Television is more than entertainment. It reflects the whole culture.
Audiences turn to TV at major cultural moments, from the Big Game to the Olympics, the Oscars to major film releases. It’s the modern hearth where families gather to connect and where people from all walks of life form opinions, define their tastes, join conversations, and lean into what they love.
At Roku, we’ve seen firsthand how viewing trends mirror the cultural moment. Our platform reaches more than half of all broadband households, helping brands deepen their engagement and be part of conversations happening across a range of cultural topics: sports, live events, food, style and more.
But Roku’s value for advertisers goes beyond our outsized reach. Here, we share how advertisers can use the Roku platform to tap into the zeitgeist and create meaningful impact.
Roku reflects culture
Streaming can be a cultural bridge for marketers looking to make an authentic connection with their consumers. Aligning with the right streaming moment, at the right time, can make all the difference.
That starts with understanding what people are watching – an area where Roku excels.
For example, searches for The Wizard of Oz were up 213% last November as fans prepared for Wicked to launch in theaters.¹ When the Women’s NCAA championship dominated the news last spring, streaming reach for the tournament grew by 38%.²
Our media and brand partners will often partner with Roku to extend the excitement and reach of these tentpole events. For example, during the 2024 Paris Olympics, Roku worked with Peacock to create a dedicated NBC Olympic Zone, translating into a 168% increase in streaming hours from 2021’s games.³
Facing steep competition for attention, brands should rethink how they connect with audiences. Big moments are still the best way to tap into relevancy, and with so many viewers choosing Roku as their home base, Roku can be the cultural connector for brands.
Streaming connects to life moments
TV is at the center of many important life moments. It’s a place where traditions are shared and memories are made.
When people are making New Year’s resolutions in January, they download fitness apps and take yoga classes in their living rooms. During Oscar season, couples rent the hottest new movies and plan date nights on the couch. And as December approaches, families settle in to share holiday classics.
Marketers looking to create influence around important issues can use cultural heritage months and socially impactful holidays to drive the same kind of connection with TV viewers. For instance, searches for Spanish-language content were up during Hispanic Heritage Month last year, and interest in movies by Black directors typically peaks during Black History Month.⁴ In addition, election years offer a predictable surge in engagement. During the peak of the 2024 campaign season, heightened interest in national and local races drove significant growth in Live News viewership on the Roku Channel.
Harnessing these interests requires strategy and creativity. It’s about understanding what audiences care about and aligning your message with programming that capitalizes on the seasonal mood or cultural trend.
Roku’s proprietary data delivers real impact
In the era of appointment viewing, linear TV brought the nation together in one broadcast water cooler. With CTV, viewing is now fragmented across hundreds of streaming apps.
As the operating system for the entire streaming journey, Roku conquers this fragmentation. Roku is in 90 million streaming households, and 125 million Americans see our home screen every day.⁵ Not only that, our logged-in audience gives us incredible insight into our viewers’ behaviors and preferences authenticated proprietary data can inform content and programming choices, helping advertisers connect with the right audiences during moments that matter.
This combination of scale and audience precision means Roku can help marketers influence viewers from the moment they turn on their TV.
In our fast-shifting culture, speaking authentically to the moment can make all the difference. As the operating system, publisher, and data source, Roku functions as a fluent cultural connector that can help your brand drive measurable results.
If you’re looking to make a cultural impact, reach out to our Roku team to learn more.
¹ Roku Internal Data, 2025
² Roku Internal Data, 2025
⁴ Roku Internal Data, 2025
⁵ Roku Internal Data, 2025
