Roku expands partnership with FreeWheel streaming advertising platform

Roku Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) and FreeWheel announced an expansion of their advertising partnership that integrates Roku's connected TV inventory into the FreeWheel Streaming Hub platform.

The partnership allows Roku's advertising supply to be accessed through FreeWheel's platform, enabling direct connections between publishers and Roku's inventory through the FreeWheel Marketplace using Open Real-Time Bidding technology. The collaboration builds on a partnership that began in 2024.

Under the expanded agreement, Roku can manage both direct-sold and programmatic advertising campaigns through FreeWheel's platform. Publishers gain access to additional tools including the FreeWheel Curation Hub and FreeWheel Buyer Cloud.

"At Roku, we want to create better outcomes for all of our advertisers and content partners, with more transparency and streamlined workflows," said Miles Fisher, Senior Director of Strategic Advertising Partnerships at Roku.

FreeWheel, owned by Comcast, operates as a technology platform for streaming advertising. Greg Bel, Vice President and Head of Supply at FreeWheel, described the partnership as shifting Roku from a demand partner to a full platform client.

NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery provided statements supporting the partnership's potential for improving advertising efficiency and measurement capabilities.

Roku describes itself as the leading TV streaming platform in the United States by hours streamed, according to data from Hypothesis Group in December 2024. The company operates streaming devices, smart TVs, and The Roku Channel content service.

The information comes from a joint press release issued by the companies.

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