‘Roku Recommends’ Debuts on Channel, Integrating Branded Content Into Ad-Free Streamer

Roku is debuting an entertainment show, Roku Recommends, a 15-minute long, weekly entertainment program designed to feature the Top 5 trending or topical titles on any of the platform’s channels. The show will give the company a load of new ad inventory to sell, also launching prime space to promote some of the handfuls of streaming content the platform has to offer.

The show premieres today, with new episodes scheduled to release every week, and will present five shows or films based on the assistance of Roku’s proprietary usage data. Roku Recommends is co-hosted by entertainment personality Maria Menounos and ex-pro football player Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins.

“I looooove TV and I am always on the hunt for the next amazing show, movie or doc to stream,” Menounos said in a statement. “As the No. 1 TV Streaming Platform in America, Roku provides access to so much great content and I am thrilled to co-host a weekly program designed to help viewers find their next favorite program or rediscover a treasured classic.”

Roku Recommends marks the first production from the Roku Brand Studio, which was formed by Funny Or Die’s (recently acquired by the company) branding entertainment team. The project is aimed to aid consumers who are eager to watch but take too long to find something in streaming services, according to the project’s creators.

“According to Nielsen data, the average streamer spends more than seven minutes searching for what to watch next,” said Chris Bruss, Head of Roku Brand Studio. “We are uniquely positioned to use our trending data both to help consumers find incredible movies and shows and to help advertisers go beyond the traditional 30-second ad to entertain streamers who otherwise spend time in ad-free, subscription-only environments.”

Advertisers will not be able to sponsor weekly titles featured in Roku Recommends; instead, they’ll be offered time-slots in the show in which Menounos and Hawkins will discuss the promotion. Retail giant Walmart has signed on as one of the first sponsors of the program.

Roku Recommends will stream for free on The Roku Channel and in the platform’s “Featured Free” section, with new episodes debuting weekly on Thursday.