web, you might be able to cast it to your TV. Casting is where you can take video from your phone or computer and have it show up on your TV. It’s more of a hassle than bringing it up straight from the Roku, but it might be an alternative in some cases. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/27 "2026-06-16T14:35:12Z")
Here is a long list, but there are many others. [Roku Channel List 2026 - Channel Lineups](https://channellineups.com/roku/) And the official list. [Apps Channels | TV Apps | Roku Channel Store | Roku](https://channelstore.roku.com/browse/apps) And one of my many go-tos. [OtherWorlds TV Channels | TV Apps | Roku Channel Store | Roku](https://channelstore.roku.com/details/1fc08ac27f1a490328b54ced6a092925:7e8d86098ae17459e86f52d03c500a19/otherworlds-tv) ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/28 "2026-06-16T15:46:15Z")
Interesting. Of Roku native content, which material is possibly politically objectionable to Fox? (Two of our three sets are Roku and one a Fire; I find Roku a better interface but have never used any of its native content.) ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/29 "2026-06-16T15:48:41Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I don’t know what the actual cause is, but maybe it’s this. Considering the merger has only just been announced and won’t happen until some time in 2027 I highly doubt the 2 are related. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/30 "2026-06-16T16:09:35Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > What actual changes to content do people expect to happen in both the short and long term? The Trump administration will get angry whenever somebody says something unflattering about them. They will make threats against that somebody. If the somebody is associated with Roku, Fox will eliminate the association in order to make the Trump administration happy. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/31 "2026-06-16T16:12:28Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Of Roku native content, which material is possibly politically objectionable to Fox? Right wingers find reality to be politically objectionable. This week alone, the Trump administration has said that rain and algae are politically motivated attacks against them. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/32 "2026-06-16T16:52:57Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The Trump administration will get angry whenever somebody says something unflattering about them. They will make threats against that somebody. > > If the somebody is associated with Roku, Fox will eliminate the association in order to make the Trump administration happy. So when Stephen Colbert makes fun of Trump on his YouTube channel, you think Roku will eliminate the YouTube app? That is nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/33 "2026-06-16T18:53:08Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > So when Stephen Colbert makes fun of Trump on his YouTube channel, you think Roku will eliminate the YouTube app? That is nonsense. Is this supposed to be irony? Or are you genuinely saying that the Trump administration would never get mad about something Stephen Colbert said and then put pressure on the corporation that broadcast him. And that the corporation would cave to the Trump administration’s threats and take Colbert off the air. Is that what you’re saying could never happen? ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/34 "2026-06-16T19:03:01Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Or are you genuinely saying that the Trump administration would never get mad about something Stephen Colbert said and then put pressure on the corporation that broadcast him. Roku is not the corporation that broadcasts him, Alphabet is. What you are suggesting is more like the Trump administration putting pressure on Samsung because they make the TVs people watch Colbert on. Which is nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/35 "2026-06-16T19:06:18Z")
It’s nonsense why? Because the Trump administration has always demonstrated a sense of rationality and restraint? Let me repeat what I posted above: _This week alone, the Trump administration has said that rain and algae are politically motivated attacks against them._ ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/36 "2026-06-16T19:08:39Z")
Your point might hold water when Trump signs an executive order making rain and algae illegal. Just because the administration is irrational is not a reason to entertain irrational ideas as plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/37 "2026-06-16T19:20:09Z")
Same question I asked Munch. Are you saying that the Trump administration would never get mad about something Stephen Colbert said and then put pressure on the corporation that broadcast him? And that the corporation would cave to the Trump administration’s threats and take Colbert off the air? Is that what you’re saying is irrational and implausible? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/38 "2026-06-16T19:22:17Z")
Here’s the **current** CEO of Roku, Anthony Wood: > Wood has contributed significant sums to conservative political efforts. In March 2025, Wood individually contributed $1 million to the [super PAC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_PAC "Super PAC") Texans for a Conservative Majority.[[24]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wood_(businessman)#cite_note-Federal_Election_Commission_Receipt_Report-24) In addition, his combined contributions to Texans for Senator John Cornyn Inc., Alamo PAC, and Cornyn Victory Committee amount to $22,400 in 2024 and 2025.[[25]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wood_(businessman)#cite_note-Anthony_Wood_Individual_Contributions-25) Together with Texans for a Conservative Majority, these PACs are joint fundraising participants supporting the re-election of Texas Republican representative [John Cornyn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cornyn "John Cornyn") to the U.S. Senate in 2026.[[26]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wood_(businessman)#cite_note-26) In October 2024, Wood individually contributed $100,000 to the super PAC AFC Victory Fund.[[25]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wood_(businessman)#cite_note-Anthony_Wood_Individual_Contributions-25) The AFC Victory Fund supports the American Federation for Children (once called “Advocates for School Choice”) which is a 501(c)(4) organization that promotes [school choice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Choice_Saves "School Choice Saves") programs.[[27]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wood_(businessman)#cite_note-AFC_Affiliated_Super_PAC-27)[[28]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wood_(businessman)#cite_note-Advocates_for_School_Choice_Web_Archive-28)[[29]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wood_(businessman)#cite_note-ProPublica_Nonprofit_Explorer-29) In August 2022, Wood individually contributed $200,000 to Take Back the House 2022, a joint fundraising committee created to gain a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives during the [2022 United States elections](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_United_States_elections "2022 United States elections").[[25]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wood_(businessman)#cite_note-Anthony_Wood_Individual_Contributions-25) ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/39 "2026-06-16T19:27:45Z")
I’m saying it’s inaccurate (as I clearly stated above) because Roku **is not the corporation that broadcasts him** There is nothing for Roku to cave to because they only provide the equipment and software people use to watch him. Roku is a technology company, not a media company. Even Alphabet (the company that actually DOES broadcast Colbert) is not subject to FCC regulations and licensing. Your analogy to what happened with CBS is paranoid nonsense. I recommend re-reading the story of Chicken Little. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914/40 "2026-06-16T19:32:59Z")
I, in turn, recommend you re-read the thread title. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-is-buying-roku/1030914.md?page=3)