Twitter Brings Video App To Roku Devices

Twitter might best be known as a microblogging service, but it’ll soon be heading to yet another video platform. Roku and Twitter announced Thursday that Twitter’s video app will now be available on Roku devices.

Through the app, users will be able to follow tweets and, more importantly, view live video offered by Twitter. The app release on Roku devices follows its rollout late last year on the Xbox One, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

Read: Twitter Plans To Broadcast Live Video Programming 24/7

Twitter confirmed the news through its official account:

For Twitter, the move onto Roku gives the company an expanded reach into many more home TVs, as Roku has both its standalone devices and software that’s integrated onto premium home TVs. In a blog post, Roku said the fact that Twitter users frequently tweet during live events played a role in the partnership.

“Watching TV and Tweeting are synonymous, especially during an exciting live event,” Roku said. “Having a conversation on Twitter with other viewers from around the world truly enhances the TV experience. Today we’re thrilled to bring that experience to the Roku platform.”

Most importantly for Twitter, it gives the social media service an additional platform for its increasingly widespread video strategy. In recent months, the company has invested heavily in video streaming in a bid to pair its main social media service with original content.

Earlier this week, Twitter announced a partnership with Bloomberg and also plans to launch a handful of new shows from partners like Buzzfeed, Major League Baseball and Vox Media. Last year, Twitter also streamed a handful of NFL games on its service though it since has lost the rights for the upcoming NFL season to Amazon.

Read: Twitter Is Testing A Bot That Can Handle User Complaints

When it comes to video, though, Twitter wants to make sure it can get its content to everyone who wants it. Notably, the app won’t require an account or a traditional cable login if you want to view streaming video. For the social media network, the reasoning makes sense — it wants to make sure as many users and general viewers as possible can view its content with minimal hoops to jump through.

Engaged users can also double as a means of generating additional ad revenue for Twitter. While the social media network saw strong user growth in its recent investor filing, it has struggled from consistent revenue declines in the past few quarters.