Roku partners with Texas A&M to gift incoming freshmen with Howdy streaming subscription

Roku and Texas A&M University announced a partnership that will gift the incoming Texas A&M freshman class with subscriptions to Howdy, Roku’s affordable, ad-free subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service. The news was announced Monday by Roku Founder and CEO Anthony Wood at the Fast Company Grill during SXSW, where he revealed that this offering for the 2026-2027 school year, inspired by Wood’s ties with the school, will be part of the ongoing collaboration between Roku and the university. 

The partnership will give Texas A&M students access to a wide range of entertainment through Howdy’s growing catalog of films and television series. Howdy offers uninterrupted, ad-free streaming across a curated lineup that currently includes audience favorites such as “A Haunting in Venice,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” and “Ice Age,” along with iconic rom-coms, medical dramas, ’90s comedies and feel-good classics. 

More is coming to the Howdy catalog, Wood announced earlier today, through a new library licensing partnership with Sony Pictures; a deepened partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Content Sales, to include hit titles from the studio’s 2025-2026 theatrical slate; and a new content licensing agreement with Disney Entertainment, for a selection of films that will stream each month.

“Texas A&M is proud to collaborate with companies shaping the future of technology and media, especially those founded by Aggies,” said R. Ethan Braden, vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Texas A&M University. “We are grateful to Roku and its founder, Anthony Wood, for providing the aptly named Howdy to our incoming class, a creative way to welcome the next generation of Aggies, connect them with great entertainment, and celebrate the spirit of innovation and community that defines Texas A&M.”

Roku, the No. 1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, announced the launch of Howdy in August 2025, offering a new subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service that makes ad-free, high-quality entertainment more accessible than ever at an everyday price of just $2.99 per month. Designed to meet consumers where they are, Howdy offers thousands of titles and over 10,000 hours of entertainment from its partners alongside select Roku Original titles. 

In addition to Howdy, Roku’s streaming services include The Roku Channel, the most-watched free ad-supported television (FAST) service in the U.S., and Frndly TV, the most affordable live TV subscription service. The Howdy service is currently available on the Roku platform, with rollout planned for mobile and additional platforms in the near future.

For more information or to sign up, visit howdy.tv.