Latest news with #JimPacker
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Funds to buy community hub fall short
The former Baptist church and hall on the corner of North Rd and Calder Ave. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN "We tried, but could not get over the last hurdle." That was the message from a trio of grassroots organisations that have been trying to raise the funds to buy the former Baptist Church at 270 North Rd — a community hub at present. The sold signs went up last Thursday on the former church site and the house behind it, at 6 Calder St. Harcourts International real estate agent Jim Packer confirmed the sale, and said settlement would be in December. He was unable to elaborate on the buyer, or the price. The site had been listed on the market by Auckland-based Baptist Churches of New Zealand for $820,000. Mr Packer said the other neighbouring house, at 268 North Rd, remained on the market. Since the three properties were put up for sale in May, local community organisations the Valley Baptist Community Trust, The Valley Project and Valley Community Workspace had been trying to raise the funds to buy it. In a statement, The Valley Project executive chairman James Sutherland said their bid had been unsuccessful. "Unfortunately, the new owner of the community centre is not going to be the community," the statement said. "We will still be in the centre till the end of the year and will work with the new owner to explore options of keeping the centre if that is what they intend, while working on a Plan B in case we have to vacate the building. "We are sorry we were unable to get this across the line, but we want to thank all of the community who donated and connected us with others in the community," Mr Sutherland said. The community hub, which now occupies the space, is accessed by about 60 local, grassroots organisations, including early childhood education, dance and karate lessons, a playgroup and community events. The boards of The Valley Project, Valley Community Workspace and North East Valley Baptist Community Trust will continue to explore options for community facilities.
Business Wire
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Roku Launches Howdy, an Ad-Free Subscription Video Service Offering Award-Winning Entertainment at $2.99 Per Month
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Roku, the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico*, announced the launch of Howdy™, a new subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service that makes ad-free, high-quality entertainment more accessible than ever for just $2.99 per month. Launching nationwide later today in the U.S., Howdy offers subscribers unlimited access to a growing library of the stories viewers love, featuring thousands of titles and nearly 10,000 hours of entertainment from its inaugural partners, Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery, and FilmRise, alongside select Roku Original titles. Subscribers can enjoy award-winning favorites like 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' 'The Blind Side,' 'Weeds,' and 'Kids in the Hall,' as well as iconic rom-coms, medical dramas, '90s comedy, feel-good classics, and more. 'Priced at less than a cup of coffee, Howdy is ad-free and designed to complement, not compete with, premium services,' said Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood. 'We're meeting a real need for consumers who want to unwind with their favorite movies and shows uninterrupted, and on their terms. Howdy is a natural step for us at Roku, extending our mission to make better TV for everyone, by making it affordable, accessible, and built for how people watch today.' Howdy is designed to meet consumers where they are, providing content they love with no interruptions on an accessible and affordable service. Some of the benefits Howdy subscribers will discover: Only $2.99/month – everyday low price (not an introductory or trial price) High-quality, ad-free experience – stream with no interruptions Award-winning content and fan favorites – easily find something for everyone Cancel any time – no contracts or hidden fees, easy to start and stop 'We're excited to continue our longstanding collaboration with Roku on innovative ways to connect with audiences,' said Jim Packer, President of Worldwide Television Distribution, Lionsgate. 'With engagement of over 125 million people a day, Roku is the perfect partner to launch a more accessible complement to the higher-priced SVODs. This service has the ability to scale quickly while providing us with a new way to monetize our content, and we're proud to be part of this new streaming experience.' "With the launch of Howdy, Roku is making beloved content from our catalog accessible to an even bigger audience, ' said Johnny Holden, Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer at Radial Entertainment, the parent company of FilmRise. From August 5 to August 31, visitors to Times Square will be greeted with a warm 'howdy,' through a branded takeover of digital billboards promoting the service and its notable launch titles. The launch of Howdy marks a continuation of Roku's strategy to grow platform monetization and expand both third- and first-party subscriptions using the power of its platform, which reaches U.S. households with more than 125 million people each day. In addition to Howdy, Roku's streaming services include the popular Roku Channel, the most-watched free ad-supported television (FAST) service in the U.S.**, and Frndly TV, the #2 live TV subscription streaming service among cord cutters***. Howdy will be available initially on the Roku platform with rollout on mobile and additional platforms in the near future. The launch of Howdy was contemplated in the outlook provided in Roku's shareholder letter and earnings call for Q2 2025. For more information or to sign up, visit About Roku Roku pioneered streaming on TV. We connect users to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku-made TVs, Roku TV™ models, Roku streaming players, and TV-related audio devices are available in various countries around the world through direct retail sales and/or licensing arrangements with TV OEM brands. Roku Smart Home products are sold exclusively in the United States. Roku also operates The Roku Channel, the home of free and premium entertainment with exclusive access to Roku Originals, and the #2 app on our platform in the U.S. by streaming hours. The Roku Channel is available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., U.S.A. This press release contains 'forward-looking' statements that are based on our beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us on the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements include but are not limited to those related to trends in TV consumption; the timing, availability, content and benefits of Howdy; Roku's outlook; and the features, benefits, and reach of the Roku platform. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially are detailed from time to time in the reports Roku, Inc. files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on Roku's website and are available from Roku without charge. Roku is a registered trademark, and Roku TV and Howdy are trademarks of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. *By hours streamed (Hypothesis Group: Dec 2024) **Source: Nielsen Gauge (Accessed: 7/25/25) ***Source: Cord Cutters News Consumer Survey
