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Roku is making another big move into programming, acquiring the full library and production studio for the long-running home improvement series This Old House.
The deal — Roku acquired TOH Intermediate Holdings, LLC, which owns the This Old House business, from TZP Group — includes more than 1,500 episodes and a combined 60 seasons of This Old House and companion series Ask This Old House, along with all digital assets and the shows’ production studio. Past seasons are available on the Roku Channel, and episodes from the current seasons of the two shows become available after their first airing on PBS.
“As the top-rated home improvement program in America, This Old House has the broad appeal that is perfectly suited to support The Roku Channel’s ad-supported growth strategy,” said Rob Holmes, vp programming at Roku. “This Old House created the television home improvement genre and is beloved by millions of fans. We are thrilled to welcome this incredible team, and we could not be more excited to help grow the brand for an entire new generation of home improvement enthusiasts.”
The This Old House deal is the latest in a string of acquisitions for Roku as it looks to become a player in programming in addition to selling hardware to help users connect to streaming platforms. The company recently acquired the programming library from defunct shortform video startup Quibi (and hired a couple of executives from there) and is also taking on Nielsen’s Advanced Video Advertising business.
“The passion of the craftspeople on This Old House is matched only by its viewers, and we take great pride that over the past four decades we have helped them improve their most valuable asset — their home,” said This Old House Ventures CEO Dan Suratt. “Roku is not only the No. 1 TV streaming platform in America, it also represents the future of TV, and we could not think of a better home for This Old House to grow and to continue its leadership position in the home improvement genre.”
The executive team of This Old House, including Suratt, will join Roku, and production will continue as usual on the two series.
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