ROKU INC
For the period ended Jun 30, 2024. Filed Aug 2, 2024.
View on SEC.govAbout this filing
A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.
Jun 30, 2024 · Filed Aug 2, 2024
What changed in Risk Factors?
Read the current filingPrevious report: 10-Q
Period ended 2024-03-31; filed 2024-04-26.
0001428439-24-000019
Item 1A. Risk FactorsUnregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of ProceedsDefaults Upon Senior SecuritiesMine Safety DisclosuresOther InformationCurrent report: 10-Q
Period ended 2024-06-30; filed 2024-08-02.
0001428439-24-000034
Item 1A. Risk FactorsUnregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of ProceedsDefaults Upon Senior SecuritiesMine Safety DisclosuresOther InformationThe baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.
Compared 468 previous paragraphs and 466 current paragraphs.
384 unchanged; 74 reworded; 4 added; 6 removed; 4 previous and 4 current paragraphs rearranged.
Tables are not compared: 1 previous and 1 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.
A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.
Added paragraphs (4)
Current report
•our ability to operate and monetize The Roku Channel;
Current report
•our ability to obtain or maintain necessary or desirable licenses, certifications, or approvals related to our use or support of third-party technology, intellectual property, or services;
Current report
•data security incidents, including cybersecurity attacks, or other significant disruptions of our information technology systems that could adversely affect our business and subject us to liability;
Current report
Our products and services are designed to be compatible with numerous industry standards. In many cases, these industry standards have numerous associated patents known generally as standard essential patents (“SEPs”). Over time, SEP owners have increasingly turned away from licensing their SEPs through patent pools, preferring to license their portfolios directly. This has increased the number of licensors (since the patents are not pooled) and increased the time, cost, and difficulty of SEP licensing. If we are unable to obtain a license to a necessary SEP on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, or find a suitable substitute technology that complies with the industry standard, our customer and partner relationships, as well as the competitiveness of our products and services, and our business may be harmed.
Removed paragraphs (6)
Previous report
•our ability to obtain or maintain necessary or desirable third-party technology licenses;
Previous report
•significant disruptions of information technology systems or data security incidents;
Previous report
We have previously undertaken restructuring plans to adjust our investment priorities and manage our operating expenses, and we may do so again in the future. For example, in 2023, we approved measures to lower our year-over-year operating expense growth rate by consolidating our office space utilization, performing a strategic review of our content portfolio, reducing outside services expenses, and slowing our year-over-year headcount expense growth rate through workforce reductions and limiting new hires, among other measures.
Previous report
In addition to the threat of unauthorized access or acquisition of sensitive or personal information or intellectual property, other threats include the deployment of harmful malware, ransomware attacks, denial-of-service attacks, social engineering, credential stuffing, and other means to affect service reliability and threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. Some of these external threats may be amplified by the nature of our third-party web hosting, cloud computing, or network-dependent streaming services or suppliers. Our systems regularly experience directed attacks that are intended to interrupt our operations; interrupt our users’, content partners’, and advertisers’ ability to access our platform; extract money from us; or view or obtain our data (including without limitation user or employee personal information or proprietary information) or intellectual property. We cannot be certain that threat actors will not have a material impact on our systems or services in the future. Our safeguards intended to prevent or mitigate certain threats may not be sufficient to protect our information technology systems and data due to the developing sophistication and means of attack in the threat landscape as well as the impact that third-party vendors and third-party products may have on our cybersecurity.
Previous report
In addition, any actual or perceived failure by us, our vendors, or our business partners to comply with our privacy, confidentiality, or data security-related legal or other obligations to third parties, or any further security incidents or other unauthorized access events that result in the unauthorized access, release, or transfer of sensitive information (which could include personal information), may result in governmental inquiries and investigations, enforcement actions, regulatory fines, litigation, or public statements against us by advocacy groups or others, and could cause third parties, including current and potential partners, to lose trust in us (including existing or potential users’ perceiving our platform, system, or networks as less desirable) or we could be subject to claims by third parties that we have breached our privacy- or confidentiality-related obligations, which could materially and adversely affect our business and prospects. There can be no assurance that the limitations of liability in our contracts would be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise protect us from liabilities or damages. Moreover, data security incidents and other inappropriate access can be difficult to detect, and any delay in identifying them may lead to increased harm of the type described above. While we have implemented security measures intended to protect our information technology systems and infrastructure, as well as the personal and proprietary information that we possess or control, there can be no assurance that such measures will successfully prevent service interruptions or further security incidents.
Reworded paragraphs (74)
Previous wording
Our business involves significant risks, some of which are described below. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all the other information in this Quarterly Report, including “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, revenue, and future prospects could be seriously harmed. In addition, you should consider the interrelationship and compounding effects of two or more risks occurring simultaneously. Unless otherwise indicated, references to our business being harmed in these risk factors will include harm to our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, revenue, and future prospects. In that event, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. You should not interpret our disclosure of any of the following risks to imply that such risks have not already materialized. The risks facing our business have not changed substantively from those discussed in our Annual Report, filed with the SEC on February 16, 2024, except for those risks marked with an asterisk (*).
Current wording
Our business involves significant risks, some of which are described below. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all the other information in this Quarterly Report, including “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, revenue, key performance metrics (including Streaming Households, Streaming Hours, ARPU, and Free Cash Flow), and future prospects could be seriously harmed. In addition, you should consider the interrelationship and compounding effects of two or more risks occurring simultaneously. Unless otherwise indicated, references to our business being harmed in these risk factors will include harm to our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, revenue, key performance metrics, and future prospects. In that event, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. You should not interpret our disclosure of any of the following risks to imply that such risks have not already materialized. The risks facing our business have not changed substantively from those discussed in our Annual Report, filed with the SEC on February 16, 2024, except for those risks marked with an asterisk (*).
