As Elon University hits the midpoint of its semester and heads into spring break, community members will likely head home, maybe travel, certainly relax and – undoubtedly – stream content. Thanks to the School of Communications’ new channel available on Roku devices, Elon-produced content has never been more accessible.
Watching the original – and often award-winning – content produced by Elon University students and faculty members just got a whole lot easier.
“Roku has made it so easy for us to share our outstanding student and faculty work with audiences across the globe,” said Bryan Baker, director of multimedia projects in the School of Communications, who oversaw the channel’s development. “We are excited for people to see the tremendous content we produce in our classrooms, programs and student organizations on a regular basis. Having a presence on Roku will help us tell the Elon story and connect us with audiences we might not otherwise reach.”
The idea to develop a School of Communications channel can be traced back to Matthew Anderson, chief marketing officer at Roku and a member of the school’s National Advisory Board. Anderson presented the opportunity last fall to Communications Dean Rochelle Ford, who welcomed the chance to partner with the popular company that pioneered streaming for the television.
“With more than 27 million active accounts worldwide, Roku provides a broad audience for content creators, including talented students who want to share their work and build a TV audience,” Anderson said. “I’m thrilled to support the Elon University School of Communications as it develops its curriculum and thinks about TV distribution in innovative ways.”
Anderson pointed out that one in five U.S. TV households now uses Roku, while traditional, prime-time viewing is declining and more than 3 million Americans cut the cord in 2018.
Roku’s extensive Channel Store provides access to 500,000-plus movies and TV episodes across thousands of free and paid streaming channels. While Roku offers an impressive range of entertainment, news and special interest programming, Anderson is confident that the work produced by Elon students and faculty fits right in.
“When I saw the quality of video Elon produces and visited Elon Student Television, I immediately knew the school was perfectly positioned to launch its own channel, using the Roku Direct Publisher tool,” Anderson said. “Kudos to Dean Ford, her team at the School of Communications and, of course, students for seizing this opportunity.”
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be featured in the Roku Channel Store, giving us visibility we’ve never had before,” Ford said. “At Elon, we pride ourselves on offering a student-centered experience beyond what you can find elsewhere. It only makes sense that we then highlight student work on platforms like this. Thank you to Matthew and to Roku for bringing us this wonderful opportunity to show what we are capable of producing.”
Moving forward, the School of Communications plans to continue to add content to its channel, building a digital platform that highlights the school’s many initiatives.
For Roku TV or Roku streaming player users, it’s easy to add the school’s channel. Visit the Roku Channel Store, click “Add Channel” and search for “Elon Comm” or “Elon University Comm.” Then add it to your Roku home screen to watch and enjoy.
Roku is a registered trademark and Roku TV is a trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries.