Roku viewers should brace themselves for more interactive adverts to surface throughout the homescreen and screensavers on their set-top box and Smart TVs
Video adverts will now play as you're searching for your favourite streaming service
Roku viewers will be forced to watch an advert while they browse the homescreen to select a streaming service from the thousands of apps available on the platform. Devices powered by the Roku software can put adverts in front of 120 million people every day.
Roku CEO Anthony Wood wants to leverage that immense audience to boost revenue for the company.
By placing an advert on the homescreen — which automatically loads when you wake up a Roku set-top box or Smart TV, the US company will be able to show video advertisements to people who might otherwise never see an ad during their time with the device, like those who subscribe to an ad-free subscription in Netflix or Disney+, or licence fee payers watching on BBC iPlayer.
The blow for viewers comes a few days after Roku treated device owners to a boost in picture quality with its latest free software update.
Roku has already begun to experiment with static adverts on its homescreen. Speaking with investors, CEO Anthony Wood said: "On the homescreen today, there's the premier video app we call the marquee ad and that ad traditionally has been a static ad. We're going to add video to that ad. So that'll be the first video ad that we add to the homescreen. That will be a big change for us."
It's unclear whether there will be a way to disable this video advertisement. It sounds like it'll remain confined to the same spot as the current static advert — to the right of the list of apps installed on your Roku device.
Is anyone else tired of being nickled and dimed by everything? It shouldn't bother me but seeing the new Roku patent is heart breaking.
— CarbonatedFlame (@CarbonatedFlame) April 30, 2024
Buy a TV, buy a gaming console, and then get ads bc they want more money.
@Roku the ads on the app really detract from the user experience. If you guys start placing add on my device home screen, I'll never purchase another item from Roku. I'm sick to death of ads being pushed on me 24/7
— Lee (@harescrambled) April 30, 2024
Less media and entertainment ads is a positive sign $Roku pic.twitter.com/RQkyoMerqQ
— DaveWeLike (@DaveWeLike) April 23, 2024
This isn't the only experiment taking place at Roku HQ to boost revenue from advertisements.
CEO Anthony Wood spoke about trialling "other types of video ad units" in an earnings call earlier this year and Roku Vice President of Global Ad Sales and Partnerships Kristian Shepard told the CES tradeshow in Januarythat several interactive experiences would be available to advertisers hoping to promote their products.
Passionate Roku viewers flooded social media to complain about the decision.
"@Roku the ads on the app really detract from the user experience. If you guys start placing add on my device home screen, I'll never purchase another item from Roku. I'm sick to death of ads being pushed on me 24/7," one Roku viewer shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Another added: "Is anyone else tired of being nickled and dimed by everything? It shouldn't bother me but seeing the new Roku patent is heart breaking. Buy a TV, buy a gaming console, and then get ads bc they want more money."
"I really like @Roku but if they put too many ads on my home screen, then I will look for alternatives." one Roku fan bemoaned in a post on X. While another criticised: "As time progresses and more and more ads are being injected into your viewing (ie roku), the better and better Apple's business model looks."
Roku is far from alone in its push to bring more advertising to popular streaming platforms. Amazon announced plans to present adverts on its rival Fire TV platform when searching for shows, films, directors and actors using voice assistant Alexa late last year.
Not only that, but the expansive banner at the top of the Fire TV homescreen will be available to brands outside of the entertainment industry for the first time, paving the way for household items to appear above the list of streaming apps installed on your set-top box or Smart TV.
Earlier this year, Roku confirmed plans to follow in Amazon's footsteps.
Roku Vice President of Global Ad Sales and Partnerships Kristian Shepard confirmed the shake-up coming to advertisers at the CES tradeshow in Las Vegas back in January. Adverts are no longer limited to new movies or TV shows that you can watch on the Roku platform, the exec told the crowd in the auditorium.
Roku has confirmed that ads for cars, restaurants, and travel companies will soon begin to pop up throughout the menus on the hugely popular streaming set-top boxes and TVs.
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With the popularity of ad-free plans on streamers like Disney+, Netflix, Apple TV+, and Prime Video, the curated homescreen on set-top boxes like Roku has become a unique opportunity for advertisers to promote their products to viewers before they disappear into an ad-free app to binge-watch their favourite shows. It’s an opportunity that Roku to keen to grasp.
Roku does let viewers hide adverts — so can quash a promotion that isn’t relevant to you, one that you’ve seen multiple times before, or a topic that offends you. However, Roku places a limit on the number of ads that can be hidden in a 24-hour window to prevent viewers from hiding everything for an ad-free experience.
Roku is the biggest TV platform in the United States, with strong sales in the UK and other countries across the globe, thanks in part to its simple layout, affordable price tag,and powerful search that scours the libraries of every streaming and catch-up service installed on your device. Whether Roku viewers remain loyal as immersive adverts start to crop up in more parts of the Roku interface remains to be seen.