Previous wording
•our ability to grow revenues from streaming TV advertising on our platform;
Current wording
•our ability to grow revenues from advertising on our platform;
Previous wording
•our ability to successfully run our demand-side platform and work with other third-party demand sources;
Current wording
•our ability to successfully work with third-party demand sources and run our demand-side platform;
Previous wording
•irrelevant or unengaging advertising campaigns on our platform;
Current wording
•irrelevant or unengaging advertising campaigns on our streaming platform;
Previous wording
In addition, many TV brands offer their own TV streaming solutions within their TVs. Other devices, such as game consoles, also incorporate TV streaming functionality. Similarly, some service operators, such as Comcast and Charter Communications (and their joint venture, Xumo, LLC), offer TV streaming applications and devices as part of their cable service plans and can leverage their existing user bases, installation networks, broadband delivery networks, and name recognition to gain traction in TV streaming. If viewers of TV streaming content prefer alternative products to Roku streaming devices, we may not be able to achieve our expected growth in Streaming Households, Streaming Hours, platform revenue, gross profit, Free Cash Flow, or ARPU.
Current wording
In addition, many TV brands offer their own TV streaming solutions within their TVs. Other devices, such as game consoles, also incorporate TV streaming functionality. Similarly, some service operators, such as Comcast and Charter Communications (and their joint venture, Xumo, LLC), offer TV streaming applications and devices as part of their cable service plans and can leverage their existing user bases, installation networks, broadband delivery networks, and name recognition to gain traction in TV streaming. If viewers of TV streaming content prefer alternative products to Roku streaming devices, we may not be able to achieve our expected growth in platform revenue, gross profit, and our key performance metrics.
Previous wording
We expect competition in TV streaming from the large companies and service operators described above, as well as new and growing companies, to continue to increase in the future. This increased competition could result in pricing pressure, lower revenue and gross profit, or the failure of Roku streaming devices, our platform or our other products to gain or maintain broad market acceptance. To remain competitive and maintain our position as a leading TV streaming platform, we need to continuously invest in our platform, product development, marketing, service and support, and device distribution infrastructure. In addition, evolving TV standards and unknown future developments may require further investments in the development of Roku streaming devices, our platform and our other products. We may not have sufficient resources to continue to make the investments needed to maintain our competitive position. In addition, many of our competitors have longer operating histories, greater name recognition, larger customer bases and significantly greater financial, technical, sales, marketing, and other resources than us, which provide them with advantages in developing, marketing, or servicing new products and offerings. As a result, they may be able to respond more quickly to market demand, devote greater resources to the development, promotion, sales, and distribution of their products or their content, and influence market acceptance of their products better than we can. These competitors may also be able to adapt more quickly to new or emerging technologies or standards and may be able to deliver products and services at a lower cost. Increased competition could reduce our sales volume, revenue, and operating margins, increase our operating costs, harm our competitive position, and otherwise harm our business.
Current wording
We expect competition in TV streaming from the large companies and service operators described above, as well as new and growing companies, to continue to increase in the future. This increased competition could result in pricing pressure, lower revenue and gross profit, declines in our key performance metrics, or the failure of Roku streaming devices, our streaming platform, or our other products to gain or maintain broad market acceptance. To remain competitive and maintain our position as a leading TV streaming platform, we need to continuously invest in our platform, product development, marketing, service and support, and device distribution infrastructure. In addition, evolving TV standards and unknown future developments may require further investments in the development of Roku streaming devices, our streaming platform, and our other products. We may not have sufficient resources to continue to make the investments needed to maintain our competitive position. In addition, many of our competitors have longer operating histories, greater name recognition, larger customer bases and significantly greater financial, technical, sales, marketing, and other resources than us, which provide them with advantages in developing, marketing, or servicing new products and offerings. As a result, they may be able to respond more quickly to market demand, devote greater resources to the development, promotion, sales, and distribution of their products or their content, and influence market acceptance of their products better than we can. These competitors may also be able to adapt more quickly to new or emerging technologies or standards and may be able to deliver products and services at a lower cost. Increased competition could reduce our sales volume, revenue, and operating margins, increase our operating costs, harm our competitive position, and otherwise harm our business.
Previous wording
Our future growth depends our ability to grow revenues from streaming TV advertising on our platform.
Current wording
Our future growth depends our ability to grow revenues from advertising on our streaming platform.*
Previous wording
We operate in a highly competitive advertising industry and compete for revenue from advertising with other streaming platforms and services, including social media and other digital platforms, as well as traditional media, such as radio, broadcast, cable and satellite TV, and satellite and internet radio. These competitors offer content and other advertising mediums that may be more attractive to advertisers than our streaming platform. These competitors are often very large and have more advertising experience and financial resources than we do, which may adversely affect our ability to compete for advertisers and may result in lower revenue and gross profit from advertising. For example, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video have launched ad-supported tiers in their streaming services, which has further increased competition for streaming TV advertising revenue. These services, as well as other services such as YouTube, Tubi, and Pluto, sell (either through direct sales or programmatically through third parties) ad inventory in their ad supported content that is distributed on our platform. If we are unable to increase our revenue from advertising by, among other things, continuing to improve our platform’s capabilities to further optimize and measure advertisers’ campaigns, increasing our advertising inventory and reach, and maintaining a strong advertising sales team and programmatic capabilities, our business and our growth prospects may be harmed. We may not be able to compete effectively or adapt to any such changes or trends, which would harm our ability to grow our advertising revenue and would harm our business.
