Roku deepens its partnership with FreeWheel, integrating its ad supply into FreeWheel’s hub to streamline CTV ad buying.
The deal allows advertisers direct access to Roku's inventory via FreeWheel's Advertiser Suite, enhancing transparency and efficiency.
Media giants like NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery support the partnership, citing improved outcomes for advertisers and publishers.
Roku is deepening its partnership with Comcast’s ad-tech arm, FreeWheel, giving advertisers a more direct way to buy inventory on the U.S.'s top streaming platform. The deal embeds Roku's ad supply into FreeWheel’s hub to cut friction and add transparency to the ad-buying process.
Cleaner pipes: The arrangement means Roku's ad inventory is sold with the goal of improving monetization through better data signals and more transparent transactions. It creates a more direct path for buyers to purchase inventory using the FreeWheel Advertiser Suite, a process Miles Fisher at Roku said delivers a "more efficient, data-rich environment."
Game changer: According to FreeWheel, Roku now shifts from being a demand partner to a "full platform client." For the first time, this new status gives publishers a direct path to Roku's ad supply using a standardized real-time bidding connection, which FreeWheel's Greg Bel called a “game changer for the CTV ad marketplace.”
Big media co-sign: Media giants are already on board. NBCUniversal's Alison Levin said the partnership drives "better outcomes for both advertisers and publishers," while Jill Steinhauser of Warner Bros. Discovery noted it gives advertisers "greater access to streaming audiences at scale."
This integration, which follows a similar deal Roku struck with Amazon’s demand-side platform, shows a clear strategy to make its valuable ad inventory more accessible across major buying platforms, solidifying its central role in the advertising ecosystem.
The move comes as Roku’s platform engagement continues to surge, recently hitting 35.4 billion streaming hours in a single quarter. Meanwhile, the company is expanding its ambitions beyond the living room with a push into Roku Smart Home products, as FreeWheel continues its own work to organize the market through its Council for Premium Video.
