How Roku markets itself to small advertisers

In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields speaks with Peter Hamilton, Head of Ad Innovation at Roku, about the rapid evolution of connected TV (CTV) advertising and how Roku is bridging the gap between big-brand budgets and small-business accessibility.

Peter shares what’s really happening behind the scenes as digital-first advertisers and DTC brands move into television, the challenges of onboarding thousands of SMBs, and how Roku’s self-serve ad tools and shoppable innovations are reshaping the CTV landscape. He also explains Roku’s partnership with Amazon, the growth of shoppable TV, and why “press OK to text” could redefine viewer engagement.

With clarity and insider perspective, Peter outlines what’s next for CTV—from AI-driven creative experimentation to real-time data loops that empower advertisers of all sizes.

Key Highlights

📈 CTV’s Fastest-Growing Segment: How performance-driven advertisers, not traditional TV buyers, are fueling Roku’s rapid growth.

💡 SMBs Meet Streaming: Why onboarding small advertisers takes time—and how Roku’s self-serve tools are solving it.

📺 Amazon Partnership Explained: Why Roku isn’t competing with Amazon but collaborating to improve advertiser reach and data performance.

📱 Shoppable TV & “OK to Text”: How one button on the Roku remote is changing interactive ad engagement forever.

🧠 AI in Creative Production: The rise of self-serve advertisers testing dozens of AI-generated ads and what’s working so far.

⚙️ The Open Platform Approach: Roku’s strategy to stay partner-first while integrating performance data and real-time conversions.

Resources & Next Steps

 📊 Learn about Roku’s performance tools and integrations
🎧Subscribe to Next in Media on Apple Podcasts

YouTube Chapter Timestamps

00:00 Setting the stage – CTV’s transformation  

00:53 Introducing Peter Hamilton of Roku  

02:00 Why new advertisers are coming to TV  

03:31 The challenge of onboarding SMBs  

05:01 How performance marketers are driving CTV growth  

06:07 Roku Ads Manager and self-serve evolution  

07:32 Moving beyond search and social saturation  

09:12 Why analysts underestimate CTV’s growth  

10:02 Fundamentals of marketing still apply  

11:18 Building new DR paths for DTC brands  

12:28 How Roku attracts small businesses  

13:59 Success stories: Shopify and Fatty 15  

15:15 What’s holding CTV adoption back?  

16:00 Inside Roku’s partnership with Amazon  

17:51 The open-platform strategy  

18:52 Acquiring Friendly and launching Howdy  

20:25 Experimenting with subscription bundles  

21:15 The rise of shoppable TV and “OK to Text”  

22:51 How interactivity and texting are becoming normalized  

24:18 Building habitual shoppable behavior  

25:43 Why creative clarity drives conversions  

26:54 The future of AI-generated ads on CTV  

27:46 Data loops, APIs, and intelligent optimization  

28:04 Closing thoughts – what’s next for CTV advertising