Switching OTT platform providers - or bringing your channel in-house - means moving your Roku channel to a new owner. The good news is that you almost never have to rebuild or re-publish it. How you transfer it comes down to a single question: whose Roku developer account is the channel published under? This guide walks through both cases and shows how to keep your installs, ratings, and Channel Store URL intact.
First, find out who owns the channel
Before anything else, confirm which Roku developer account the channel lives under. There are only two possibilities, and they lead to very different processes:
If you can sign in at developer.roku.com and see the channel under your own account's Channels list, it is yours - use the easy path below. If the channel only shows up inside a provider's dashboard and you were never given the Roku account login, it lives under their account, and you will need Roku to move it.
| Your own Roku account | Provider's Roku account | |
|---|---|---|
| How to tell | The channel appears under Channels when you sign in to developer.roku.com | You only see it in the provider's dashboard; you never had the Roku login |
| What you do | Reassign access yourself | File a transfer request with Roku |
| Who must act | You, as the account admin | Roku, with the current account holder's consent |
| Typical time | Minutes | Days (Roku review) |
If the channel is under your own Roku account (the easy path)
When the channel sits in your own Roku developer account, transferring it to a new provider or developer is just an access change. Nothing about the published channel moves - you grant the new team access and revoke the old one using Roku's User access management.
- Sign in at developer.roku.com and open your account's Users and access management (the Roles and access page).
- Click Add a User and enter the new developer's email. They need their own Roku developer account; if they do not have one yet, they create it and accept the invite.
- Assign the role they need - typically an admin or developer role that can manage the channel and submit updates.
- Once the new developer confirms they can see and manage the channel, remove the previous provider's user from the same page.
That is the entire transfer. The channel keeps its Channel ID, its Store listing, its install base, and its ratings - only who can manage it changes.
If the channel is under the provider's Roku account
If the channel was published under your previous OTT provider's Roku account, you cannot reassign it yourself - you do not control that account. Instead, you ask Roku to transfer the channel to your (or your new provider's) account.
- Open the Roku contact form at
https://developer.roku.com/contact. - Set the topic to "App takedown or Transfer request".
- Complete the rest of the form: your name and email, the developer account involved, the channel name and its Channel ID, the account it should move from and to, and a short description of the request.
- Submit, and expect Roku to coordinate with both sides. The current account holder usually has to confirm the transfer, so line up their cooperation first.
Because Roku reviews and processes these requests manually, this path takes days rather than minutes. Get written sign-off from your outgoing provider before you file, so the confirmation step does not stall.
Transfer, do not re-publish
If a provider tells you the only option is to "just publish a new channel," push back. Re-publishing creates a brand-new listing and throws away everything your existing channel has earned.
| Transfer | Re-publish as new | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed base | Kept | Lost - users must re-install |
| Ratings & reviews | Kept | Reset to zero |
| Channel Store URL and ID | Unchanged | New URL and new Channel ID |
| Effort | Access change or one request | Full resubmission and re-certification |
| Risk | Low | Downtime and a lost audience |
Transferring keeps your install base, reviews, and Store URL. Re-publishing as a new channel starts you back at zero - avoid it unless Roku tells you there is no other way.
What to prepare before you transfer
Have these ready to make either path smooth:
- The Channel ID and channel name of the channel being moved.
- The receiving Roku developer account email - your own or your new provider's.
- Access to the content feed or CMS that powers the channel, so the new owner can keep it updated.
- Written confirmation from the outgoing provider that they agree to the transfer.
The bottom line
Transferring a Roku channel is usually simple: if it is under your own account, reassign access in a few minutes; if it is under a provider's account, file a Roku transfer request and let Roku move it. Either way, transfer rather than re-publish so you keep your audience, ratings, and Store URL. OTT Engine keeps your channels under your own Roku account from day one, so you are never locked in. Book a demo to see how.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my installs, ratings, or reviews when I transfer a Roku channel?
No. A true transfer keeps the same channel, so its install base, ratings, reviews, and Channel Store URL all carry over. You only lose them if you re-publish as a brand-new channel instead of transferring.
Do I need my current provider's cooperation to move the channel?
If the channel is under your own Roku account, no - you reassign access yourself. If it is under the provider's account, yes: Roku asks the current account holder to confirm the transfer, so get their written sign-off before you file the request.
How long does a Roku channel transfer take?
Reassigning access in your own account takes minutes. A Roku-handled transfer request (when the channel is under someone else's account) is reviewed manually and typically takes several business days.
What is the difference between transferring and re-publishing a Roku channel?
Transferring moves the existing channel to a new owner, keeping its ID, URL, installs, and ratings. Re-publishing creates a new listing from scratch, so users must re-install it and your ratings reset to zero.
Can I move the channel just by changing the content feed URL?
Changing the feed updates what plays inside the channel, but it does not change who owns or controls the listing. To change ownership you still need an access reassignment or a Roku transfer request.
The channel is under a provider's account and they have gone unresponsive. What can I do?
File the "App takedown or Transfer request" with Roku anyway and explain the situation. Roku can mediate, but be ready to show proof that the channel and its content are yours. This is exactly why it is best to own the Roku developer account yourself from the start.