Jim Sachs Pulls Aquatic Life Screensaver From Roku After Fox Acquisition

An $80,000 annual licensing deal vanished after Fox acquired Roku for $22 billion, prompting developer Jim Sachs to pull the popular Aquatic Life screensaver from the platform.

Marine Aquarium Creator Cuts Ties Over Fox Acquisition

Jim Sachs told Ars Technica that he removed the screensaver because he considers Fox’s philosophy repugnant and did not want his artwork used to lead people down that path.

Users who currently have the Aquatic Life screensaver installed have a few weeks left to enjoy it. Roku has begun notifying customers that the feature will no longer be available starting December 1, 2026, at which point affected screensavers will automatically switch to Roku City, according to Pocket-lint.

Fox Acquires Roku for Twenty Two Billion Dollars

Marine Aquarium fans can still purchase the software for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and Sachs mentioned he is interested in placating fans of the Marine Aquarium while noting Roku has asked him to restore the license.

We’ll be okay but can’t start any of the projects I had planned.

Jim Sachs, Developer

Fox closed its acquisition of Roku for $22 billion, following an agreement reached back in June. The transaction has drawn a fair share of criticism over the past few months, largely because it represents another example of media consolidation following similar recent industry deals like Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Meanwhile, users on Reddit and other platforms have reacted to the news, with one user noting that Roku used to stand out for having themes and fewer ads than competitors, though they have not added new themes in years outside of sponsored ones while increasing ad volume.

Sachs stated he has no delusions that pulling the license will have any meaningful impact, though he remains hopeful that another streaming company will look to offer the screensaver. However, he indicated he would be willing to restore the license under specific circumstances. I’m assuming that Fox will not be reversing their whole rage-based business model and take responsibility for all the harm it has caused. I’d be happy to restore the license under those circumstances. They could even have it for free, he said.