Roku and TelevisaUnivsion struck a deal that brings the paid tier of the ViX Spanish-language streaming service to the platform’s roster of Premium Subscription partners.
Roku, through its premium subscriptions, offers over 50 services to users in the U.S., who can sign up with one click and manage subscriptions in a single aggregated monthly bill.
“It’s never been easier for Roku users to find the premium content they want, and we're thrilled to connect millions of streamers with ViX’s unparalleled offering of Spanish-language entertainment and sports programming as a Premium Subscription,” said Randy Ahn, head of Monetization & Subscriptions at Roku, in a statement. “We look forward to harnessing the multitude of integrated discovery experiences unique to Roku to help introduce ViX to new audiences.”
Those that subscribe to TelevisaUnvision’s premium ViX tier will be able to access content on-demand, via The Roku Channel and through different portals on the platform such as Roku’s Sports experience or What to Watch features on the home screen menu. ViX’s paid plan debuted in July 2022 and just recently underwent a branding tweak to drop its original “ViX+” moniker, as management said the separate go-to-market names for its free ad-supported and premium ad-free tiers (which live within a single app) caused confusion for consumers. ViX’s premium plan costs $6.99 per month or $59.99 per year, with a 7-day free trial.
The service offers over 20,000 hours of entertainment content, including more than 70 ViX original series and movies. ViX also features around 7,000 hours of live sports games from leagues including, Liga MX, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and more. During TelevisiaUnvision’s first quarter earnings call, CEO Wade Davis said that soccer in particular continued to perform well on ViX, “driving between 20-30% of new subscribers.” Usage on ViX grew 26% in the first quarter in terms of total streaming hours.
Roku users will also be able to access ViX TV series and movies through The Roku Channel’s dedicated Spanish-language hub Espacio Latino.
“ViX continues to drive continued momentum with steadfast demand from viewers, and we’re pleased to further expand its footprint on Roku by joining its Premium Subscriptions lineup, enabling ViX to unlock new audiences through The Roku Channel and be top of mind with viewers through the integrated discovery experiences unique to the Roku platform,” said Adam Waltuch, EVP of Global Distribution and Streaming Partnerships at TelevisaUnivision, in a statement.
In terms of discovery experiences on the Roku platform, the streamer just marked a deal with another major SVOD – announcing earlier this week that Paramount+ signed on as the first entertainment brand to launch a custom Roku City Neighborhood. Roku City Neighborhoods feature brand-specific buildings, visuals and destinations that are front and center at the start and end of a viewer’s streaming session. Paramount+ Neighborhood will be viewable from May 25-29. In addition to the destinations and branding, viewers are also able to sign up and start watching promoted Paramount+ shows and movies.
Nearly 40 million homes access the Roku City digital downtown destination each month, according to Roku. And in the weeks since Roku announced the debut of Neighborhoods at its NewFront presentation in early May, the platform said its beta offering has already reached capacity with advertisers through Q3 2023.