National Streaming Day

Last updated
National Streaming Day
Observed byInternational
TypeCultural
SignificanceA day celebrating streaming services and promotional offers
Celebrations Streaming media
Date May 20
Frequencyannual
Related to Roku, Disney+, ESPN+, Streaming media

National Streaming Day is an unofficial holiday occurring on May 20, intended to celebrate streaming media. It was established in 2014 by Roku. In recent years, some streaming services have used the holiday to offer streaming promotions or discounted products.

Contents

Origins

National Streaming Day was started by the streaming platform Roku, initially to celebrate the anniversary of their first streaming device launch, The Netflix Player, on May 20, 2008. The first holiday was celebrated on May 20, 2014. [1] It began as a celebration of streaming, with users of streaming platforms "encouraged to stream at least 60 minutes of their favorite entertainment today and share their selection using hashtag." [2]

More recently, the holiday began to see streaming services make announcements of upcoming content and/or releases. Roku often offers discounts on their devices, such as Roku Streaming Stick+ and Roku Ultra. They also offered free access to normally exclusive content that would require payment or subscription. [3] This was following a partnership with Showtime to offer some of their exclusive content for free on May 20. [4] [5]

On National Streaming Day 2020, Disney+, ESPN+ and Roku announced a collaboration to release exclusive news and series sneak peeks. [6]

Announcements

On National Streaming Day 2020, Disney announced the release of Muppets Now, an unscripted Muppets show to air on Disney+. [7] It also used the unofficial holiday to announce a monthly bundle deal where the three streaming services were available for $12.99 a month. [8] Disney used May 20, 2020, to also announce the release of new content, the film Artemis Fowl. [9] During the same year, ESPN used National Streaming Day to announce the return of Peyton's Places for a second season. [10]

In 2021, Roku announced the release of their new Roku Originals on National Streaming Day. [11] [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hulu</span> American subscription streaming service

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">TV Everywhere</span> Authentication for streaming video

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roku</span> Brand of streaming media players

Roku is a brand of smart TV operating systems, smart TVs, streaming devices, and smart home and audio products designed and marketed by Roku, Inc., headquartered in San Jose, California. Roku's smart TV products primarily offer access to streaming media content, including streaming television, from online services.

PlayStation Vue was an American streaming television service that was owned by the Sony Interactive Entertainment subdivision of the Sony Corporation of America division of Sony. Launched with a limited major-market rollout on March 18, 2015, the service – which was structured in the style of a multichannel video programming distributor – combined live TV, on-demand video, and cloud-based DVR to stream television programs, movies, and sporting events directly to a PlayStation console or other supported device – including smart TVs, digital media players and apps – without a subscription to a cable or satellite television provider. Targeting cord cutters, PlayStation Vue was designed to complement subscription video-on-demand services. As of August 26, 2018, the service had approximately 745,000 subscribers. On October 29, 2019, Sony announced PlayStation Vue would be ending service on January 30, 2020, because "the highly competitive Pay TV industry, with expensive content and network deals, has been slower to change than we expected".

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney+ Day</span> Annual virtual event from Disney

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Roku Channel</span> Free streaming video service

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References

  1. ↑ "National Streaming Day means free shows and price cuts for Roku". USA Today. May 18, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Roku Establishes National Streaming Day". BusinessWire. May 20, 2014.
  3. ↑ Katzmaier, David (May 14, 2018). "Roku discounts players, offers free TV shows, movies with ads". CNET.
  4. ↑ Haskoor, Michael (May 19, 2018). "Roku Channel Partners With Showtime, Others To Offer Free Content For National Streaming Day". New York Post.
  5. ↑ Roettgers, Janko (May 14, 2018). "Roku Adds Full Seasons of Shows From Showtime, Fox and Epix to Roku Channel". Variety.
  6. ↑ "Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ Team Up for National Streaming Day Celebration". Broadway World. May 20, 2020.
  7. ↑ Shaffer, Claire (June 24, 2020). "Disney Plus Shares Trailer for First-Ever Unscripted Muppets Series". Rolling Stone.
  8. ↑ "Disney's 'National Streaming Day' Deal Gets You Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for $12.99". Thrillist. May 5, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Check out a special look at 'Artemis Fowl' on Disney+". ABC News. May 20, 2020.
  10. ↑ "'Peyton's Places' to return to ESPN+ for 2nd season". ESPN. May 20, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Roku to Launch Rebranded Quibi Originals This Month". Hollywood Reporter. May 13, 2021.
  12. ↑ Cooper, Daniel (13 May 2021). "Roku will release 30 ex-Quibi 'Originals' on May 20th". Engadget.
  13. ↑ Spangler, Todd (May 13, 2021). "Roku Set to Release 30 Quibi Shows for Free". Variety.
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