Not Fit to Print: MyRecipes Becomes First Time Inc. Brand to Get its Own Roku Channel

By Adam Flomenbaum 

PrintLess than a week removed from its spinoff from Time Warner Inc., Time Inc. is already making a big digital splash. The company yesterday announced that MyRecipes.com – a top-five food destination according to comScore – will be getting its own Roku channel. ‘MyRecipes’ is the first example of a distribution partnership between Time Inc. and Roku announced in May.

“We want to connect with consumers wherever they are consuming video content and Roku is a leader in streaming entertainment,” said JR McCabe, Time Inc.’s Senior Vice President of Video. “MyRecipes is the perfect brand to launch this new partnership with its wealth of content and passionate audience base.”

MyRecipes’ is a free channel and is available now on current-generation Roku streaming players in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Ireland. The channel will feature 250+ videos across 12 categories, including Grilling, Salads, Learn to Cook, Meatless, Pasta & Grains, Chicken and Poultry, Beef, Pork & Lamb, Fish & Shellfish, Desserts, 5 Ingredients or Less, Chefs & Restaurants, and Soups & Stews.

Advertisement

According to comScore, MyRecipes.com reaches 15.6 million monthly unique users across desktop, tablet and mobile and now; with its own Roku channel, MyRecipes is well-positioned to expand its reach.

Traditional print magazine companies are continuing to enter the linear and over-the-top market with increasing urgency. In February 2013, NBCUniversal’s ‘G4’ was rebranded as ‘Esquire Network’ in partnership with Hearst, and in July 2013, Conde Nast Entertainment struck a deal with Discovery and Ovation.

The early performance of the MyRecipes Roku channel will likely guide Time Inc.’s strategy moving forward about which of its 95 brands to next give the channel treatment to. A digital-first property, MyRecipes was a natural choice. Still, an ‘Entertainment Tonight’-style show for ‘People’ or an entire fashion channel comprised of content from InStyle and ‘People StyleWatch’ may not be far off.

recipes (1)

Advertisement