Roku now has ads as soon as you turn on your TV. According to The Verge, customers started noticing a trailer for Moana 2 before even accessing their home screen. Roku has confirmed the auto-play ads to Ars Technica.
“Our recent test is just the latest example as we explore new ways to showcase brands and programming while still providing a delightful and simple user experience,” said a Roku spokesperson. Roku has not specified which devices get this new feature or if this experience is permanent.
In a recent company earnings call, founder and CEO Anthony Wood said the company is trying to evolve the ad experience without ruining its home screen.
“Our strategy of making better use of our home screen is not just about putting a marquee video ad on the home screen. We are very careful about putting ads on our home screen,” reported The Verge. “We’re very focused on both driving more monetization but also driving increased customer satisfaction. We have a very iconic home screen, consumers love it. We have no intention of breaking it.”
However, it seems like he failed, as many are very annoyed about the change.
You can find complaints on the Roku community forum and from various people on Reddit.
Autoplaying Ads Must Not Become a Thing!
byu/User99942 inRoku
Source: Ars Technica, The Verge
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