Current wording
We operate in a highly competitive advertising industry and compete for revenue from advertising with other streaming platforms and services, including social media and other digital platforms, as well as traditional media, such as radio, broadcast, cable and satellite TV, and satellite and internet radio. These competitors offer content and other advertising mediums that may be more attractive to advertisers than our streaming platform. These competitors are often very large and have more advertising experience and financial resources than we do, which may adversely affect our ability to compete for advertisers and may result in lower revenue and gross profit from advertising, and lower ARPU and Free Cash Flow. For example, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video have launched ad-supported tiers in their streaming services, which has further increased competition for streaming TV advertising revenue. These services, as well as other services such as YouTube, Tubi, and Pluto, sell (either through direct sales or programmatically through third parties) ad inventory in their adsupported content that is distributed on our streaming platform. If we are unable to increase our revenue from advertising by, among other things, continuing to improve our streaming platform’s capabilities to further optimize and measure advertisers’ campaigns; continuing to increase our streaming platform’s reach; increasing, differentiating, and selling our advertising inventory, including video ad inventory we sell in The Roku Channel, video ad inventory that we acquire through our streaming services distribution agreements, and native display ads on the Roku Home Screen and throughout our streaming platform; innovating our ad product offerings; and maintaining a strong advertising sales team and programmatic capabilities, our business and our growth prospects may be harmed. We may not be able to compete effectively or adapt to industry changes or trends, which would harm our ability to grow our advertising revenue and would harm our business.
Previous wording
Many advertisers continue to devote a substantial portion of their advertising budgets to advertising in traditional media or on other digital platforms, such as traditional TV, radio, print publications, and social media. The future growth of our business depends on the growth of streaming TV advertising and on advertisers increasing their spending on advertising on our platform. Although traditional TV advertisers have shown growing interest in streaming TV advertising, we cannot be certain that their interest will continue to increase or that they will not revert to traditional TV advertising or shift their advertising spending to social media and other digital platforms (rather than to us). In addition, if we are unable to compete with social media and other digital platforms to win business from advertisers and advertising agencies who have traditionally advertised on these platforms, such as direct-to-consumer and small or medium-sized businesses, our ability to grow our business may be limited. If advertisers, or their agency relationships, do not perceive meaningful benefits of streaming TV advertising, the market may develop more slowly than we expect, which could adversely impact our operating results and our ability to grow our business.
Current wording
Many advertisers continue to devote a substantial portion of their advertising budgets to advertising in traditional media or on other digital platforms, such as traditional TV, radio, print publications, and social media. The future growth of our business depends on the growth of advertising on TV streaming platforms and on advertisers increasing their spending on advertising on our streaming platform. Although traditional TV advertisers have shown growing interest in advertising on TV streaming platforms, we cannot be certain that their interest will continue to increase or that they will not revert to traditional TV advertising or shift their advertising spending to social media and other digital platforms (rather than to us). In addition, if we are unable to compete with social media and other digital platforms to win business from advertisers and advertising agencies who have traditionally advertised on these platforms, such as direct-to-consumer and small or medium-sized businesses, our ability to grow our business may be limited. If advertisers, or their agency relationships, do not perceive meaningful benefits of advertising on streaming TV platforms, the market may develop more slowly than we expect, which could adversely impact our operating results and our ability to grow our business.
Previous wording
Our business model depends on our ability to generate platform revenue from advertisers and content partners. We generate platform revenue primarily from the sale of digital advertising (including direct and programmatic video advertising, media and entertainment promotional spending, and related services) and streaming services distribution (including subscription and transaction revenue shares, the sale of Premium Subscriptions, and the sale of branded app buttons on remote controls). As such, we are seeking to expand the number of Streaming Households and increase Streaming Hours in an effort to create additional platform revenue opportunities. As our user base grows and as we increase the amount of content offered and streamed across our platform, we must effectively monetize our expanding user base and streaming activity. The total number of Streaming Hours, however, does not correlate with platform revenue on a period-by-period basis, primarily because we do not monetize every hour streamed or every user on our platform. Moreover, Streaming Hours on our platform are measured whenever a Roku streaming device is streaming content, whether a viewer is actively watching or not. For example, if a player is connected to a TV, and the viewer turns off the TV, steps away, or falls asleep and does not stop or pause the player, then the particular streaming app may continue to play content for a period of time determined by the streaming app (although all Roku devices include a Roku OS feature that is designed to identify when content has been continuously streaming on an app for an extended period of time without user interaction, which periodically prompts the user to confirm that they are still watching the selected app and closes the app if the user does not respond affirmatively).
Current wording
Our business model depends on our ability to generate platform revenue from advertisers and content partners through ad-supported content and native display ads. We generate platform revenue primarily from the sale of digital advertising (including direct and programmatic video advertising, media and entertainment promotional spending, and related services) and streaming services distribution (including subscription and transaction revenue shares, the sale of Premium Subscriptions, and the sale of branded app buttons on remote controls). As such, we are seeking to expand the number of Streaming Households and increase Streaming Hours in an effort to create additional platform revenue opportunities. As our user base grows and as we increase the amount of content offered and streamed across our platform, we must effectively monetize our expanding user base and streaming activity. The total number of Streaming Hours, however, does not correlate with platform revenue on a period-by-period basis, primarily because we do not monetize every hour streamed or every user on our platform. Moreover, Streaming Hours on our platform are measured whenever a Roku streaming device is streaming content, whether a viewer is actively watching or not. For example, if a player is connected to a TV, and the viewer turns off the TV, steps away, or falls asleep and does not stop or pause the player, then the particular streaming app may continue to play content for a period of time determined by the streaming app (although all Roku devices include a Roku OS feature that is designed to identify when content has been continuously streaming on an app for an extended period of time without user interaction, which periodically prompts the user to confirm that they are still watching the selected app and closes the app if the user does not respond affirmatively).
Previous wording
Our ability to deliver advertisements relevant to our users and to increase our platform’s value to advertisers and content partners depends on the collection of user engagement data, which may be restricted or prevented by a number of factors, including the evolving data protection legal landscape. Users may decide to opt out or restrict our ability to collect viewing data or to provide them with more relevant advertisements. Content partners may also refuse to allow us to collect data regarding user engagement or refuse to implement mechanisms we request to ensure compliance with our legal obligations or technical requirements. For example, we are not able to fully utilize program level viewing data from many of our most popular apps to improve the relevancy of advertisements provided to our users.
