BY SAHIL PATEL
GoPro wants to be a media company. It’s already got a nice headstart with a YouTube channel that reaches 2.7 million subscribers, and distribution partnerships with Xbox, LG, and Virgin America. Soon, the company will expand that reach by launching a channel on the Roku streaming platform.
The company said it plans to debut a GoPro channel on Roku later this spring, delivering on-demand content produced by GoPro as well as user-generated clips shot by people using its cameras.
The launch will net GoPro distribution one of the most popular TV streaming platforms in the U.S. Last September, Roku announced that it had topped 10 million sales in the U.S.
When it launches on Roku, the GoPro channel will come with featured playlists that offer premium content like “Deep Sea” and “Full Throttle,” as well as popular videos favorited or recently watched by users. Expect to see content from the company’s media partnerships as well. (For instance, the camera-maker recently announced a deal with the NHL to shoot live content from games using GoPro cameras on the ice—and on occasion—strapped to players.)
There will also be a “product discovery” element on the GoPro channel, which will tell users which GoPro products were used to “get the shot.” Which goes to show, while wanting to be a media company, GoPro is still well aware that it’s main source of revenue is getting people to buy its stuff.
Photo via Pete Prodoehl/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)