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Roku, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 August 2026: letter to shareholders. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Platform revenue grew 25%: Platform revenue was $1.22 billion, up 25% YoY, and total net revenue was $1.35 billion, up 22% YoY. Total gross profit was $674 million, up 35% YoY. Source
  • Record net income and Adjusted EBITDA: Management reported net income of $164 million, Adjusted EBITDA of $254 million, and trailing twelve-month free cash flow of $704 million, all record highs. Source
  • Home Screen rollout completed in U.S.: The new Home Screen completed its U.S. rollout early in Q3. Management said it improved U.S. household retention, lowering costs to grow Streaming Households. Source
  • Advertising revenue up 25%: Advertising revenue was $673 million, up 25% YoY. Advertising gross margin reached 62.4%, up 650 basis points YoY, on a mix shift toward higher-margin ad products. Source
  • Subscriptions revenue up 26%: Subscriptions revenue was $548 million, up 26% YoY, with gross margin of 41.4%, down about 360 basis points YoY on a mix shift toward Premium Subscriptions. Source
  • Devices margin excluding tariff refund: Excluding the IEEPA refund, management said Devices gross margin would have been (7.6%), net income $127 million and free cash flow $242 million. Source
  • Second-half sales and marketing rise: Management expects sales and marketing expense to rise in the second half as Roku TV distribution costs are weighted to that period with shipment ramp. Source
  • Deal framed as faster scaling: Management said the FOX transaction would let Roku scale faster and innovate more aggressively for viewers, partners and advertisers. Source

“We believe our scale, platform strategy, and financial strength position Roku to continue leading the evolution of TV streaming while delivering sustainable, long-term growth.”

Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO, and Dan Jedda, CFO and COO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Political advertising SourceBack half of 2026Weighted to late Q3 and Q4

What changed from last quarter

  • New: FOX agreed to acquire Roku under a definitive agreement announced June 15, 2026. Source
  • Guidance withdrawn: Company states it will host no earnings call and provide no financial guidance while the transaction is pending. Source
  • New: The new Roku Home Screen began rolling out in Q2, described as the biggest update in more than a decade. Source
  • New: Smartly was announced as a new demand partner connecting to Roku Ads Manager through the Roku Ads API. Source
  • Ended: Howdy was taken off platform as a subscription option on Prime Video and as a standalone iOS and Android app. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Platform revenue grew 25%: Platform revenue was $1.22 billion, up 25% YoY, and total net revenue was $1.35 billion, up 22% YoY. Total gross profit was $674 million, up 35% YoY. Source
  • Record net income and Adjusted EBITDA: Management reported net income of $164 million, Adjusted EBITDA of $254 million, and trailing twelve-month free cash flow of $704 million, all record highs. Source
  • Platform growth ahead of prior expectations: Management said Platform revenue growth of 25% was well ahead of its own prior expectation, driven by both Advertising and Subscriptions. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose to $1.08: Diluted net income per share was $1.08 in the quarter against $0.07 a year earlier, and $1.65 for the six months against a loss of $0.12. Source

Platform and Roku Experience

  • Home Screen rollout completed in U.S.: The new Home Screen completed its U.S. rollout early in Q3. Management said it improved U.S. household retention, lowering costs to grow Streaming Households. Source
  • Home Screen to reach international markets: Management expects the Home Screen to reach international markets in the coming months. Search is being improved with AI for broad, conversational and mood-based queries. Source
  • Streaming Hours grew 7%: Streaming Hours reached 37.9 billion in the quarter. The Roku Channel was the #2 app on the platform by engagement in the U.S. Source

“The Roku Home Screen is one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in TV.”

Roku, Inc., letter to shareholders

Advertising

  • Advertising revenue up 25%: Advertising revenue was $673 million, up 25% YoY. Advertising gross margin reached 62.4%, up 650 basis points YoY, on a mix shift toward higher-margin ad products. Source
  • Third-party DSPs carry most ad spend: Third-party DSPs accounted for nearly three-quarters of in-stream video ad spend on the platform in Q2. Roku has integrations with every major DSP. Source
  • Political advertising above 2024 quarter: Q2 political advertising on the platform exceeded the comparable quarter of the 2024 U.S. presidential cycle. Management said spend builds through late Q3 and Q4. Source
  • Non-M&E advertisers exceed one-third: Spend from non-M&E clients was more than a third of Roku Experience advertising revenue in Q2. The M&E vertical posted one of its highest YoY growth rates in nearly four years. Source
  • Smartly added as demand partner: Smartly was announced as a new demand partner, the first to connect to Roku Ads Manager through the Roku Ads API. Source

Subscriptions and sports

  • Subscriptions revenue up 26%: Subscriptions revenue was $548 million, up 26% YoY, with gross margin of 41.4%, down about 360 basis points YoY on a mix shift toward Premium Subscriptions. Source
  • World Cup drove sign-ups: World Cup coverage through Premium Subscriptions and Roku-billed DTC services drove hundreds of thousands of sign-ups in Q2, one of the largest cross-partner acquisition events. Source
  • Howdy taken off platform: Howdy, an ad-free SVOD service at $3 a month, launched in Mexico. It was also taken off Prime Video and off the standalone app stores. Source
  • More DVR features planned: Pause and resume features for live programming launched in FOX One, Apple TV and Peacock. Management expects more DVR features to roll out in the coming months. Source

Devices and Roku TV

  • Devices revenue down 1%: Devices revenue was $134 million, down 1% YoY. Devices gross margin was 20.1%, which included a benefit from an IEEPA tariff refund. Source
  • Devices margin excluding tariff refund: Excluding the IEEPA refund, management said Devices gross margin would have been (7.6%), net income $127 million and free cash flow $242 million. Source
  • Roku-made TVs reach 5% share: Roku-made TVs were about 5% of U.S. TV unit sales volume in Q2, a share reached in roughly three years, with Amazon, Best Buy and Target cited. Source
  • Memory cost advantage cited: Management said Roku TV OS uses less DRAM and flash memory than competing platforms, a cost advantage drawing more TV brands to Roku amid memory price pressure. Source
  • OEM partners expand retail distribution: Roku expanded OEM licensing with Hisense and TCL, with distribution across Walmart, Best Buy, Target and other retailers. Source

Costs and margins

  • Sales and marketing fell 8%: Sales and marketing expense was $223 million, down 8% YoY. Management said it declined in the first half of 2026 on lower TV unit volumes. Source
  • Second-half sales and marketing rise: Management expects sales and marketing expense to rise in the second half as Roku TV distribution costs are weighted to that period with shipment ramp. Source
  • General and administrative rose 25%: General and administrative expense was $125 million, up 25% YoY. The letter gives no explanation for the increase. Source
  • Total gross margin up 4.9 points: Total gross margin was 49.7%, up 4.9 points YoY, with Advertising gross margin at 62.4% and Subscriptions gross margin at 41.4%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin 18.8%: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 18.8%, up 11.7 points YoY, on Adjusted EBITDA of $254 million for the quarter. Source

Cash and shareholder returns

  • Cash and investments increased: Cash and cash equivalents were $2.0 billion at June 30, 2026, up from $1.59 billion at December 31, 2025. Short-term investments were $555 million. Source
  • Share repurchases of $163 million: Repurchases of common stock totaled $162.7 million in the first six months of 2026, alongside a $15.2 million payment of contingent consideration. Source
  • Operating cash flow rose: Net cash provided by operating activities was $483.8 million for the first six months of 2026, against $248.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Capital expenditure remained modest: Purchases of property and equipment were $6.9 million for the first six months and $9.1 million on a trailing twelve-month basis at Q2 2026. Source

Pending FOX acquisition

  • Deal framed as faster scaling: Management said the FOX transaction would let Roku scale faster and innovate more aggressively for viewers, partners and advertisers. Source
  • No earnings call while pending: While the transaction is pending, Roku will not host an earnings call and will not provide a financial forecast. Source
  • Platform strategy seen as sustaining growth: Management said its scale, platform strategy and financial strength position Roku to continue leading TV streaming with sustainable, long-term growth. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 August 2026

  • Home Screen to reach international markets: Management expects the new Home Screen to roll out to international markets in the coming months. Source
  • More DVR features coming: Management expects to roll out more DVR features in the coming months, following pause and resume features already launched. Source
  • Roku TV volume ramp in second half: Management expects OEM partnerships to contribute to Roku TV unit sales volume in the second half of 2026. Source
  • Smartly revenue expected by early 2027: Management expects Smartly to add incremental performance revenue by early 2027. Source
  • Political spend builds into Q4: Management said political ad spend builds through late Q3 and into Q4 ahead of Election Day. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Streaming Hours Source37.9 billion, up 7% YoY
Households worldwide SourceMore than 100 million
Capital expenditure (trailing twelve months) Source$9.1 million

Risks management discussed

  • External: Tightening memory chip supply is creating pricing pressure across the electronics industry, which management said it continues to monitor. Source
  • Financial: Roku TV distribution costs are weighted to the second half, so sales and marketing expense is expected to rise against the first half. Source
  • Regulatory: Devices gross margin included a benefit from a refund of tariff payments made from Q2 2025 through Q1 2026. Source
  • Demand: Political advertising spend is concentrated late in the year, so revenue from that spend lands in the back half. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said Platform revenue growth of 25% was well ahead of its own prior expectation. Source
  • Met: Management said the U.S. rollout of the new Home Screen was completed early in the third quarter. Source
  • Not stated: Management said results reinforce a path of sustaining double-digit Platform revenue growth, expanding margins and growing Free Cash Flow per share. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.