Current wording
Our ability to deliver advertisements relevant to our users and to increase our streaming platform’s value to advertisers and content partners depends on the collection of user engagement data, which may be restricted or prevented by a number of factors, including the evolving data protection legal landscape. Users may decide to opt out or restrict our ability to collect viewing data or to provide them with more relevant advertisements. Content partners may also refuse to allow us to collect data regarding user engagement or refuse to implement mechanisms we request to ensure compliance with our legal obligations or technical requirements. For example, we are not able to fully utilize program level viewing data from many of our most popular apps to improve the relevancy of advertisements provided to our users.
Previous wording
Other apps available on our platform, such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Hulu, and YouTube, are focused on increasing user engagement and time spent within their apps by allowing users to purchase additional content and streaming services within their apps; when users purchase these additional services within these apps, we may earn less revenue than when the services are purchased directly from us. If our users spend most of their time within particular apps where we have limited or no ability to place advertisements or leverage user information, or our users opt out from our ability to collect data for use in providing more relevant advertisements, we may not be able to achieve our expected growth in platform revenue or gross profit. Additionally, our distribution agreements with our most popular apps are renegotiated periodically; thus, even if we are currently able to monetize Streaming Hours within an app, we may not be able to do so in the future. If we are unable to further monetize our streaming platform, our business may be harmed.
Current wording
Other apps available on our streaming platform, such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Hulu, and YouTube, are focused on increasing user engagement and time spent within their apps by allowing users to purchase additional content and streaming services within their apps; when users purchase these additional services within these apps, we may earn less revenue than when the services are purchased directly from us. If our users spend most of their time within particular apps where we have limited or no ability to place advertisements or leverage user information, or our users opt out from our ability to collect data for use in providing more relevant advertisements, we may not be able to achieve our expected growth in platform revenue, gross profit, or key performance metrics. Additionally, our distribution agreements with our most popular apps are renegotiated periodically; thus, even if we are currently able to monetize Streaming Hours within an app, we may not be able to do so in the future. If we are unable to further monetize our streaming platform, our business may be harmed.
Previous wording
Our efforts to monetize our streaming platform through ad-supported content may not continue to grow as we expect, and our platform revenue growth has been, and may continue to be, lower than expected due to advertisers significantly curtailing or pausing advertising spending due to inflationary pressures, recessionary fears or other reasons that are out of our control. In addition, advertisers’ spending commitments, such as those we obtain in connection with annual TV Upfront presentations, are typically not fully binding, and the revenue we receive from such commitments may be less than the initially committed amount. This means that in order to materially increase the monetization of our streaming platform through the sale of video advertising, we will need to attract significantly more advertising dollars to our streaming platform as well as deliver ad-supported content that results in our users streaming significantly more ad-supported content. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in monetizing our streaming platform through the distribution of ad-supported content.
Current wording
Our efforts to monetize our streaming platform may not continue to grow as we expect, and our platform revenue growth has been, and may continue to be, lower than expected due to advertising inventory supply and demand imbalances, advertisers significantly curtailing or pausing advertising spending due to inflationary pressures, recessionary fears, or other reasons that are out of our control, or competitive pressures from video ad offerings on other TV streaming platforms or services. In addition, advertisers’ spending commitments, such as those we obtain in connection with annual TV Upfront presentations, are typically not fully binding, and the revenue we receive from such commitments may be less than the initially committed amount. This means that in order to materially increase the monetization of our streaming platform through the sale of video advertising, we will need to attract significantly more advertising dollars to our streaming platform as well as deliver ad-supported content that results in our users streaming significantly more ad-supported content. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in monetizing our streaming platform through the distribution of ad-supported content.
Previous wording
If we are not successful in running a demand-side platform (“DSP”) or in working with other third-party demand sources, our business may be harmed.*
Current wording
If we are not successful in working with third-party demand sources or in running our demand-side platform (“DSP”), our business may be harmed.*
Previous wording
If popular or new content publishers do not publish content on our platform, we may fail to retain existing users and attract new users.
Current wording
If popular or new content publishers do not publish content on our streaming platform, we may fail to retain existing users and attract new users.*
Previous wording
We must continuously maintain existing relationships and identify and establish new relationships with content publishers to provide popular streaming apps, streaming app features, and content. In order to remain competitive, we must consistently meet user demand for popular streaming apps, streaming app features, and content, particularly as we launch new streaming devices, introduce new TVs powered by the Roku OS, or enter new markets, including international markets. If we are not successful in helping our content publishers launch and maintain streaming apps and streaming app features that attract and retain a significant number of users on our streaming platform or if we are not able to do so in a cost-effective manner, our business will be harmed. Our ability to successfully help content publishers maintain and expand their app offerings on a cost-effective basis largely depends on our ability to:
Current wording
We must continuously maintain existing relationships and identify and establish new relationships with content publishers to provide popular streaming apps, streaming app features, and content. In order to remain competitive, we must consistently meet user demand for popular streaming apps, streaming app features, and content, particularly as we launch new streaming devices, introduce new TVs powered by the Roku OS, or enter new markets, including international markets. This may be challenging as the industry continues to evolve, including through consolidation of content publishers, joint ventures among content publishers, and licensing of content between content publishers. If we are not successful in helping our content publishers launch and maintain streaming apps and streaming app features that attract and retain a significant number of users on our streaming platform or if we are not able to do so in a cost-effective manner, our business will be harmed. Our ability to successfully help content publishers maintain and expand their app offerings on a cost-effective basis largely depends on our ability to:
Previous wording
In addition, if service operators, including traditional TV providers, refuse to grant our users access to stream certain apps or only make content available on devices they prefer, our ability to offer a broad selection of popular streaming apps or content may be limited. If we fail to help our content publishers maintain and expand their audiences on our platform or their apps are not available on our platform, our business may be harmed.
Current wording
In addition, if service operators, including traditional TV providers, refuse to grant our users access to stream certain apps or only make content available on devices they prefer, our ability to offer a broad selection of popular streaming apps or content may be limited. If we fail to help our content publishers maintain and expand their audiences on our streaming platform or their apps are not available on our streaming platform, our business may be harmed.
