Roku plunges after Best Buy and Amazon partner to sell smart TVs

  • Best Buy will begin selling 10 models of the Amazon Fire TV in the U.S. this summer.
  • The new TVs are made by Toshiba and Best Buy's own brand, Insignia, and powered by Alexa.
  • Insignia has historically partnered with Roku.

Shares of Roku plunged more than 8 percent Wednesday after Amazon and Best Buy announced plans to team up to sell smart TVs.

Under the deal, Best Buy will become one of the only brick-and-mortar retailers where customers can walk in and buy a TV powered by Amazon's Fire TV software. The TVs will also be sold on Best Buy's website. In exchange, Best Buy will be a third-party seller on Amazon.com, giving the retailer access to Amazon's vast customer network.

Anthony Wood
Source: CNBC
Anthony Wood

Shares of streaming device maker Roku were previously on a tear this week. The company announced on Monday its media streaming device would offer access to ESPN+, allowing users to stream Disney's sports content for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Shares continued climbing Tuesday, after Steven Cohen's Point72 Asset Management took a 5.1 percent passive stake in the company.

Wednesday's losses virtually wiped out Roku's recent gains. Shares of Roku are down 36 percent this year.

--The Associated Press contributed to this report.