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Roku announces Disney partnership, YouTube channel in the works

Roku has been charming the pants off Google and the suspenders off Mickey. The media streaming company has shed light on both the development of a YouTube channel and a partnership with Disney. After an unofficial attempt at viral video stardom was quickly squashed by Google, Roku has confirmed via Facebook plans for a new YouTube channel. In another win for Roku addicts, the company launched a Disney channel where fans of the cartoon crew can ingest short form content from Disney.com, including animated shorts, movie trailers and music videos. As the first connected device to offer content from the Magic Kingdom, the friendship gives Roku some serious leverage over its competitors, just in time for the holiday spending spree.

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Disney Short-Form Videos Now Available on Roku
Short-Form Videos Including Movie Trailers, Music Videos and Video Clips Ready for Streaming on All Roku Players


SARATOGA, Calif., Sep 21, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Roku, Inc., the leading streaming platform today announced the addition of Disney to the Roku Channel Store. Now, all Roku customers can enjoy hundreds of short-form video clips from Disney.com including music videos, movie trailers and more. Fans of all ages will enjoy the collection of Disney videos that feature favorite Disney characters such as Winnie the Pooh and Lightning McQueen and singing sensations including the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez and AllStar Weekend.

"We're delighted to be the first player to stream this collection of Disney videos to consumers' TVs," said Roku Founder and CEO Anthony Wood. "Disney is synonymous with family-friendly entertainment and now Roku families can stream their Disney favorites for on-demand viewing on their TVs."

"We are excited to extend our extensive library of short-form videos from Disney.com onto Roku for more families to enjoy," said Kyle Laughlin, vice president, product development, Disney Interactive Media Group. "We look forward to working with Roku to roll out more content and new features in the months to come."

With its launch in May 2008 as the original Netflix /quotes/zigman/87598/quotes/nls/nflx NFLX +0.98% streaming player, Roku became the first streaming platform to take hold with mainstream American consumers. In 2009, Roku added the Roku Channel Store, the first true application store for the TV with an open software development platform for streaming entertainment to the TV. Since then, Roku is the partner of choice for content owners who want to reach TV viewers directly. The simplicity of the Roku platform sets it apart--allowing developers to quickly deploy content with a variety of monetization options.

With more than 300 entertainment channels, Roku players deliver the best collection of streaming entertainment, including movies and TV shows from Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video and Crackle; live and on-demand sports from NHL, MLS and UFC and more; music from Pandora, MOG, Rdio and TuneIn Radio; photos and videos from Facebook, Flickr and Vimeo; casual games including Angry Birds; plus news and entertainment from around the world.

Disney Interactive Media Group

Disney Interactive Media Group (DIMG), one of the world's largest creators of high-quality interactive entertainment across all platforms, is the segment of The Walt Disney Company responsible for the global creation and delivery of interactive entertainment, multi-platform video games, and lifestyle content across all current and emerging digital media platforms. DIMG produces and distributes a broad portfolio of content from its five primary lines of business: Disney Interactive Studios, Disney Online, Disney Online Studios, Disney Mobile, and Playdom. Products and content released and operated by DIMG include blockbuster online virtual worlds, #1-ranked community-family and parenting web destination* that includes Disney.com and the Disney Family network of websites, mobile applications, and video games.