Previous wording
The loss of such apps or app features from our streaming platform for any period of time may harm our business. More broadly, if we fail to maintain our relationships with the content partners on terms favorable to us, or at all, or if these content partners face problems in delivering their content across our platform, we may lose app partners or users and our streaming device sales, Streaming Household growth, and engagement may be harmed.
Current wording
The loss of such apps or app features from our streaming platform for any period of time may harm our business. More broadly, if we fail to maintain our relationships with the content partners on terms favorable to us, or at all, or if these content partners face problems in delivering their content across our streaming platform, we may lose app partners or users and our streaming device sales, Streaming Household growth, and engagement may be harmed.
Previous wording
If we are unable to maintain an adequate supply of quality video ad inventory on our platform or generate sufficient demand to effectively sell our available video ad inventory, our business may be harmed.
Current wording
If we are unable to maintain an adequate supply of quality video ad inventory on our streaming platform or generate sufficient demand to effectively sell our available video ad inventory, our business may be harmed.*
Previous wording
Our business model depends on our ability to grow video ad inventory on our streaming platform and sell it to advertisers. While The Roku Channel has historically served as a valuable source of video ad inventory for us to sell, there is no guarantee that it will continue to do so in the future. If The Roku Channel is unable to secure content that is appealing to our users and advertisers, or is unable to do so on terms that provide a sufficient supply of ad inventory at reasonable cost, our supply of video ad inventory will be negatively impacted. We are also dependent on our ability to monetize video ad inventory within other ad-supported apps on our streaming platform. We seek to obtain the ability to sell such inventory from the content partners of such apps. We may fail to attract content partners that generate a sufficient quantity or quality of ad-supported content hours on our streaming platform or fail to obtain access to a sufficient quantity and quality of ad inventory from the publishers of such content. Our access to video ad inventory in ad-supported streaming apps on our platform varies greatly among apps. Accordingly, we may not have access to a significant portion of the video ad inventory on our platform. For certain apps, including YouTube’s ad-supported app, we have no access to video ad inventory at this time and we may not secure access in the future. Moreover, when existing SVOD services introduce new ad-supported tiers to their streaming services, we have in the past and in the future may not be able to reach agreement on access to video ad inventory on these tiers on mutually agreeable terms, or at all. The amount, quality, and cost of video ad inventory available to us can change at any time. If we are unable to grow and maintain a sufficient supply of quality video ad inventory at reasonable costs to keep up with demand, our business may be harmed. Further, even if we have an adequate supply of quality video ad inventory, we may not be able to generate sufficient demand for such ad inventory or sell the ad inventory at our desired price. If we are unable to effectively sell our available video ad inventory, our business may be harmed.
Current wording
Our business model depends on our ability to grow video ad inventory on our streaming platform and sell it to advertisers. While The Roku Channel has historically served as a valuable source of video ad inventory for us to sell, there is no guarantee that it will continue to do so in the future. If The Roku Channel is unable to secure content that is appealing to our users and advertisers, or is unable to do so on terms that provide a sufficient supply of ad inventory at reasonable cost, our supply of video ad inventory will be negatively impacted. We are also dependent on our ability to monetize video ad inventory within other ad-supported apps on our streaming platform. We seek to obtain the ability to sell such inventory from the content partners of such apps. We may fail to attract content partners that generate a sufficient quantity or quality of ad-supported content hours on our streaming platform or fail to obtain access to a sufficient quantity and quality of ad inventory from the publishers of such content. Our access to video ad inventory in ad-supported streaming apps on our streaming platform varies greatly among apps. Accordingly, we may not have access to a significant portion of the video ad inventory on our streaming platform. For certain apps, including YouTube’s ad-supported app, we have no access to video ad inventory at this time and we may not secure access in the future. Moreover, when existing SVOD services introduce new ad-supported tiers to their streaming services, we have in the past and in the future may not be able to reach agreement on access to video ad inventory on these tiers on mutually agreeable terms, or at all. The amount, quality, and cost of video ad inventory available to us can change at any time. If we are unable to grow and maintain a sufficient supply of quality video ad inventory at reasonable costs to keep up with demand, our business may be harmed. Further, even if we have an adequate supply of quality video ad inventory, we may not be able to generate sufficient demand for such ad inventory or sell the ad inventory at our desired price. If we are unable to effectively sell our available video ad inventory, our business may be harmed.
Previous wording
If the advertising campaigns on our platform decrease, or the campaigns that run are not relevant or not engaging to our users, our business may be adversely impacted.*
Current wording
If the advertising campaigns on our streaming platform decrease, or the campaigns that run are not relevant or not engaging to our users, our business may be adversely impacted.*
Previous wording
We have made, and are continuing to make, investments to engage with more advertisers and content partners, and enable them to deliver more relevant advertising campaigns to our viewers. However, a small number of content partners historically have accounted for a significant portion of the media and entertainment promotional spending campaigns on our platform, and consolidation among content partners has in the past resulted, and may in the future result, in decreased media and entertainment promotional spending campaigns on our platform. If our content partners decrease the media and entertainment promotional spending campaigns on our platform, our financial condition and operating results may suffer, and our business may be harmed.
Current wording
We have made, and are continuing to make, investments to engage with more advertisers and content partners, and enable them to deliver more relevant advertising campaigns to our viewers. However, a small number of content partners historically have accounted for a significant portion of the media and entertainment promotional spending campaigns on our streaming platform, and consolidation among content partners has in the past resulted, and may in the future result, in decreased media and entertainment promotional spending campaigns on our streaming platform. If our content partners decrease the media and entertainment promotional spending campaigns on our streaming platform, our financial condition and operating results may suffer, and our business may be harmed.
Previous wording
We are subject to various risks in connection with our operation of The Roku Channel.
