Roku Launches 'Roku Recommends' Content-Steering Feature

The average streamer spends more than seven minutes “searching for what to watch next,” said Roku’s Chris Bruss, head-Roku Brand Studio, announcing Roku Recommends Thursday, a 15-minute weekly show on the company’s ad-free channel to steer viewers to “best bets and hidden gems” across the platform. Walmart is the premier show sponsor. Roku uses trending data to help consumers find movies and shows and to help advertisers “go beyond the traditional 30-second ad to entertain streamers who otherwise spend time in ad-free, subscription-only environments,” said Bruss. Unlike with traditional TV sponsorships, marketers can use the Roku Measurement Partner Program to see whether a Roku Recommends integration “reaches SVOD-only streamers, adds incremental reach to their video ad campaign, shifts perceptions of their brand, drives consumers into stores/websites, or moves product off the shelf,” said the company.