Streaming giant Roku, Inc. has unveiled a raft of new advertising and content features including an AI tool that can pinpoint just the right TV moment to place a given ad in real-time.
Making the announcement at its IAB NewFront, the modern equivalent of upfronts where networks pitch big ideas to TV advertisers, the company said the new additions were designed to “make brands unmissable in TV today.”
One approach to doing this will be through its Contextual AI feature which allows brands to automatically run their ads right next to the most relevant moments in each show and movie on The Roku Channel. The firm’s AI simply searches the Roku library for iconic plot moments that match a brand’s message and then the ads are placed in real time.
In 2022, streaming TV surpassed cable viewing for the first time. Latest figures show that streaming per active account in the U.S. reached a record high of 3.9 hours daily in Q1 2023 increasing the potential for advertisers to reach individual streamers.
“We’re uniquely positioned to make brands unmissable in TV because Roku is not fighting for turf in streaming—we are the turf,” said Alison Levin, Vice President of Ad Revenue and Marketing Solutions, Roku.
She added: “This Upfront, we’re bringing the entire power of the platform, not just the pieces, to give marketers more of the scale, delight, and flexibility that they love in TV.”
Among Roku’s other NewFront presentation highlights the firm also revealed that McDonald’s will become the first brand to come to Roku City this summer as part of a new ad format where brands can buy ad space within the skyline of the city screensaver. In addition, Roku said that for the first time, its Primetime Reach Guarantee gives assurance that a campaign will reach reach more TV households in primetime with Roku than the average program on a top-five traditional TV cable network.
David Eilenberg, Head of Content, Roku Media added: “Everything we do, from our first player to our latest Originals, is about getting you closer to your customers. Many are renting you ad space, but Roku is building an entire ad-friendly world where the viewer, content, and advertising come together at every step of the streamer’s journey.”
