Roku Tests Autoplaying Ads Loading Before the Home Screen

Roku is testing autoplaying video ads that play before users can access the home screen. While Roku claims this is just an experiment, users are threatening to abandon the platform if the change becomes permanent. Ars Technica reports: Reports of Roku customers seeing video ads automatically play before they could view the OS' home screen started appearing online this week. A Reddit user, for example, posted yesterday: 'I just turned on my Roku and got an unskippable ad for a movie, before I got to the regular Roku home screen.' Multiple apparent users reported seeing an ad for the movie Moana 2. When reached for comment, a Roku spokesperson shared a company statement that confirms that the autoplaying ads are expected behavior but not a permanent part of Roku OS currently. Instead, Roku claimed, it was just trying the ad capability out.

Roku's representative said that Roku's business 'has and will always require continuous testing and innovation across design, navigation, content, and our first-rate advertising products,' adding: 'Our recent test is just the latest example, as we explore new ways to showcase brands and programming while still providing a delightful and simple user experience.'

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