Roku and FreeWheel expand programmatic partnership

Roku and FreeWheel Announce New Programmatic Partnership

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Today, Roku, the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S.* and FreeWheel, a global technology platform for the television advertising industry, announced they’ve expanded their programmatic partnership to make Roku content, including The Roku Channel, available to FreeWheel demand partners through Roku Exchange. For the first time under the partnership, a new, standard protocol will enable real-time bidding among programmatic platforms, offering advertisers a robust, premium CTV supply marketplace where they can find their audiences holistically and at scale.

In today’s fragmented TV and digital landscape, providing a high-quality streaming experience where viewers are served relevant ads requires breaking down siloes across the supply chain. By choosing FreeWheel, Roku gains access to its world-class technology and programmatic sophistication as well as the ability to leverage FreeWheel’s direct relationships with demand-side partners. FreeWheel in turn will be able to give demand partners access to Roku’s premium content and unmatched reach.

“If we want to ensure that ad-supported streaming is a premium experience, the need for interoperability across the fragmented TV landscape is imperative,” says Miles Fisher, Senior Director, Strategic Advertising Partnerships at Roku. “This is why we are thrilled to give more advertisers access to our amazing content in a direct and transparent way with FreeWheel.”

This integration marks an expansion of the existing partnership between Roku and FreeWheel that has been focused on interoperability, data collaboration, and signals, to improve the greater CTV marketplace. This partnership gives FreeWheel clients access to inventory across Roku’s app ecosystem and The Roku Channel.

“Having Roku inventory available alongside our other premium publishers is a major victory for not just FreeWheel clients but consumers as well,” says Greg Bel, Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships, FreeWheel. “Roku understands that providing viewers with the best experience and brands with a premium destination for their ads is only possible through a transparent TV landscape.”

“Marketers today are looking for increased scale and better performance and this integration helps brands holistically reach audiences across the viewing experience – something that has always been important to us as we work to unify the programmatic and digital video landscape,” said Eyal Ebel, SVP, PMX Platform Partnerships. “Providing clients with activation optionality, be it DSP, SSP, or Publisher Direct is the best way to deliver outcomes, and we support any partnership that provides our clients with greater transparency and efficiency.”

By accessing Roku’s more than 85.5 million streaming households on FreeWheel’s platform, advertisers can optimize and scale their campaigns alongside FreeWheel’s other premium inventory to provide a superior, ad-supported streaming experience for consumers.

* By hours streamed (Hypothesis Group: Dec 2023)