Pour one out for Roku City

By this time next year, Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch intends to have added Roku to his already expansive media empire. Should the acquisition go through, Fox will gain control of Roku’s modest library of original programming , and the newly combined company will become “the third-largest player in U.S. television” in terms of viewing share. But the most significant thing that Murdoch buys with this deal is direct access to the 100 million households that make up Roku’s user base. It’s precisely because Roku and Fox are very different kinds of companies that a merger between the two could have a major impact on our modern media landscape. Murdoch has a vested interest in putting a positive spin on the situation — the platform will remain “open” and “partner friendly,” per the announcement — but it’s very much another instance of corporate consolidation that will reshape what consumers watch, perhaps without them ever realizing it. Fox’s desire to acquire Roku makes a lot of sense when you recall how long Murdoch has been trying to establish a solid presence in the streaming wars. In 2020, Fox bought the free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) platform Tubi , and last year, the company launched its own dedicated subscription service focused on news and live sports. Following news of the deal, Murdoch told investors that he plans to keep Fox and Roku running as two separate entities. …