GoKawiilRoku just unveiled the biggest overhaul to its smart TV operating system (OS) in 10 years. The most noticeable difference is a new ad space that takes up a large chunk of the screen’s right side.
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.
Credit: Roku The old Roku home screen. The old Roku home screen. Credit: Roku
The right side of the new Roku OS home screen is dedicated to ads. The ad remains visible as you navigate different parts of the Roku menu, 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 can be 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.