Current wording
We are subject to various risks in connection with our operation and monetization of The Roku Channel.*
Previous wording
We operate The Roku Channel, which offers ad-supported free access for users to a collection of films, television series, live linear television, and other content. We have incurred, and will continue to incur, costs and expenses in connection with the development, expansion, and operation of The Roku Channel, which we monetize primarily through advertising. For example, we previously acquired content rights, including rights to certain projects in development, from the mobile-first video distribution service known as Quibi, and made The Roku Channel the home of such content. In addition, we acquired the entities comprising the This Old House business, which own and produce the “This Old House” and “Ask This Old House” TV programs and operate related business lines, to further the growth strategy and ad-supported content offerings in The Roku Channel. We also commission original content that we own and distribute on The Roku Channel. From time to time, we may remove underperforming content from The Roku Channel and record an impairment charge related to such removal, as we did in fiscal year 2023.
Current wording
We operate The Roku Channel, which offers ad-supported free access for users to a collection of films, television series, live linear television, and other content. We have incurred, and will continue to incur, costs and expenses in connection with the development, expansion, and operation of The Roku Channel, which we monetize primarily through advertising. We also commission original content that we own and distribute on The Roku Channel. From time to time, we may remove underperforming content from The Roku Channel and record an impairment charge related to such removal, as we did in fiscal year 2023 and during the three months ended June 30, 2024.
Previous wording
If our users sign up for offerings and services outside of our platform or through other apps on our platform, our business may be harmed.
Current wording
If our users sign up for offerings and services outside of our streaming platform or through other apps on our streaming platform, our business may be harmed.
Previous wording
We earn revenue by acquiring subscribers for certain of our content partners activated on or through our platform, including Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel, which allow our users to pay for content from various content partners. If users reduce the degree to which they use our platform for these purchases or subscriptions for any reason, and instead increase the degree to which they pay for services directly with content partners or by other means for which we do not receive attribution, our business may be harmed.
Current wording
We earn revenue by acquiring subscribers for certain of our content partners activated on or through our streaming platform, including Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel, which allow our users to pay for content from various content partners. If users reduce the degree to which they use our streaming platform for these purchases or subscriptions for any reason, and instead increase the degree to which they pay for services directly with content partners or by other means for which we do not receive attribution, our business may be harmed.
Previous wording
In addition, certain apps available on our platform allow users to purchase additional streaming services from within those apps. The revenue we earn from these transactions is not always equivalent to the revenue we earn from sales of such additional services on a stand-alone basis through our platform. If users increase their spending on such in-app transactions at the expense of stand-alone purchases through our platform, our business may be harmed.
Current wording
In addition, certain apps available on our streaming platform allow users to purchase additional streaming services from within those apps. The revenue we earn from these transactions is not always equivalent to the revenue we earn from sales of such additional services on a stand-alone basis through our streaming platform. If users increase their spending on such in-app transactions at the expense of stand-alone purchases through our streaming platform, our business may be harmed.
Previous wording
Our retailers and distributors also sell products that compete with our products and our licensed Roku TV partners’ products, including house-branded televisions sold by such retailers that utilize TV operating systems other than the Roku OS. We have no minimum purchase commitments or long-term contracts with any of these retailers or distributors, and there can be no assurance that we will reach agreements with our retailers and distributors on terms we find acceptable or that will be consistent with our past practices. We may be reliant on certain retailers or distributors. Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart in total accounted for 69% and 56% of our devices revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023, respectively. Furthermore, our licensed Roku TV partners may be reliant on the same retailers and distributors or other retailers and distributors for a significant portion of their unit sales of Roku TV models. If one or several retailers or distributors were to discontinue selling our products or our licensed Roku TV partners’ products, choose not to prominently display those products in their stores or on their websites, or close or severely limit access to their brick and mortar locations, the volume of our products or our licensed Roku TV partners’ products sold could decrease, which would harm our business. These risks may be exacerbated by our reliance on certain retailers or distributors, or when a major retailer in a jurisdiction commercializes televisions under brands that the retailer controls.
Current wording
Our retailers and distributors also sell products that compete with our products and our licensed Roku TV partners’ products, including house-branded televisions sold by such retailers that utilize TV operating systems other than the Roku OS. We have no minimum purchase commitments or long-term contracts with any of these retailers or distributors, and there can be no assurance that we will reach agreements with our retailers and distributors on terms we find acceptable or that will be consistent with our past practices. We may be reliant on certain retailers or distributors. Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart in total accounted for 76% and 67% of our devices revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2023, respectively. Furthermore, our licensed Roku TV partners may be reliant on the same retailers and distributors or other retailers and distributors for a significant portion of their unit sales of Roku TV models. If one or several retailers or distributors were to discontinue selling our products or our licensed Roku TV partners’ products, choose not to prominently display those products in their stores or on their websites, or close or severely limit access to their brick and mortar locations, the volume of our products or our licensed Roku TV partners’ products sold could decrease, which would harm our business. These risks may be exacerbated by our reliance on certain retailers or distributors, or when a major retailer in a jurisdiction commercializes televisions under brands that the retailer controls.
Previous wording
We are subject to payment-related risks and, if our advertisers or advertising agencies do not pay or dispute their invoices, our business may be harmed.
Current wording
We are subject to payment-related risks and, if our advertisers, advertising agencies, or programmatic partners do not pay or dispute their invoices, our business may be harmed.*
Previous wording
We may also be involved in disputes with agencies and their advertisers over the operation of our streaming platform, the terms of our agreements, or our billings for purchases made by them through our streaming platform or through our DSP. If we are unable to collect or make adjustments to bills, we could incur credit losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for the periods in which the write-offs occur. In the future, bad debt may exceed reserves for such contingencies, and our bad debt exposure may increase over time. Any increase in write-offs for bad debt could have a materially negative effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. If we are not paid by our advertisers or advertising agencies on time or at all, our business may be harmed.
Current wording
We may also be involved in disputes with agencies, their advertisers, or our programmatic partners over the operation of our streaming platform, the terms of our agreements, or our billings for purchases made by them through our streaming platform, our DSP, or other programmatic partners. If we are unable to collect or make adjustments to bills, we could incur credit losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for the periods in which the write-offs occur. In the future, bad debt may exceed reserves for such contingencies, and our bad debt exposure may increase over time. Any increase in write-offs for bad debt could have a materially negative effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. If we are not paid by our advertisers or advertising agencies on time or at all, our business may be harmed.
