How broadcasters get a streaming channel onto Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, and LG, what app submission involves, and how to cover every device from one platform.
How to Get Your Streaming Channel on Roku, Apple TV, and Android TV
By Sampath Mallidi, CEO of Revidd · Last updated June 2026
To get a streaming channel onto Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, and LG, you use a streaming platform that builds and submits native apps for each device. You do not build them yourself. With a plug-and-play platform, one integration covers every screen, and the apps are published and maintained for you, then each passes that device's review before going live.
TL;DR: Building and maintaining apps for six-plus TV platforms is a permanent engineering job most broadcasters cannot staff. A platform solves it with one integration. On Revidd, that one integration reaches 50+ endpoints, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, LG, Vizio, iOS, Android, and web, and we can deliver your branded apps in as little as one to two weeks. The main variable left is app-store review on each device, which is outside any vendor's control.
Here is how it works, device by device, and what to actually expect on timing.
How Do You Get a Channel Onto Connected TV Devices?
You get onto connected TV devices through a streaming platform that produces a native app for each one and submits it to that platform's app store, where it is reviewed before going live. Building and maintaining apps for Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, and LG individually requires specialized developers for each, which is why broadcasters use a platform instead.
A white-label OTT platform builds the apps from your content and brand, handles each device's technical requirements and certification, and pushes updates when the operating systems change. Your team manages content through a dashboard; the platform owns the device engineering. This is the difference between being on every screen in weeks versus building apps for a year. For the broader build-or-license decision, see our build vs buy OTT guide.
What Does App Submission Involve on Each Platform?
Each platform has its own app store and review process, which is the main timing variable. The build is handled by your platform; the review is controlled by Apple, Google, Roku, Samsung, and LG.
Device | Store / program | Typical review time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Roku | Roku developer channel certification | ~1 to 4 weeks | Apps must pass Static Analysis and Channel Behavior Analysis before publishing |
Apple TV | App Store (tvOS) | ~1 to 3 weeks | Subject to Apple's App Review Guidelines; longer in peak periods |
Android TV | Google Play | ~1 to 2 weeks | Policy and content review |
Samsung (Tizen) | Samsung Apps / Tizen | varies | Separate submission pipeline |
LG (webOS) | LG Content Store | varies | Separate submission pipeline |
Roku: channel certification through the Roku developer program; review typically runs one to four weeks.
Apple TV: submission to the App Store; Apple's review usually takes one to three weeks, longer in peak periods.
Android TV: Google Play review, typically one to two weeks.
Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS): each has its own separate submission pipeline and review.
These reviews can run in parallel if you submit together, but they are outside any vendor's control. Here is the honest split most guides blur: the app build and configuration is fast, Revidd can deliver your branded apps in as little as one to two weeks, while app-store review on each device adds its own time on top. So the realistic end-to-end timeline to be live across all major devices is several weeks: a short build, then review queues. Plan around the review time, since the build is no longer the bottleneck.
Which Devices Should a Broadcaster Cover?
A broadcaster should cover the full set audiences actually use: Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, LG, and Vizio for the living room, plus iOS and Android for mobile and the web. In 2026, missing more than one or two of these leaves a meaningful share of the audience unreachable.
The reason is fragmentation: there is no single dominant TV platform, so households split across Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and smart-TV brands. Covering only one or two means some of your audience simply cannot watch on their main screen. A platform that delivers all of them natively from one integration removes that problem. This is the heart of the Revidd approach: one integration reaches 50+ endpoints, every major TV, mobile, and web platform, so you maintain one relationship with a platform instead of separate codebases, certifications, and update cycles for each device. That single-integration model is also why apps ship in one to two weeks rather than the months a per-device build takes.
Do You Need a Developer to Build TV Apps?
No. With a plug-and-play OTT platform, the apps are pre-built and maintained by the vendor, so no in-house developers are required. The platform handles the device-specific engineering, certification, and ongoing updates as operating systems evolve.
This is the core value of the model for a broadcaster: building native apps for six or more TV platforms, then maintaining them as each platform changes, is a permanent engineering commitment most broadcasters cannot staff. Licensing a platform replaces that with a dashboard your content team operates. If you are weighing both routes, our breakdown of the cost to build an OTT platform shows where the real spend goes.
Get Your Streaming Channel on Roku, Apple TV, and Every Screen
To get your streaming channel on Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, LG, and mobile without building a single app, you license a platform that builds, submits, and maintains the native apps for you. That is the fast path for a lean broadcasting team with no OTT engineers. Book a demo and we will show how one integration puts you on every major device in weeks, with app-store review the only step left outside our control.
FAQ
How do I get my streaming channel on Roku?
Use a streaming platform that builds a Roku channel from your content and submits it for Roku certification. You do not build it yourself. After Roku's review (typically one to four weeks), the channel goes live in the Roku platform.
How do I get an app on Apple TV and Android TV?
A white-label OTT platform builds and submits native apps for Apple TV (App Store) and Android TV (Google Play). Each passes that store's review, roughly one to three weeks for Apple and one to two for Google, before going live.
Do I need to build separate apps for each device?
No. A plug-and-play platform builds native apps for all major devices from one integration and maintains them. You manage content through a dashboard rather than building or updating apps yourself.
How long does it take to launch on all TV platforms?
Platform setup takes a few weeks, then app store review on each device (Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, LG) adds time, often in parallel. A realistic end-to-end timeline to be live across all major devices is several weeks.
Which devices should my streaming channel support?
Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, LG, and Vizio for the living room, plus iOS, Android, and web for mobile. In 2026, covering the full set matters because audiences are split across platforms with no single dominant one.
