Roku unveils screensaver ad integrations, ad partnerships and fresh content

Roku Is the Lead-In to Television

NEW YORK — At its annual IAB NewFront presentation in New York City, Roku, Inc. (Nasdaq: ROKU) debuted new video experiences, game-changing ad solutions, and exciting new content partnerships. In the U.S., Roku is the #1 TV streaming platform by hours streamed*, and our Home Screen reaches households with nearly 120 million people every day. The Roku experience simplifies TV for viewers, super-serving them with intuitive, smart curation that makes streaming enjoyable and fun, all while putting brands right up front.

“Given Roku’s unmatched scale, we have a unique opportunity to solve some of the industry’s biggest challenges, including massive audience fragmentation and the splintering of viewer attention,” said Charlie Collier, President of Roku Media. “Viewers in the Roku experience are engaged in our uncluttered, elevated ad environment well before dispersing to apps, networks, and paywalls. For advertisers and publishers of all kinds, this makes Roku the broadest reach lead-in to all of television.”

Roku’s NewFront presentation highlighted innovation across its advertising business. Announcements included:

• Summer Olympic Games with NBCUniversal: The Paris 2024 Olympics will have its own designated NBC Olympics Zone on Roku, a destination on the Roku Home Screen Menu for Peacock’s comprehensive Paris 2024 Olympics coverage. The NBC Olympics Zone on Roku is a unique opportunity for sponsors looking to align their brands with this summer’s biggest sporting event.
• Immersive Home Screen Experiences: Roku’s largest Home Screen ad will now feature new video experiences. Marketers can capture viewers at the start of their streaming journey with these unique video placements. Additionally, marketers can now participate in our Fan and Theme Experiences, through custom brand moments.
• Advertiser Showrooms: Advertisers can build, experiment, and delight with the all-new Showroom experience, which makes creative more engaging, interactive, and effective. Designed to turn inspiration into action, Showrooms are an immersive brand-first destination.
• The Trade Desk Partnership: Roku announced plans for a new data-driven TV streaming partnership with The Trade Desk to leverage Roku Media and audience and behavioral data, so that The Trade Desk customers can better understand and optimize their campaigns for TV streaming viewers.
• iSpot Partnership: Roku will come together with iSpot for a first-of-its-kind partnership to unlock opportunities for advertisers seeking best-in-class optimization and ad measurement through iSpot’s Unified Measurement solution.
• Roku City Ad Innovations: As cars hit the road in Roku City, DoorDash will be the first advertiser to come on board for the ride. Also, over the next year, Roku will make advertisers part of the stream, with entirely new dynamic video experiences coming to Roku City to interact with and reach streamers through the well-known screensaver.

Additionally, a selection of Roku Originals was revealed on stage. New content coming to The Roku Channel includes “Tightrope!”, a new comedy series with executive producer Bryan Cranston and starring Ty Burrell; “Tracee Travels (wt),” a travel docuseries starring Tracee Ellis Ross; “The Arch Project (wt),” a docuseries starring Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reeves; a second season of the business format “Side Hustlers,” starring Emma Grede and Ashley Graham; “Best Bite Wins,” a cooking competition series hosted by Josh Peck; “The Great Home Giveaway,” a home giveaway series from “This Old House”; and “What Drives You with John Cena,” a celebrity-filled talk show hosted by Cena.

Roku also expanded key tentpole franchises such as “The Great American Baking Show,” hosted by Casey Wilson and Zach Cherry and featuring iconic judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith, and “Honest Renovations,” hosted by Jessica Alba and Lizzy Mathis. “The Great American Baking Show” was renewed for a third season with seasonal specials launching throughout the year, and “Honest Renovations” will debut a holiday edition.

“Roku continues to develop exciting programming that captures the very audiences that advertisers are looking to attract,” said David Eilenberg, Head of Content, Roku Media. “With our data and tech capabilities, we can get these vital new shows in front of viewers who will love them—and create the perfect showcase for brands, too.”

To learn more about Roku’s 2024 IAB NewFront presentation, visit our website.

* Hypothesis Group: Dec 2023