The inside story of Roku’s TV program

How a scrappy startup upended the U.S. TV market.

Ten years ago, streaming stick maker Roku released its first smart TVs in partnership with Hisense and TCL, two Chinese TV manufacturers that few had heard of in the U.S. at that time. In the years since, Roku has become the domestic smart TV market leader. Its hardware partners have become household names, and sold millions of units to U.S. consumers.