Multifaceted first-to-market relationship includes exclusive in-store availability of new Roku-branded TVs, enhanced advertising sales relationship, and in-person SXSW activation
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Roku, (Nasdaq: ROKU) the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico*, and Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), the leading consumer tech retailer in the U.S., announced a first-to-market relationship across their advertising and retail businesses. For the first time, Best Buy is partnering with a TV streaming platform to provide its first-party data for targeting and closed-loop measurement. Best Buy will also give shoppers exclusive access to Roku-branded TVs.
“We’re bringing together our entire business to build the future of entertainment and advertising — making the TV experience simpler, offering the right marketing, data, tech, and scale to drive real results, and helping win the entire streamer’s journey together with Best Buy.”
This year, consumers and marketers are set to spend more on streaming TV. Together, Roku and Best Buy will create a better TV experience for their mutual customers and partners including:
- Roku Select and Plus Series TVs Exclusive Availability at Best Buy: The first-ever TVs to be designed and made by Roku, the Roku Select and Plus Series TVs are now available in the U.S. exclusively at Best Buy stores and BestBuy.com.
- Roku Advertising and Best Buy Ads: Best Buy and Roku will pair industry-leading data to make TV advertising more relevant and performance-driven. Brands will be able to work with Best Buy and Roku to target, optimize, and measure their ads on Roku using Best Buy shopper data to ensure consumers are seeing the advertising content that most interests them.
- Best Buy Home Theater Experience: The relationship kicked off with an in-person, interactive activation at SXSW on March 11. For the first time, Roku will bring its iconic Roku City screensaver to life with an interactive, multi-level activation at SXSW. To the delight of streamers, creators, and advertisers alike, the immersive pop-up will feature a Best Buy Home Theater Experience, showcasing the latest Roku devices available at Best Buy as well as new Roku Originals and featured entertainment on The Roku Channel.
The relationship signals the ambition to accelerate the shift into streaming TV and retail media. According to eMarketer, in 2022, 82% percent of U.S. advertisers planned to increase spending levels with retail media networks like Best Buy Ads. Consumer electronics brands are among the leaders in this growth. Roku’s scale of 70 million active accounts paired with Best Buy’s millions of customers will help advertisers make their marketing more impactful and effective.
“Our goal is to create a better TV experience for everyone,” says Julian Mintz, Co-Head of U.S. Brand Sales for Roku Media. “We’re bringing together our entire business to build the future of entertainment and advertising — making the TV experience simpler, offering the right marketing, data, tech, and scale to drive real results, and helping win the entire streamer’s journey together with Best Buy.”
“Roku City featuring the Best Buy Home Theater Experience” will be open to the public on March 11-12 from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM, local time. The pop-up will be located at the Riley Building: 315 Lavaca Street, Austin, Texas. For additional details and entry information, please visit Roku City.
For more information on the Roku and Best Buy relationship, visit our blog.
*based on hours streamed, Dec 2022, Hypothesis Group
About Roku
Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. We connect users to the streaming content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku streaming players and TV-related audio devices are available in the U.S. and in select countries through direct retail sales and licensing arrangements with service operators. Roku TV™ models are available in the U.S. and in select countries through licensing arrangements with TV OEM brands. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. U.S.A.
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements that are based on our beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us on the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements include but are not limited to trends related to TV streaming and advertising; the parties’ entry into a partnership; and the features, benefits, growth and reach of the Roku TV program and the Roku platform. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially are detailed from time to time in the reports Roku, Inc. files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on Roku’s website and are available from Roku without charge.
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