Pluto TV, the free ad-supported streaming service owned by Paramount, has teamed up with Roku to a new wave of interactive advertisements that go beyond static QR codes, allowing viewers to engage directly with content from their screens. What seems to be a pilot program features ads showcasing trailers for older movies, offering viewers the option to add these titles to their Roku watchlist with a simple button press. This move aims to bridge the gap between ad viewing and on-demand action, letting users queue up films to watch later, all without leaving their couch allowing them to watch movies they find interesting later from the ads.
The interactive ads appear during Pluto TV’s 350+ live channel offerings on Roku devices. Unlike traditional commercials or even QR code prompts, these ads integrate seamlessly with Roku’s ecosystem: when a trailer plays, a prompt pops up—say, “Add to Watchlist”—and a click via the Roku remote. The feature leverages Roku’s recent on-demand channel additions to its Live TV Guide, like “Roku Originals” (Channel 267) and “Just Movies” (Channel 300), enhancing user control.
Roku had first tested a similar ad feature back in 2019 when Cord Cutters News broke the news that Roku was testing this with OTA TV and cable TV that offered interactive ads. Now it seems Roku is running these ads again this time with streaming players.
This expansion of interactive advertising comes as Roku and Pluto TV aim to capitalize on the growing free market, where Roku Channel leads with 28.2% in a survey of 1,900 cord cutters, per Cord Cutters News. With cable TV costs soaring—19.4% of subscribers pay over $200 monthly—and only 28.3% of Americans still using DVDs, per recent polls, free streaming’s appeal is undeniable. Pluto’s ad model, long reliant on frequent but short breaks (four per half-hour, per Tom’s Guide), now seeks to boost engagement and ad value.
If successful, Roku and Pluto could roll this out broadly, following Roku’s earlier QR code and Pluto’s Paramount-backed push into free premium content, helping drive up viewership and revenue.
Cord Cutters News has reached out to Roku and Pluto TV and has not heard back at this time.
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