The truth behind those little streaming buttons on your remote

• It’s all about the negotiation
• It can work both ways
• Is there any way to get around your remote’s buttons?

If you’re relying on a smart TV for your entertainment, chances are you’ve gotten pretty good at using the remote. Whether you have a smart TV with streaming services built in or you use a streaming device that comes with a remote, you want to get to your show or movie as quickly as possible. Luckily, many remotes have signature buttons that will take you directly to your desired platform.

For those who have used Roku streaming devices over the years, like me, you probably have noticed that the streaming service buttons have changed. My current Roku remote has buttons for Netflix, Apple TV+, Hulu, and Disney+. That’s already out of date because Hulu and Disney+ would pretty much open the same streaming service these days (while there still are standalone Hulu subscriptions, there won’t be for long). The Roku remote on my office TV is from an older streaming stick, and it features buttons for Netflix, Amazon (not specifically Prime Video), Sling TV, and Google Play.

You may be wondering how these platforms end up on Roku remotes in the first place — and why certain services make the cut while others don’t. To quote the late NBC Sports producer Don Ohlmeyer: “The answer to all your questions is money.” But how exactly does it work — and are you stuck with those buttons forever? Let’s find out.

It’s all about the negotiation

Brands looking out for themselves

Pretty much any new smart TV these days will have a remote that has streaming service buttons on it. Not every separate streaming device includes these. Apple TV 4K does not have streaming buttons.

Streaming buttons on TVs have become full-on advertisements for the platforms. Their placement on remotes has been a marketing ploy since day one. You see the Netflix logo on a button, and the convenience of opening the app with a single press becomes hard to ignore –especially compared to pressing arrows, navigating menus, and clicking 15 times just to get to the same place. From a mental standpoint, you’re more likely to open up something that’s easy to access rather than deal with the hassle of digging through your smart TV’s app lineup.

It’s long been reported that Netflix secured its spot on Roku remotes by paying $1 per unit for its logo. That may seem like a small amount, but considering Roku sold over 1 million Roku TVs in the US in 2024, that’s a ton of money. And that figure doesn’t even account for Roku streaming devices. Netflix has also inked similar deals with manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and Sony to feature its button on their remotes.

The more people you can get opening up your streaming service, the better chances you have at them sticking around and watching things on your platform. Netflix obviously isn’t the only streaming service doing this, as most smart TVs have multiple buttons with streaming services pre-assigned to them. What the actual numbers are for every streaming service to have their logo as one of the buttons is unknown. But it has become an easy revenue stream for manufacturers and a way to gain more exposure for the service.

It can work both ways

Nobody wants to be left out in the cold

Not only do streaming services reach out to TV manufacturers to get their assets on remotes, but up-and-coming streaming services are also sought after. There’s a reason why Sling TV and Google Play got the boot from the Roku remote for Hulu and Disney+. This isn’t the only place that a streaming service can advertise, though.

While there are only so many coveted spots on a remote, there are infinite other places to advertise within the operating system of the smart TV or streaming device. Think about how many ads you see when you open up your smart TV’s OS — Netflix or Disney+ can not only put up a banner ad for its own service but also for a show that’s on its service.

However you can get consumers onto your platform is worth it, because once they land there, odds are they’ll stick around to watch something. Conversely, streaming platforms can do more company-friendly deals with platforms they want to be in business with. This includes more popular streaming services, as well as newer ones that are ready to pop off. Not many people had heard of Mubi prior to The Substance being on it last year during awards season.

Pretty soon after that, there started to be ads for Mubi on major operating systems. It works for both the streaming service and the manufacturer to highlight something that people want to see and use at a certain time. Peacock is obviously one of the most popular apps during football season as well as during the Olympics. That’s because Comcast, through NBCUniversal, owns the rights to Sunday Night Football as well as the Olympics. Want to open up Peacock on your smart TV during that time? Click on the remote button if you have it.

Is there any way to get around your remote’s buttons?

It’s not easy, but it is possible

You might want to ditch the buttons that you have. Some of them are for services that you don’t use or never have used, so why should you be stuck looking at them? The truth is that they aren’t easy to get rid of. For anyone who thinks they might have the skills to change the layout or design of their remotes, it still isn’t wise to do this. Each button has a signal that is sent to the TV. That infrared signal makes the TV react in a programmed way and open up that service. Trying to change the remote is like trying to change the TV’s brain. Usually, you can add things to your TV, like new apps and such. But trying to rewire its thinking is a completely different story.

Something like an IR blaster can help you out if you are desperate to never use these buttons. An IR blaster plugs into a USB port and connects to whatever device you want it to via an app on your phone. From there, you can use your phone to be the remote, rather than having to rely on the annoying buttons on your current one. It can also control many of the devices around your home at the same time.

Syncing them with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant makes them even easier to control. If the device uses infrared signals to communicate with a remote, an IR blaster can make it work with your phone. Other than that, you’re just stuck with the controls on the remote you currently have. Your best bet is to just ignore the ones you don’t want and use the ones you do. That’s what the manufacturers want anyway.