Previous wording
We must continually innovate and improve our products and services and develop new products and services to meet changing consumer demands. The introduction of a new product or service is a complex task, involving significant expenditures in research and development, promotion, and sales channel development, and can expose our business to new risks. The introduction of new products and services or changes to our existing products and services may result in new or enhanced governmental or regulatory scrutiny, new litigation or claims, or other complications that could adversely affect our business, reputation, or financial results. For example, we have faced and may continue to face new intellectual property infringement claims related to new products and services we have introduced. In addition, our entrance into entirely new lines of business beyond our historical core business of TV streaming and advertising, such as our Roku-branded smart home products, may change our risk profile and subject us to risks that differ from the risks we face as a result of our historical TV streaming business.
Current wording
We must continually innovate and improve our products and services and develop new products and services to meet changing consumer demands. The introduction of a new product or service is a complex task, involving significant expenditures in research and development, promotion, and sales channel development, and can expose our business to new risks. The introduction of new products and services or changes to our existing products and services may result in new or enhanced governmental or regulatory scrutiny, new litigation or claims, or other complications that could adversely affect our business, reputation, or financial results. In addition, our entrance into entirely new lines of business beyond our historical core business of TV streaming and advertising, such as our Roku-branded smart home products, may change our risk profile and subject us to risks that differ from the risks we face as a result of our historical TV streaming business.
Previous wording
•the ability of our contract manufacturers to produce quality products and minimize defects, manufacturing mishaps, and shipping delays;
Current wording
•the ability of our contract manufacturers to produce quality products and minimize defects, manufacturing mishaps, shipping costs, and delays;
Previous wording
•production, supply chain, or shipping disruptions or delays, including from labor disputes, strikes, mechanical issues, quality control issues, natural disasters, geopolitical conflicts, and public health crises; and
Current wording
•production, supply chain, increased shipping costs, or shipping disruptions or delays, including from labor disputes, strikes, mechanical issues, quality control issues, natural disasters, geopolitical conflicts, and public health crises; and
Previous wording
Some of our licensed Roku TV partners have internal manufacturing capabilities, while others rely primarily or exclusively upon contract manufacturers to build the Roku TV models that our licensed Roku TV partners sell to retailers. Regardless of whether their manufacturing capabilities are internal or contracted, our licensed Roku TV partners’ manufacturers may be vulnerable to capacity constraints and reduced component availability; increases in tariffs on imports of Roku TV models; future possible changes in regulations on exports: restrictions, by the United States or otherwise, on dealings with certain countries, companies, or imported inputs; tariffs on parts or components for Roku TV models; and supply chain disruptions and shipping delays.
Current wording
Some of our licensed Roku TV partners have internal manufacturing capabilities, while others rely primarily or exclusively upon contract manufacturers to build the Roku TV models that our licensed Roku TV partners sell to retailers. Regardless of whether their manufacturing capabilities are internal or contracted, our licensed Roku TV partners’ manufacturers may be vulnerable to capacity constraints and reduced component availability; increases in tariffs on imports of Roku TV models; future possible changes in regulations on exports; restrictions, by the United States or otherwise, on dealings with certain countries, companies, or imported inputs; tariffs on parts or components for Roku TV models; and supply chain disruptions, increased shipping costs, and shipping delays.
Previous wording
•price increases, including increases related to inflationary pressures;
Current wording
•price increases, including those related to inflationary pressures, tariffs, and material costs;
Previous wording
If we are unable to obtain or maintain necessary or desirable third-party technology licenses, our ability to develop new products or streaming platform enhancements may be impaired.
Current wording
If we are unable to obtain or maintain necessary or desirable licenses, certifications, or approvals related to our use or support of third-party technology, intellectual property, or services, then our ability to develop and introduce new products and services, and continue to manufacture, update, and commercialize existing products and services, may be impaired.*
Previous wording
We utilize or enable certain industry standard and other commercially available technology in our products and streaming platform that is licensed by third parties. As we continue to introduce new features or improvements to our products and on our streaming platform, we may be required to license additional technologies from third parties. These third-party licenses may be unavailable to us on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. If we are unable to obtain or maintain necessary third-party licenses, we may be required to obtain substitute technologies with lower quality or performance standards, or at a greater cost, any of which could harm the competitiveness of our products, streaming platform, and our business.
Current wording
We use or enable in our products and services certain industry standard and other technology, intellectual property, and services that are obtained from third parties. As a result, in order to continue to make, distribute, update, and commercialize our existing products and services, and introduce and commercialize new products and services, we may be required to maintain certain licenses, certifications, and approvals from the relevant third parties and potentially license and otherwise obtain access to additional technologies, intellectual property, and products from third parties. The licenses, certifications, and approvals we need to obtain from third parties may be or become unavailable to us on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. If we are unable to obtain or maintain necessary third-party licenses, certifications, or approvals, we may have to obtain substitute technologies, intellectual property, or services with lower quality or performance standards, or at a greater cost, or remove desired functions and features from our products and services, any of which could harm customer and partner relationships, as well as the competitiveness of our products, services, and business.
Previous wording
We have incorporated and intend to continue to incorporate AI technologies, such as generative AI, into our products and services. As with many innovations, AI presents risks and challenges that could adversely impact our business. For example, AI technologies can create accuracy issues, unintended biases, and discriminatory outcomes, or may create content that appears correct but is inaccurate or flawed. If the recommendations, content, or analyses that AI applications produce are or are alleged to be deficient or inaccurate, we could be subjected to competitive harm, potential legal liability, and brand or reputational harm. The legal and regulatory landscape surrounding AI technologies is rapidly evolving and uncertain, including in the areas of intellectual property, cybersecurity, and privacy and data protection. For example, there is uncertainty around the validity and enforceability of intellectual property rights related to the use, development, and deployment of AI technologies. Compliance with new or changing laws, regulations or industry standards relating to AI may impose significant operational costs and may limit our ability to develop, deploy or use AI technologies. There can be no assurance that the measures we have taken to mitigate the potential risks related to generative AI will be sufficient. Failure to appropriately respond to this evolving landscape may result in legal liability, regulatory action, or brand and reputational harm.
