Pausing on Roku: Expect to See Ads

Owners of Roku streaming gadgets or TVs might soon notice an increase in the number of advertisements displayed.

Recently, users have started seeing pop-up ads when pausing their shows. These advertisements appear not only on TVs utilizing the Roku OS but also on streaming devices like Roku's HDMI products, and they show up on an array of apps and channels, Discovery+ being one of them.

How is This Different?

While ads during pauses aren't entirely new—major streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Peacock have all explored this—there's a twist. These new ads aren't provided by the streaming service you're watching; they are from Roku itself. So even if you subscribe to a no-ad tier on your favorite service, Roku's ads might pop up when you hit pause.

Luckily, these ads don't appear every time you pause, and they typically cover only a quarter of the screen. Variety in timing and limited space ensures the core viewing experience remains largely uninterrupted.

There's a webpage aimed at advertisers promoting these pause ads as an opportunity to 'sponsor the screen without interfering with viewing,' but it only officially references the Roku Channel. Despite this, ads are witnessed across many other channels.

Increasing Advertisement Presence

Reports from sources like Ars Technica discuss a Roku patent that allows ads to be displayed across any HDMI-connected device, which could include gaming consoles, cable boxes, and DVD players. There's also talk of tests involving ads you can't skip that play when you first turn on your device.

There's no solid confirmation that Roku intends to implement these strategies soon, but this indicates the company's willingness to increase their advertising footprint. It is apparent that Roku may adopt more assertive advertising practices in the future.