As RBR+TVBR first shared on Monday, ROXi, a free music video streaming app for TVs being made available to all in the U.S., is already turning heads as a possible new “share of ear” beneficiary.
While it is known that it will be made available to a vast majority of smart TV owners, what wasn’t previously known is how one of broadcast television’s biggest companies — and one of the key pushers of NEXTGEN TV — is backing ROXi as a partner.
At CES 2024 on Tuesday, it became known that ROXi’s rollout of fully interactive broadcast TV channels to U.S. consumers across 2024 is thanks to a strategic partnership between ROXi, a globally licensed music streaming company, and Sinclair Inc.
The Broadcast TV channels are possible through ROXi’s new innovative FastStream technology, which allows interactive TV channel experiences to be broadcast over ATSC 3.0-powered NEXTGEN TV stations.
While that is one benefit that Pearl TV and the ATSC has been sharing over the last several years, the role Sinclair is directly playing in helping ROXi is new and noteworthy.
Thanks to Sinclair, three interactive music channels — the ROXi Music Channel, the ROXi Music Karaoke Channel and the ROXi Music Games Channel — will be distributed.
“Through our strategic partnership with ROXi, we’re building a better and more interactive broadcast television experience,” said Skip Flenniken, VP/GM of Technology Business Development at Sinclair Inc. “We’re confident this partnership will help accelerate the adoption of NEXTGEN TV by delivering entertainment features that consumers will increasingly come to demand on their televisions.”
ROXi CEO Rob Lewis (pictured, top left, with international superstar Kylie Minogue) commented, “Our partnership with Sinclair will revolutionize what Broadcast TV means for millions of households across the U.S. Viewers will get instant access to TV music channels that feature the interactivity and capabilities of a music app, without having to download or launch an app. Our viewers will be able to pause, play and skip on Broadcast TV for the first time. It is a true revolution in linear TV, and we’re bringing it to homes across America with Sinclair in 2024.”
Yet, ROXi is also rolling out a free downloadable ROXi TV Music App across a variety of smart TVs, the focal point of Monday’s news.
And, ROXi has some heavyweights supporting its launch — it claims to be backed by Minogue as well as Simon Cowell, Sheryl Crow, Robbie Williams and U2’s Adam Clayton. Curated collections of high-quality music videos from acts including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Beyoncé are being marketed by ROXi.
While Radio may not be in ROXi’s sights, it could bring challenges to Loop Media, which produces decades-based music video FAST channels. “Unlike a traditional music TV channel viewers are able to pause the music, play and also skip to the next music video,” ROXi says. “They can also upgrade to the full Premium ad-free experience.”
