In the midst of a Netflix breakdown and Dish Network's inspired yet limited attempt at instant streaming with "Blockbuster Movie Pass," Roku announced that its titular media player is now the first on the market to stream Disney content directly to owners' TVs.
Roku owners now have access to hundreds of music videos and movie trailers from both new (The Jonas Brothers) and old (Winnie the Pooh) Disney acts, announced the two companies.
"We're delighted to be the first player to stream this collection of Disney videos to consumers' TVs," said Anthony Wood, CEO and founder of Roku. "Disney is synonymous with family-friendly entertainment and now Roku families can stream their Disney favorites for on-demand viewing on their TVs."
Kyle Laughlin, vice president of product development for Disney Interactive Media Group, added that additional content would be provided to Roku "in the months to come." Disney's own online streaming platform "Disney Studio All-Access" was announced in February. Promising Disney movies on any device, it's still listed as "coming soon."
Ironically, Roku, which touts its gadget as "the original Netflix streaming player," will see that app lose Disney content in early 2012 due to Netflix's recent failed contract renegotiation talks with Starz.
In July, Roku released the latest iteration of its streaming media player, the Roku 2. Priced at $99 and under, the palm-sized device featured new channels and a Wii remote-style controller for playing games like "Angry Birds."
