A report from Variety suggests Roku's shift from hardware to software is moving quickly. While Roku isn't looking to abandon hardware entirely, the report claims the company is looking to stream content to third-party devices as well. The first phase of this plan will likely take place on mobile devices, possibly through Roku's existing app.

Currently, the Roku mobile app for Android and iOS acts as a remote for existing Roku devices. You can't use the app fully unless you have a Roku device connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your mobile device. However, the company could expand the features of the mobile app to include streaming TV and movie content from its ad-supported channels. Roku recently launched The Roku Channel, a cultivated channel full of movies provided by studios Roku has existing deals with. Currently, movies from Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Warner Brothers are free to watch on The Roku Channel with advertisements playing throughout.

Roku will likely launch more channels like this in the future, most featuring ad-supported content. At the company's recent IPO, it stated it would focus more on selling advertisements and distributing content in the future. Getting that content into more devices, those that aren't made by Roku, seems to be the next big step in that plan.

According to the report in Variety, Roku has been in talks with studios to license content for mobile device streaming. It's also possible that Roku could make it easier for companies with existing Roku channels to stream their content through the Roku mobile app. That would blur the line between Roku's existing hardware and your mobile device, but it's unclear if companies that have already developed a channel for Roku would allow that same content to be streamed over Roku's app rather than their own.

Aside from mobile devices, Roku could try to bring The Roku Channel and other ad-supported channels to various manufacturers' streaming hardware like Amazon's Fire TV or the Apple TV. However, this would likely require a lot of negotiation on Roku's part: the streaming space has become very crowded very quickly, both in hardware and content, and manufacturers like to control which content makes it onto their devices (and who provides that content).

Ars has reached out to Roku for further comment, and we'll update this piece should we receive any additional information.