Not content anymore with just streaming Hollywood's old shows and movies, Roku is looking to produce originals: The company published a job listing for a lead production attorney, which spells out plans to build out an "expanding slate of original content." This renewed push into originals comes just weeks after Roku acquired Quibi's content library, for which the company reportedly shelled out less than $100 million.
The job listing was first spotted by Revealera, a data provider for job openings. A Roku spokesperson declined to comment.
Roku's job listing is the clearest evidence yet that the Quibi deal doesn't represent a one-off. The listing tells potential applicants that they would "serve as lead production attorney for Roku's original episodic and feature length productions."
The listing also makes it clear that Roku may be looking beyond simply acquiring existing shows and films on an exclusive basis. The attorney would be interacting with guilds and unions, and part of the job would entail working on "option purchase agreements, script acquisition agreements, life rights agreements, agreements to hire writers, actors, directors and individual producers, production services agreements, below-the-line agreements including for department heads, location agreements, clearances, prop rental agreements, likeness releases and credit memos," according to the listing.
Future Roku originals are likely going to be shown on the Roku Channel, the company's free, ad-supported streaming service. The Roku Channel has been at the center of the company's booming advertising business; Roku revealed in November that its services business, which primarily is made up of advertising revenue, had brought in more than $1 billion on a 12-month trailing basis by the end of September.
The company is scheduled to report Q4 and full-year earnings this Thursday.
Photo: Bobbie
Photo: Bobbie
Image: Plaid