Roku OS’s home screen now features a large, permanent ad

Roku just unveiled the biggest overhaul to its smart TV operating system (OS) in 10 years. One of the most noticeable differences is that ad space now takes up a large chunk of the screen’s landing page.

Before the update, loading up a Roku OS-powered smart TV or streaming device would yield a menu on the left side with sections including “What to Watch,” “Live,” and “Search.” The right side had a row of tiles for “Recommended” content above several rows of tiles representing downloaded apps. Once a user started started navigating the home screen, the menu would collapse, and they’d see a large ad on the right side of the screen.

Now, users will see that large ad as soon as they turn on their Roku device. The ad remains visible as you navigate different parts of the Roku platform, taking away space that could be used for displaying apps and content.

The marquee ad space can show marketing for a TV show or movie that you can stream. For example, the image that Roku shared with its announcement shows the space occupied by an ad for the Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso. The ad space could also just show a regular, possibly unrelated, advertisement. CNET, for example, reported seeing a demonstration that showed the space filled with an ad for The Farmer’s Dog dog food.

CNET, citing a discussion with Preston Smalley, VP of viewer product at Roku, reported “that the proportion of each type [of ad], paid or programmed, wasn’t set and could change.”

The home screen makeover seems tied to Roku’s efforts to maintain profitability. Roku first reached annual profitability in 2021, largely due to people staying at home during the pandemic. However, the company didn’t see annual profitability again until 2025, when its finances were buoyed by a growth in advertising revenue. In its most recent earnings report, Roku made $371 million in advertising revenue, and its Platform business, which includes advertising and subscriptions, posted a gross profit of $584.1 million. Roku’s devices business, meanwhile, lost $19.1 million. Total gross profit was $564.9 million.

In a February earnings call, Roku CEO Anthony Wood said that he thinks the new home screen, which was in testing at the time, would “increase monetization over time, whether that’s getting viewers to sign up for subscriptions or watch more ad-supported content.”