Roku tests more ads inside streaming apps, even if you pay for ad-free

Summary

New user reports suggest Roku is experimenting with pause-screen ads after its latest update.
The testing appears to be limited, and isn’t impacting many users. One user who pays for Discovery+ without ads experienced a pause-screen ad on their Roku Ultra.
I think the introduction of pause-screen ads further impacts the user experience, just like autoplay ads did.

A major staple of FAST (free ad-supported television) streaming apps is, of course, the endless stream of ads.

The Roku Channel
is the most popular FAST streaming service in the US, and the biggest driver of its revenue isn’t its streaming devices or TVs, but rather advertising.

Roku’s platform business — which encompasses advertising, content sales, and subscription revenue sharing — surpassed a billion dollars in revenue for the first time ever in the fourth quarter of 2024, with ads playing a significant role in that. However, ads don’t come without controversy. A few months ago, Roku faced backlash from many users after testing autoplay video ads that would appear when the device was booted up. Now, the popular streaming platform seems to be experimenting with another unique way to display ads to viewers.

According to user reports on Reddit and the Roku Community Forum, Roku is testing the display of ads on the pause screen while streaming content (via Android Authority). This appears to just be a test for now, and isn’t widely affecting all users yet.

The Roku Channel

notable shows: 2 Broke Girls, Billions, Mary & George
Originals: Yes
Live TV: Yes
Price: Free
Ad plans: Ads included

YouTube is experimenting with a Spotify Duo-style Premium plan

Google is testing a new YouTube Premium subscription tier tailored for roommates and couples.

There’s no break from ads

A user got an ad on Discovery+, even with an ad-free plan

Roku / Pocket-lint

The first report about pause-screen ads showed up on the Roku Community Forum, where a user by the name of BadBiz said they started experiencing pause-screen ads after the latest Roku update on their Roku Ultra. The user says they usually pause a show to read the captions, and the new pause-screen ad is distracting them.

“The most recent update on my Roku Ultra has introduced Ads to the pause screens for all apps, shows, movies, whatever,” the user wrote. “This is unacceptable, I am hard of hearing and pause often to read captions, the ads are distracting and intrusive to my viewing experience.”

Another user on Reddit said that their Roku Streambar Pro started showing static ads when playback was paused using the Discovery+ app. They said it doesn’t happen every time, but they found it odd since they pay for the ad-free Discovery plan, hence ads shouldn’t be showing up at all, suggesting Roku may be experimenting with pause ads. The user didn’t experience any pause ads while using Netflix.

Based on the image of the pause screen ad shared on Reddit, you can see the ad taking up half the screen while the show the user is watching is paused. There is speculation on Reddit that Discovery+ might be causing this, but given that a Roku Community Forum user is having the same issue on different apps, there is reason to believe Roku could be the one doing this.

Roku’s latest move could be bad news for YouTube TV

Roku is acquiring Frndly TV, a budget-friendly subscription streaming service that offers live TV.

Roku showcases Pause Ads on its website

Pause Ads are a step too far

Roku

On its advertising website, Roku has a dedicated page for what it calls “Pause Ad,” enticing advertisers to “own the moment when streamers pause a movie or show within The Roku Channel.” Though this page suggests it only affects content being watched on The Roku Channel, it does not include Discovery+ or other streaming apps.

Roku lists several benefits for advertisers, telling them they can “encourage streamers to learn,” and “Appear throughout the duration of the pause, creating the opportunity for longer exposure time.” Another benefit for advertisers that Roku highlights is the ability to “Present your brand organically without disrupting the viewing experience.” But as an affected user pointed out on the Roku Community Forum, it does indeed impede their viewing experience.

It’s no secret that, in the grand scheme of things, Roku is primarily an ad company before being a streaming service. Its platform versus device revenue proves that. Naturally, as an ad company, Roku is always seeking new ways to advertise on its platform. However, I believe Pause Ads might be a step too far.

…personally, like autoplay ads on boot-up, I find pause-screen ads ridiculous…

I accept advertising breaks during shows and advertisements on the home screen. That’s the nature of the game when it comes to Roku. However, displaying ads when someone just wants to pause a show for a quick second, or tries to backtrack and read or see something in a show, feels excessive in my opinion.

Some may argue that pausing a show usually means you’re leaving the room anyway, so what does it matter if a pause ad is displayed? That’s a fair point, but personally, like autoplay ads on boot-up, I think pause-screen ads are ridiculous. We already encounter ads everywhere else. Can we not get a break from them when we pause a show for a second?

Based on comments on Reddit, a significant number of users aren’t seeing pause-screen ads on Roku yet. So it’s entirely possible this test never becomes a widespread feature, which I hope is the case. In other Roku news, its latest update appears to have

broken HDR playback
on some Roku TVs.