We’re proud to share that Roku’s Marquee Ad Video unit has been nominated for the European Video Awards, in the Best CTV Operating System Innovation category. This recognition highlights our ongoing commitment to innovation in connected TV (CTV) – bringing brands closer to audiences in powerful new ways, right on the biggest screen in the home.
Read on to discover why this new format is turning heads across the industry.
The missed opportunity in traditional TV
For decades, TV lacked a centralised starting point. Brands looking to advertise with video were largely confined to linear broadcast schedules – often missing valuable viewers who weren’t watching at the right time or channel.
But CTV changed the game. With platforms like Roku, streaming content is now aggregated into a true home screen experience – one that appears every time users turn on their TVs. That shift has opened the door to entirely new advertising opportunities.
What is the Marquee Ad Video unit?
At the centre of this innovation is the Marquee Ad Video unit – a premium placement on the Roku home screen. Occupying one-third of the screen, this format allows brands to run 6- or 15-second video ads that reach users at launch, before they even choose what to watch.
Previously, this ad unit has only featured static, or animated ads. Now that video can implemented here – it’s a gamechanger which media planners have been asking for to expand their video reach to hard-to-reach audiences.
Key benefits include:
- Massive visibility across all streaming households
- Engagement with high-income, SVOD-only users who don’t see in-content ads
- One central point of reach in an increasingly fragmented media landscape
The Marquee unit acts as a branded gateway to apps, destinations, or premium content, and video creates the opportunity to capture more user attention at the most critical moment.
Why it matters: reaching the ‘unreachable’ streamer
As streaming continues to fragment, brands face increasing challenges in delivering consistent reach across all platforms. Meanwhile, many streamers consume only SVOD content, where traditional video ads simply don’t appear. The Marquee Ad Video unit solves that problem.
By placing video directly on the home screen, it allows advertisers to:
- Reach SVOD audiences who are otherwise unreachable with video
- Get in front of users before they choose content
- Paired with in-content video ads on AVOD platforms, reach can be massively increased with a single, high-impact touchpoint
Marketers win: video ads on the TV home screen
Brands can now deliver their video message when users turn on their TV – before attention disperses across multiple platforms.
Marquee Ad Video also aims to expand audience reach whilst saving money for brands. Brands can greatly increase their total video campaign reach, with a lower investment required than if they paid for all of these impressions on in-content video ads alone.
For entertainment services, the value is especially high: trailers, promos, and content reels can be delivered to all Roku users before they start streaming – giving media companies a fresh way to drive engagement and subscriptions.
Proven performance: results that matter
Early global results show just how effective this format can be:
Budget efficient: +50% more efficient than in-content video at driving reach
Reach maximizing: 80–90% of audiences were exclusive, meaning they didn’t see the same ad in-stream
New audiences: 50–55% of exposed households didn’t use top ad-supported apps – indicating strong SVOD reach
Better together: +5.4% awareness lift when combined with in-stream video campaigns
Exclusive reach: 53% of exposed households did not see the ad on traditional TV
Roku Internal Data, Q4 2024.
What’s next
With the European Video Awards ceremony set for September 25th, we’re excited to see our work recognized by the industry – and even more excited about the future of CTV.
At Roku, we believe the home screen is the new frontier for video advertising. The Marquee Ad Video unit is just one example of how we’re helping brands grow in a world where attention is everything.
