NewFronts: Roku pitches youthful audience, platform reach to ad buyers

Streaming platform provider Roku Inc. on May 3 touted a host of digital offerings designed to help brands reach millions of youthful streaming viewers at the Interactive Advertising Bureau's 2021 NewFronts conference.

The NewFronts is an annual series of events at which digital media companies tout their upcoming streaming programming offerings to ad buyers, similar to the upfront events hosted by linear TV networks. During Roku's presentation, the company noted that its ad-supported streaming platform reaches a total of 148 million customers with a median age of 39. That's much younger than the median age of the three main broadcast networks, whose average viewer is over 60, according to Roku.

Roku's audience is also more likely to be among TV cord cutters or cord nevers: 57% of Roku households do not have a pay TV subscription. The company noted that its audience also is more likely to shop on mobile devices than those from non-streaming TV households.

Roku spent much of its presentation pitching its ad-buying products, including the "OneView" ad buying platform, which allows brands to engage with TV streamers and use Roku data to measure performance. It also announced the launch of its advertising brand studio, which will produce advertiser-commissioned short-form TV programs and interactive video.

Roku moved into short-form video after acquiring the programming from now-defunct short-form video platform Quibi in January. Roku recently launched the Quibi content as its new "Roku Originals" programming.

Roku reported that its total revenue increased 58% to $649.9 million in the fourth quarter as more consumers turned to streaming TV during the pandemic. Its number of active accounts grew to more than 51 million in 2020.