By Sampath Mallidi, CEO of Revidd · October 2026
Roku Direct Publisher is gone. If you ran a channel on it, you need a new way to get your video back on Roku. This page lays out your four real routes, what each one asks of you, and when something simpler than Revidd is the better call. We make Revidd, so we are not neutral. We say where others win.
Short answer: Nothing replaced Direct Publisher one for one. Roku told publishers to convert to an SDK channel. Your routes are an SDK rebuild, an agency, a no-code channel builder, or a white label OTT platform that builds your Roku app along with your other TV apps. Pick a no-code builder if you have one simple channel. Pick a platform if you want Roku plus other screens, or more than a feed of videos.
What replaced Roku Direct Publisher?
Nothing replaced it like for like. Roku told developers to convert Direct Publisher channels into SDK channels, using a new SceneGraph channel template. Roku also pointed to a conversion guide. Every other answer comes from a vendor trying to fill the gap. Those answers fall into four routes, covered below.
What happened to Roku Direct Publisher, and when?
Roku staff posted the notice on Roku's developer forum on June 12, 2023. The post links to Roku's developer blog. We read the forum post on October 23, 2026. Here are the dates Roku gave:
June 12, 2023: Roku announced that Direct Publisher would be sunset.
July 12, 2023: developers could no longer create new channels with the Direct Publisher tool. Existing channels kept working.
January 12, 2024: Direct Publisher was to be sunset, and Roku said all Direct Publisher channels would be removed from the Roku platform.
Roku's advice: convert to an SDK channel "with minimal coding" using the new SceneGraph channel template.
Roku's blog page did not load as readable text for us. So these dates come from the Roku staff forum post that links to it. If you need the exact wording, read the post at the Roku developer forum.
What are your four routes?
Pick by who you have, what you need on screen, and how many TV apps you want. This table is a starting point, not a ranking.
Route | What it is | Best for | What it asks of you |
|---|---|---|---|
Rebuild on the SDK | You or a developer build a Roku channel in code | Teams with developers and a custom idea | Developer time now, and for every update |
Hire an agency | A studio builds a custom Roku app for you | A custom look with no developers on staff | A scoped project and a contract |
No-code channel builder | A hosted tool that turns your videos into a Roku channel | One simple channel and a small team | A fit check against its templates |
White label OTT platform | One platform that runs your library and builds your apps on Roku and other TVs | Roku plus other screens, live, FAST, or paid plans | A bigger decision and a proper setup |
What do you lose and keep when you move?
Your old channel is gone from Roku. Your content is not. Your video files, titles, artwork and descriptions are yours, so check now that you still hold the source files. If your only copy sits in an old host, export it first.
Viewers will need a new listing to find. Tell them where to go through email, social and your site. Ask any vendor how they load your library. Revidd takes uploads, an SFTP folder or an MRSS feed.
Roku is one screen. What about the rest?
Your viewers also watch on Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung and LG. A Roku only fix leaves those screens for later, and you pay for each build again. Revidd builds native apps for Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV, plus iPhone, iPad, Android and web, from one integration. Apps can be live in as little as 1-2 weeks plus store review, which is outside our control. See our OTT apps page.
Revidd powers streaming that reaches more than 38 million viewers and 5.2 million monthly active viewers across 15 countries.
Want the build steps for a Roku channel itself? Our guide to launching a channel on Roku covers them. For Roku and Apple TV together, read how to get your streaming channel on Roku and Apple TV. Ready to talk? Book a demo.
When is a no-code builder or an SDK rebuild the better choice?
Sometimes a full platform is more than you need. Be honest with yourself about three cases.
You have one simple Roku channel
Frontlayer is one example. Its site, which we read on October 23, 2026, lists video hosting, live streaming, 24x7 pseudolive streaming, and launching a channel on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Its own June 30, 2023 article on the Direct Publisher sunset offers a no-code route with Roku channel hosting, streaming and CDN bandwidth. If you have one library, one channel, no store and no plans to add screens, a builder like this is likely simpler and lighter than a platform. Check its current plans on its own site. We do not quote them.
You have developers and want full control
If you have engineers and a custom Roku idea, an SDK rebuild gives you full control with no vendor in the middle. Roku's own developer pages are the place to start. Revidd is not a custom build shop, so it is the wrong tool for a one of a kind Roku experience.
You want a custom design built from scratch
An agency can build exactly what you sketch. A platform gives you a branded app from a proven build. If your brand needs a layout nobody has built before, hire the agency.
When does a white label OTT platform make more sense?
You want Roku and at least two more TV apps, and one place to manage them.
You want to sell access, with subscriptions, rentals or ads, on your own storefront.
You want live events or a 24/7 channel next to your on demand library.
You have no engineers and do not want to hire any.
Revidd runs on demand, live and your own FAST channels in one platform, shown in your own apps. It does not place your channel on third party FAST services. For how that kind of distribution works, read our FAST channel distribution guide. Ad breaks carry SCTE-35 markers for your ad partners. If you are weighing build against buy, our guides on how to build an OTT app and the cost to build an OTT platform lay out the tradeoffs. To compare no-code tools, see the best no-code OTT app builders.
What should you ask any vendor before you sign?
What is the total price in writing, and what changes it?
Which TV devices get a native app, and which are only on a later list?
How long until my app is in the Roku store, and who submits it?
How do you load my existing videos and artwork?
What do I need on my side, in people and skills?
Who owns my app listing, my content and my viewer data if I leave?
Can I add live or a FAST channel later without changing platforms?
What is a simple move plan?
Export your source files, titles and artwork. Confirm you hold every one.
Decide how many screens you need this year, not only Roku.
Pick the route from the table and shortlist two vendors.
Ask each the seven questions above. Get answers in writing.
Tell your viewers where the new app will live before it launches.
Frequently asked questions
What replaced Roku Direct Publisher?
Nothing replaced it one for one. Roku told publishers to convert Direct Publisher channels to SDK channels using the SceneGraph channel template. Vendors fill the gap with SDK rebuilds, agencies, no-code builders and white label OTT platforms.
Can I still make a Roku channel without coding?
Yes, but not with Direct Publisher. No-code channel builders and white label platforms can publish your videos to Roku without you writing code. Compare what each lets you change, and what it asks you to give up.
Do I need to rebuild my channel from scratch?
Your old channel is gone from Roku, so you need a new app or channel. Your content carries over. Keep your video files, titles and artwork, and ask any vendor how they load them. Roku also offered developers a conversion path to an SDK channel.
Can one platform cover Roku and the other TV apps?
Yes. Revidd builds native apps for Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV from one integration, and manages them from one console. See the OTT apps page.
How long does a replacement Roku app take?
It depends on the route, your content and the store review, which no vendor controls. Vendors quote their own timelines. Ask for dates in writing, and ask who handles the store submission.
What is the next step?
If Roku is one of several screens you need, tell us what you ran on Direct Publisher. We will show how it would look on Revidd, and say so plainly if a simpler option fits you better. Book a demo.
