Roku’s third quarter results for 2025 met Wall Street’s revenue expectations, but the market reacted negatively despite notable profit outperformance. Management attributed the revenue growth to increased engagement across its streaming platform, expansion in premium subscriptions, and ongoing improvements to its home screen and ad technology. CEO Anthony Wood highlighted the importance of continuous updates to the user interface and the growing value of the company’s home screen as a monetization tool. The quarter also saw growing contributions from Roku’s self-serve ad platform, Ads Manager, and deeper integrations with third-party demand-side platforms.
Is now the time to buy ROKU? Find out in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
Roku (ROKU) Q3 CY2025 Highlights:
- Revenue: $1.21 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.21 billion (14% year-on-year growth, in line)
- Adjusted EPS: $0.16 vs analyst estimates of $0.09 (75.8% beat)
- Adjusted EBITDA: $116.9 million vs analyst estimates of $111.7 million (9.7% margin, 4.7% beat)
- Revenue Guidance for Q4 CY2025 is $1.35 billion at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $1.32 billion
- EBITDA guidance for the full year is $395 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $377.3 million
- Operating Margin: 0.8%, up from -3.4% in the same quarter last year
- Total Hours Streamed: 36.5 billion, up 4.5 billion year on year
- Market Capitalization: $15.61 billion
While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention.
Our Top 5 Analyst Questions From Roku’s Q3 Earnings Call
- Cory Carpenter (JPMorgan) asked about growth drivers in platform revenue and the outlook for capital allocation. CEO Anthony Wood emphasized ongoing monetization initiatives, while CFO Dan Jedda outlined a focus on share buybacks and free cash flow expansion.
- Brent Navon (Bank of America) questioned the size and growth of third-party DSP and Ads Manager businesses, and whether there were any headwinds balancing multiple new initiatives. President Charlie Collier clarified that most Ads Manager users were new and said DSP integrations are still early-stage but promising.
- Justin Patterson (KeyBanc) requested details on the home screen redesign and its expected impact on engagement. Wood stated that testing shows both higher viewer satisfaction and increased monetization, with rollout planned for 2026.
- Laura Martin (Needham) asked about monetizing Roku’s first-party data and the status of shoppable ads. Wood said data licensing to large AI models is under consideration, and Collier called shoppable commerce a promising but early-stage opportunity.
- Michael Nathanson (MoffettNathanson) discussed the role of sports in driving platform usage. Collier described sports content as a major opportunity, especially as more sports migrate to streaming, and highlighted the ongoing development of a centralized sports-viewing experience.
Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters
In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will focus on (1) the rollout and performance of Roku’s new home screen experience, (2) the pace at which the Amazon DSP integration drives incremental ad revenue, and (3) growth in premium subscriptions, particularly from new Tier 1 service launches. We will also watch for progress in shoppable and performance-based ad products as emerging revenue streams.
Roku currently trades at $108.29, up from $100.03 just before the earnings. At this price, is it a buy or sell? See for yourself in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
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