Roku raises streaming stick prices by up to 60 percent - Ars Technica

What the report says

Ars Technica reported that Roku has raised the listed prices of several streaming devices, with increases reaching as much as 60%. Roku’s website now shows higher MSRPs while still offering the products at their previous prices as sale prices. The revised list includes the Roku Streaming Stick at $40, Streaming Stick Plus at $60, Streaming Stick 4K at $80, Roku Ultra at $150, and Roku Streambar SE at $150.

The report also noted a higher price for a bundle pairing a Streaming Stick Plus with a one-month Fox One subscription. Citing the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, Ars said the bundle had recently been listed at a $60 MSRP with a $25 sale price; it now shows an $80 MSRP and $45 sale price. Ars said Roku’s store limited attempted purchases to three units per model, while The Desk reported that other retailers are expected to keep selling existing stock at lower prices until inventory is depleted.

According to Ars, The Desk attributed the increases to a Roku executive who cited a shortage of memory and other components linked to demand from artificial intelligence. Ars contrasted that explanation with comments Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood made in May, when he told investors that Roku’s lower memory and storage requirements gave the company a cost advantage over rivals.

The move is notable because Roku has long competed on affordability in streaming hardware. Ars placed the increase in a broader industry context, noting that other technology companies have also raised device prices amid memory-market pressure. The report also said the changes come after Fox announced a planned $22 billion acquisition of Roku, a deal still subject to regulatory and shareholder approval and expected to close in 2027.