Current wording
We have incorporated and intend to continue to incorporate AI technologies, such as generative AI, into our products and services. For example, we have introduced a generative-driven ad creation service for our advertisers to help them create ads more easily, and we continue to use AI technologies to power our content recommendation engine. As with many innovations, AI presents risks and challenges that could adversely impact our business. AI technologies can create accuracy issues, unintended biases, and discriminatory outcomes, or may create content that appears correct but is inaccurate or flawed. If the recommendations, content, or analyses that AI applications produce are or are alleged to be deficient or inaccurate, we could be subjected to competitive harm, potential legal liability, and brand or reputational harm. The legal and regulatory landscape surrounding AI technologies is rapidly evolving and uncertain, including in the areas of intellectual property, cybersecurity, and privacy and data protection. For example, there is uncertainty around the validity and enforceability of intellectual property rights related to the use, development, and deployment of AI technologies. Compliance with new or changing laws, regulations or industry standards relating to AI may impose significant operational costs and may limit our ability to develop, deploy or use AI technologies. There can be no assurance that the measures we have taken to mitigate the potential risks related to generative AI will be sufficient. Failure to appropriately respond to this evolving landscape may result in legal liability, regulatory action, or brand and reputational harm.
Previous wording
We have incurred operating losses in the past, and we may incur operating losses in the future. Although we achieved profitability in certain prior quarters, we may not be able to achieve profitability again in the near term or at all. As of March 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $1,348.4 million. Our operating expenses have increased in the past and may increase again in the future as we expand our operations and invest in growth and new areas. If our revenue and gross profit do not grow at a greater rate than our operating expenses, we may not be able to achieve profitability again. We expect our profitability to fluctuate in the future for a number of reasons, including without limitation the other risks and uncertainties described herein. Additionally, we may encounter unforeseen operating or legal expenses, difficulties, complications, delays, and other factors that may result in losses in future periods.
Current wording
We have incurred operating losses in the past, and we may incur operating losses in the future. Although we achieved profitability in certain prior quarters, we may not be able to achieve profitability again in the near term or at all. As of June 30, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $1,382.4 million. Our operating expenses have increased in the past and may increase again in the future as we expand our operations and invest in growth and new areas. If our revenue and gross profit do not grow at a greater rate than our operating expenses, we may not be able to achieve profitability again. We expect our profitability to fluctuate in the future for a number of reasons, including without limitation the other risks and uncertainties described herein. Additionally, we may encounter unforeseen operating or legal expenses, difficulties, complications, delays, and other factors that may result in losses in future periods.
Previous wording
•supply of advertising inventory on our advertising platform and advertiser demand for advertising inventory on our advertising platform;
Current wording
•supply of advertising inventory on our platform and advertiser demand for advertising inventory on our platform;
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Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
In addition, the process of integrating acquired businesses, products, or technologies may create unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures, in particular when the acquired businesses, products, or technologies involve areas of operation in which we have limited or no prior experience.
Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
For example, despite our efforts to secure our information technology systems and the data contained in those systems, including our efforts to educate or train our employees, we and our third-party vendors and business partners have experienced, and remain vulnerable to, data security incidents, including ransomware, phishing attacks, bot attacks, credential stuffing attacks, improper employee access of confidential data, and inadvertent employee disclosure of confidential data. Our systems regularly experience directed attacks that are intended to interrupt our operations; interrupt our users’, content partners’, and advertisers’ ability to access our platform; extract money from us; or view or obtain our data (including without limitation user or employee personal information or proprietary information) or intellectual property. Our systems have been and may continue to be attacked through the use of compromised credentials, including those obtained through phishing or stolen from another source unrelated to us.
Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceeds our available insurance coverage, or results in changes to our insurance policies (including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements), could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, we cannot be sure that our existing insurance coverage and coverage for errors and omissions will continue to be available on acceptable terms or that our insurers will not deny coverage as to any future claim.
Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
Privacy and consumer rights groups and government bodies (including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), state attorneys general, the European Commission, European and UK data protection authorities, and the Brazilian national data protection authority), have increasingly scrutinized privacy issues with respect to devices that identify or are identifiable to a person (or household or device) and personal information collected through the internet, and we expect such scrutiny to continue to increase.
Rearranged previous paragraphs (4)
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
While all information technology operations are inherently vulnerable to inadvertent or intentional security breaches, incidents, attacks, and exposures, the size, complexity, accessibility, and distributed nature of our information technology systems, and the large amounts of sensitive or personal information stored on those systems, make such systems vulnerable to unintentional or malicious, internal, and external threats on our technology environment. Vulnerabilities can be, and have been, exploited from inadvertent or intentional actions of our employees, third-party vendors, business partners, or by malicious third parties.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
Such unauthorized access to our data could damage our reputation and our business and could expose us to the risk of contractual damages, litigation, and regulatory fines and penalties that could harm our business. The risk of harm to our business caused by security incidents may also increase as we expand our product and service offerings and as we enter into new markets. Implementing, maintaining, and updating security safeguards requires substantial resources now and will likely be an increasing and substantial cost in the future.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
That decision recognizes that the United States ensures an adequate level of protection for personal information transferred from the EEA to organizations participating in the EU-U.S. DPF. The United Kingdom has made a similar determination, providing a means by which data transfers may take place between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. That framework is known as the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF, and it went into effect on October 12, 2023. Roku is currently evaluating participation in the EU-U.S. DPF and the UK Extension.
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
For example, we have in the past elected to develop and implement specific design changes to address potential risks that certain products could otherwise become subject to exclusion or cease and desist orders arising from patent infringement and other intellectual property claims brought in the U.S. International Trade Commission. In addition, any lawsuits regarding intellectual property rights, regardless of their success, could be expensive to resolve and would divert the time and attention of our management and technical personnel.