Roku Hopes You'll Buy a Shiny New Roku Smart TV This Christmas. But It Stands to Make More Money From Something Else.

In March, connected-TV platform company Roku (ROKU -0.76%) did something it hadn't done before: It started selling branded smart TVs of its own design and manufacture. Now entering the holiday season, the company hopes its smart TVs are a big hit.For consumers, this might seem like a big step up for Roku. The company started by selling small devices that plug into TVs, allowing them to stream video content from the internet. Then, it partnered with TV manufacturers to power their TVs with the Roku operating ...