Roku is stepping up its efforts to court Madison Avenue. The company has released viewership data as a “case study” to demonstrate the strength of its streaming platform that offers a mix of aggregated channels, shows from third-party providers and a growing slate of Roku originals.
Last year, Roku came out swinging during the upfront advertising sales season, guaranteeing that it can deliver more viewers in the adults 18-34 and 18-49 demographics in primetime on its platform in total than any program on one of the five most-watched linear cable networks.
On Oct. 9, Roku executed a campaign for advertiser Experian that generated 3.5 million viewers across the Roku Originals channel and the platform’s top 100 aggregated channels. The streamer is touting that number as a bigger audience than any single program on a top linear cable network that night other than ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” Moreover, Roku asserts its adults 18-34 audience on Oct. 9 was larger than any program other than sports on linear cable during the prior 30 days.
The comparison is somewhat apples and oranges, but the larger point about Roku’s growing reach is indicative of the company’s goal to boost its profile on Madison Avenue. And clearly, Roku is taking sharp aim at basic cable, which is the most vulnerable TV sectors amid the disruption spurred by the rise of streaming.
Also, as free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels proliferate, Roku’s strategy to build audience through the aggregation of dozens of channels is emerging as a template streaming monetization.