Roku had a busy Tuesday leading up to its annual NewFronts presentation for advertisers, announcing an Olympics team-up with NBCUniversal as well as measurement and ad pacts with iSpot and The Trade Desk.
The Olympics partnership comes with less than 100 days to go before the Paris Olympics kick off in July. NBCU’s streaming flagship, Peacock, will carry more than 5,000 hours of live coverage throughout the Games, including all 329 medal events. Along with guiding viewers to live coverage on Peacock, the hub will also feature a dedicated replay row, clips and highlight reels.
“Creating partnerships like the NBC Olympic Zone on Roku, which emphasize tentpole content in the user experience on our partner platforms, has proven to provide deeper engagement,” said Matt Schnaars, President, NBCUniversal Content Distribution.
Tedd Cittadine, Vice President of Content Partnerships, Roku, called the teaming “a unique, exciting opportunity for us, streamers, and sponsors looking to align their brands with this global powerhouse sports moment.”
Roku and ad tracking firm iSpot, which have already been in business with each other, are expanding their measurement partnership. Each will share measurement capabilities to drive innovation, opportunity and advertiser value within the broader streaming TV ecosystem.
Under the deal, iSpot will become a preferred third-party measurement partner for Roku. In addition, iSpot will integrate Roku’s advertising watermark to validate the authenticity of video ad inventory originating on Roku.
For its part, iSpot will gain access to Roku’s exclusive, audience information. The companies said that data will strengthen iSpot’s ability to connect audiences across linear TV and streaming on Roku. The partnership will also encompass formats beyond video, such as Roku’s “Roku City” brand integrations as well as Roku Marquee ads on the home screen.
Roku and ad tech firm The Trade Desk, meanwhile, announced plans for a new data-driven TV streaming partnership. The aim is to equip advertisers with better planning, buying, and measurement of TV streaming media, with customers of The Trade Desk having a better understanding and ability to optimize their campaigns for TV streaming viewers.
