Roku OS adds permanent large ad to home screen
▼ Summary
– Roku unveiled its biggest smart TV operating system overhaul in 10 years, with ad space now occupying a large portion of the home screen landing page.
– The new design shows a large ad immediately upon startup, which remains visible while navigating and reduces space for displaying apps and content.
– The marquee ad space can feature promotions for streaming shows or unrelated advertisements, with the mix between paid and programmed ads subject to change.
– The update is linked to Roku’s profitability efforts, as the company returned to annual profitability in 2025 driven by advertising revenue growth after a pandemic-era peak in 2021.
– Roku’s CEO stated the new home screen aims to increase monetization over time by encouraging more subscription sign-ups and ad-supported content viewing.
Roku has rolled out what it calls the most significant update to its smart TV operating system in a decade, and the change most likely to catch your eye is a persistent, oversized advertisement that now dominates the home screen.
Previously, when you powered on a Roku OS-enabled TV or streaming stick, the screen featured a left-hand menu with options like “What to Watch,” “Live,” and “Search.” To the right, you’d find a row of “Recommended” content tiles, followed by several rows of app icons. As you began navigating the menu, it would collapse, revealing a large ad on the right side of the display.
That has changed. Now, that large ad appears the instant the device boots up. Worse, it stays visible as you scroll through menus, eating up screen real estate that could otherwise show your apps and content choices.
This marquee ad slot can promote a streaming show or movie you might want to watch. Roku’s own announcement image, for example, highlights an ad for the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso. But the space isn’t limited to entertainment. CNET reported seeing a demo where the same spot was filled with an advertisement for The Farmer’s Dog dog food. According to CNET, Preston Smalley, Roku’s VP of viewer product, said that the mix between paid advertisements and programmed promotions “wasn’t set and could change.”
The redesign is clearly tied to Roku’s push for sustained profitability. The company first turned an annual profit in 2021, fueled by pandemic-era home viewing habits. But it didn’t repeat that performance until 2025, when a surge in advertising revenue provided the boost. In its latest earnings report, Roku generated $371 million from advertising alone, while its Platform segment,which includes ads and subscriptions,posted a gross profit of $584.1 million. In contrast, the devices business lost $19.1 million. Total gross profit reached $564.9 million.
During a February earnings call, CEO Anthony Wood said the revamped home screen, then in testing, was designed to increase monetization over time, whether by nudging viewers toward paid subscriptions or encouraging them to watch more ad-supported content. With this update, that strategy is now front and center,literally.
(Source: Ars Technica)
