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How it works Roku Channel Categories?

Greetings.

I'm a newbie Roku developer, came here because I don't figure out how Categories (in Roku Channel Website) works.

Firstall I'm trying to choose the rigth category for my channel (is a Retro Video Games Channel with videos for gameplay, commercials, speed runs and stuff like this). I thought my first option was "Games" but when I check it out all channels are actually games (without any video), so I saw another option "eSport & Gaming" but is weird because sound like separetly stuffs, and I don't know if it the right place (I can't even find this category in the roku channel website, in fact most of the 38 categories in the Roku Channel configuration are not in the Roku Channels Webiste).

Another doubt: why exist channels with more than one category (for example:https://channelstore.roku.com/details/23333/pbs-kids)? You need to upgrade, pay or somenthing in order to access to this "multiple categories" option, because I can only choose one option. I need a minimun of feedbak in my channel? published time? how it works?

My Last doubt: is any way to pay for be in a premium category or something like this who help me to positioning my channel in a visible category? How can I improve this? I familar with google and facebook Ads, but I don't know if roku provide something like this?

Regards.

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7 REPLIES 7

Re: How it works Roku Channel Categories?

Hi @AaronMSpelling 

Thank you for your answer.

I created the channel with the SDK, but now you said that, I have a question: the categories in your channel is realated with the categories in roku website? I understand how it works in your channel and how to put your videos in there, but my question is related with the categories in Roku Channel Store.

Ex: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/23333/pbs-kids this channel have 4 categories: Kids & Family, Featured, Recommended, Free Movies & TV. But when I change the configuration in my channel only let me choose one option... so how this channel has 4 categories?

Regards.

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Baradanikto
Roku Guru

Re: How it works Roku Channel Categories?

@solangeperezYou may be confusing Channel store categories with your individual video categories.  Channel store categories are used by Roku to group your channel with other like channels.  You should browse the channel store and try to find channels that are similar to yours.  The categories with your own channel are used to group your individual videos.  The two are not directly related.

FREE Windows desktop software for converting Direct Publisher channels to SceneGraph (SDK), for creating BIF (Trick Play) files, Roku (MRSS, JSON) feed files, and FireTV feed files @ GitHub/rrirower.
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Baradanikto
Roku Guru

Re: How it works Roku Channel Categories?

@AaronMSpellingThat limit is incorrect.  It implies you can only have 1,000 videos per channel when in fact, you can have more.  It's not 40 videos per category.  It's actually 40 video items per category where a item may be a series.  And, since a series can contain multiple episodes, that limit is incorrect. 

From Roku...

There is a limit of:

  • 25 categories (rows)
  • 40 items per category (row)
FREE Windows desktop software for converting Direct Publisher channels to SceneGraph (SDK), for creating BIF (Trick Play) files, Roku (MRSS, JSON) feed files, and FireTV feed files @ GitHub/rrirower.
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Re: How it works Roku Channel Categories?

@AaronMSpelling Thank you for your answer, but I'm trying to find out how it works categories in channel store.

 

@Baradanikto Thank you for your answer.

Ok both are differents, that's ok, but how i can choose more than one category for a channel in the Channel Store? (like de example I put in the last post).

How I can position my channel in the categories? Is any place in the Roku webiste that show me the rules, recommendations, anything to understand how the channel categories works? Can I pay ads or something like that?

Regards.

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Baradanikto
Roku Guru

Re: How it works Roku Channel Categories?

@solangeperezUsing Direct Publisher as the platform, you cannot specify more than one channel store category.  I would assume the same is true whether you built your channel with the SDK.  My guess is that channels that appear in more than one channel store category pay a premium for that service.  Try contacting Roku marketing.

FREE Windows desktop software for converting Direct Publisher channels to SceneGraph (SDK), for creating BIF (Trick Play) files, Roku (MRSS, JSON) feed files, and FireTV feed files @ GitHub/rrirower.
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Re: How it works Roku Channel Categories?

Thank you @Baradanikto 

Let me check how i can contact them.

Regards.

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RokuNB
Roku Guru

Re: How it works Roku Channel Categories?

email partnersuccess at roku.com, they could help

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