Streaming video platform Roku and Comcast’s advertising business FreeWheel have expanded their partnership to offer FreeWheel clients access to inventory against Roku’s streaming content.
The partnership includes access to ad inventory within The Roku Channel, a free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) platform that serves up thousands of on-demand TV shows and movies, as well as hundreds of linear content streams.
Both companies say the partnership is an example of “breaking down silos across the supply chain” to ensure viewers and advertisers are provided a high-quality experience, especially as the TV and digital landscape becomes more fragmented.
“If we want to ensure that ad-supported streaming is a premium experience, the need for interoperability across the fragmented TV landscape is imperative,” Adam Royle, the Director of Roku’s Ads Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, said on Thursday. “This is why we are thrilled to give more advertisers access to our amazing content in a direct and transparent way with FreeWheel.”
The pact expands an existing partnership between Roku and FreeWheel that focused on interoperability, data collaboration and signals in an effort to improve the connected TV marketplace, both companies affirmed.
“Having Roku inventory available alongside our other premium publishers is a major victory for not just FreeWheel clients but consumers as well,” said Mark McKee, the General Manager at 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.”
Roku and FreeWheel said the partnership will allow clients to optimize and scale their campaigns alongside other premium ad inventory available through the Comcast-owned platform.
“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, the Senior Vice president of 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.”
Roku counted 85.5 million streaming and smart TV users as of the third quarter (Q3) of the year. The Roku Channel is the third-most popular app on the platform, second only to Netflix and YouTube.
