As the streaming revolution reshapes media consumption, Roku has solidified its position as a leading connected TV (CTV) platform, reaching over 80 million active households in 2025. With its expansive ecosystem, including The Roku Channel and thousands of ad-supported apps, Roku offers brands a powerful avenue to engage streaming audiences. Understanding how to advertise on Roku is key to crafting campaigns that resonate with viewers in a premium, distraction-free environment. This article provides a step-by-step guide to launching and optimizing Roku advertising campaigns, with strategies to target audiences effectively and drive measurable results.

Tapping into Roku’s Vast Reach

Roku’s dominance in the CTV space is driven by its user-friendly interface and diverse content offerings, from free programming on The Roku Channel to premium services like Netflix and HBO Max. Its 60% penetration in U.S. households, coupled with billions of streaming hours annually, makes it a prime destination for advertisers.

Roku’s ad-supported inventory, particularly through The Roku Channel, delivers non-skippable ads with a low ad load of under five minutes per hour, earning a 71% viewer approval rate for its ad experience, according to 2024 surveys. The platform’s first-party data, derived from viewing habits, search behavior, and household insights, enables precise audience targeting, while integrations with third-party data providers enhance segmentation. This combination allows brands to deliver relevant ads in a brand-safe context, whether viewers are watching a blockbuster movie or a niche documentary.

Choosing the Right Advertising Approach

To understand how to advertise on Roku, brands must first explore the platform’s advertising options, which cater to diverse budgets and goals. Roku offers two primary channels for ad buying:

• Roku Ads Manager: A self-service platform launched in 2024, ideal for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and performance marketers. With no minimum budget, advertisers can create and manage campaigns directly, leveraging intuitive tools for targeting and analytics.
• Programmatic and Direct Buying: Larger brands can access Roku’s inventory through demand-side platforms (DSPs) like The Trade Desk or work with Roku’s sales team for premium placements, such as ads during high-traffic events. Programmatic buys offer real-time bidding, while direct deals provide guaranteed inventory, often requiring budgets starting at $5,000.

Roku’s ad formats are designed to maximize engagement:

• Video Ads(15–60 seconds) for storytelling and brand awareness
• Action Adswith interactive QR codes or app download prompts for conversions
• Home Screen Bannersfor high-visibility brand exposure
• Screensaver Adsfor subtle, persistent impressions

Selecting the right approach depends on your objectives. SMBs can start with Roku Ads Manager for flexibility, while enterprise brands might opt for programmatic buys to scale campaigns across Roku’s OneView platform, which unifies CTV, OTT, and linear TV inventory.

Setting Up Your Roku Ads Manager Campaign

For most advertisers, Roku Ads Manager is the most accessible entry point. Begin by creating an advertiser account on Roku’s advertising portal, a quick process requiring basic business and billing information. Once approved, access the Ads Manager dashboard, which guides you through campaign setup with a focus on simplicity and control.

Define your campaign goals—brand awareness, website visits, app installs, or product purchases—to inform Roku’s optimization algorithm. Set a budget, with the flexibility to choose daily or lifetime caps, ensuring cost control. Roku’s cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) typically ranges from $10 to $30, influenced by targeting specificity and inventory demand. Unlike traditional TV, there’s no minimum spend, making it feasible for brands to test campaigns with as little as $500.

Targeting is a critical step. Use Roku’s segmentation tools to focus on:

• Demographics
• Geographic regions
• Content preferences
• Viewing behaviors

For example, a pet supply brand could target viewers of animal-related programming, while a local gym might limit ads to specific cities. The platform’s Unified ID 2.0 (UID2) integration enhances household-level targeting, improving attribution for actions like online purchases. Start with a focused audience to maximize relevance, refining segments based on performance data.

Developing Creative That Engages

Compelling creative is the heart of any Roku campaign, as the platform’s premium environment demands ads that blend seamlessly with its content. Roku’s guidelines require high-resolution visuals, clear audio, and non-disruptive messaging to maintain viewer satisfaction.

Roku’s partnership with Spaceback, introduced in 2024, allows advertisers to repurpose social media assets from platforms like TikTok or Instagram into TV-quality ads at no cost through Q1 2025. This AI-powered tool enhances image clarity, enabling brands like Go Fast Campers to achieve significant engagement lifts.

Craft ads that align with your audience and format:

• A 15-second video ad for a food brand might showcase a quick recipe with a QR code to order ingredients
• An Action Ad could prompt viewers to download a fitness app
• Home Screen Banners benefit from bold visuals and concise messaging

Test multiple creative variations—different narratives, tones, or calls-to-action—to identify what resonates, using Roku’s analytics to track completion rates and interactions.

For shoppable campaigns, integrate with Shopify’s capabilities to enable purchases directly from Roku ads. Submit creatives early, as Roku’s review process takes 1–2 business days to ensure compliance, avoiding delays in campaign launches.

Optimizing for Performance and ROI

Once your campaign is live, Roku Ads Manager’s real-time analytics empower you to optimize performance. Monitor metrics like impressions, click-through rates, conversions, and ROI through the dashboard, comparing results against your KPIs.

If an ad has high impressions but low engagement, refine the targeting or creative. A campaign targeting a broad demographic might perform better when narrowed to viewers of specific genres, like comedy or sports.

A/B testing is invaluable—experiment with different ad formats, audience segments, or schedules. Scheduling ads during peak viewing times, such as evenings, can boost engagement, while launching during off-peak periods, like early spring, may reduce costs.

Roku’s integration with mobile measurement partners like AppsFlyer enhances attribution, tracking actions like app downloads or purchases tied to ad exposure. Regular performance reviews—weekly for short campaigns, biweekly for longer ones—ensure agility. If working with a DSP, collaborate with your platform representative to adjust bids or inventory in real time.

Integrating Roku into a Multi-Channel Strategy

To amplify the impact of Roku ads, integrate them into a comprehensive marketing plan. Roku’s CTV ads deliver superior engagement compared to other digital channels, with 40% higher brand lift than traditional TV, according to 2024 studies.

Pair this with:

• Social media retargeting
• Search ads
• Additional CTV platformslike Hulu or Peacock

For instance, a DTC brand could use Roku’s video ads to build awareness, retarget viewers with Facebook ads, and drive conversions through Google Ads. Roku’s partnerships with Amazon and Walmart allow advertisers to target audiences based on purchase data, enhancing precision.

Align campaigns with seasonal moments, such as holiday promotions or major sports events, to capitalize on heightened viewer engagement, as demonstrated by DonorsChoose’s successful CTV campaign on Roku.

Sustaining Impact in the Streaming Era

Mastering how to advertise on Roku requires a blend of strategic targeting, compelling creative, and data-driven optimization. By leveraging Roku Ads Manager’s intuitive tools, brands can connect with streaming audiences in a premium, viewer-friendly environment.

From video ads to shoppable Action Ads, Roku offers the flexibility to meet diverse campaign goals, while its robust analytics ensure continuous improvement. As CTV continues to dominate, with Roku projecting 20,000 new advertisers in 2025, brands that embrace this platform will forge lasting connections with viewers, driving impactful results in the streaming era.