Roku, a popular streaming player manufacturer, has been testing the limits of advertisements on its devices. The company recently launched an auto-playing video ad that appears when users first turn on their Roku TV or streaming stick, even before the familiar Roku home screen pops up.
The ads, which in some cases are promoting the recently released Moana 2, have sparked outrage among users. Many have taken to social media platforms like Reddit and the Roku subreddit to express their frustration and disappointment with the new ads. Some users have threatened to abandon Roku for competitors like Apple TV, while others have vowed to skip the ads by pressing the “Close” button.
Roku claims that the ads are just a test, but many users disagree. The company argues that it needs to continuously innovate and improve its user experience, which includes advertising products. However, the introduction of auto-playing startup ads has been met with widespread criticism, leaving many users feeling frustrated and angry.
It appears that Roku may have misjudged the limits of what users will tolerate in terms of advertisements. A chastened Roku may quickly back off from this experimental ad approach, but it’s unlikely to stop the company from exploring new ad ideas in the future.
Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/2641006/rokus-latest-ad-experiment-just-blew-up-in-its-face.html