Roku Tests Full Screen Home Screen Video Ads Before You Can Use Your Roku

Andyross

Over the weekend, Roku began testing a bold new advertising strategy that has left some users fuming. Owners of Roku-powered smart TVs and streaming sticks, already accustomed to video advertisements on the Roku OS home screen, are now encountering an additional layer of ads: video commercials that play before the home screen even loads. This happens when customers first start their Roku TVs or streaming players a fullscreen and they can’t skip plays before they can go and select an app. This experimental move has ignited a wave of online complaints and raised questions about the future of the user experience on one of the most popular streaming platforms in the U.S.

https://cordcuttersnews.com/roku-tests-unskippable-home-screen-video-ads-before-you-can-use-your-roku/

telcodad

Andyross

FYI - The latest update on Cord Cutters News:

Roku’s New Home Screen Ads Are Upsetting Users: Here is Everything We Know About the New Full Screen Video Ad Test
By Luke Bouma, Cord Cutters News - March 20, 2025
https://cordcuttersnews.com/rokus-new-home-screen-ads-are-upsetting-users-here-is-everything-we-know-about-the-new-full-screen-video-ad-test/

Roku, a titan in the U.S. streaming market with an estimated 90 million households as of early 2025, has stirred controversy this week with a new advertising experiment rolled out over the weekend of March 15-16: https://cordcuttersnews.com/roku-tests-unskippable-home-screen-video-ads-before-you-can-use-your-roku/

The company began testing fullscreen video ads that play before the Roku OS home screen loads, a move that initially left users fuming over what they described as annoying interruptions.

The issue first surfaced when Roku users reported encountering commercials—often for Disney’s upcoming Moana 2—immediately upon powering up their smart TVs or streaming devices. A Reddit post on March 16 captured the initial outrage: “I just turned on my Roku and got an ad for a movie, before I got to the regular Roku home screen.” The complaint gained traction online, with users on X and forums echoing frustration over being unable to bypass the ads to access apps like Netflix or Tubi.

The test, limited to a small group of users for now, builds on Roku’s ad-centric history. The Roku OS already features video ads in slots like the “Marquee” on the home screen, a shift from static banners confirmed by CEO Anthony Wood in a 2024 earnings call. This latest pre-home screen layer, however, marks a bold escalation—akin to Amazon Fire TV’s longstanding fullscreen startup ads but a jolt for Roku’s traditionally simpler interface. In a statement, Roku explained: “Roku delivers the best value and experience for our 90M and growing TV streaming households. This has and will always require continuous testing and innovation across design, navigation, content, and our first-rate advertising products. Our recent test is just the latest example, as we explore new ways to showcase brands and programming while still providing a delightful and simple user experience.” …

thos-edison

Andyross It seems that DirecTV Stream is “testing” the same thing. They already push ads to you when you pause something. I wonder how many advertisers realize that when some of us see this stuff that we end up hating not only the provider, but the advertiser as well?

lesmikesell

So, time to get an Apple TV.

TC1USCG

lesmikesell Sure, if you wait, when they either go out of business, sell off or bow to the industry and start running adds. I have ATV+ via TMO. I know they have said NO ADDS, but in all honesty and no dig at Apple, their Apple TV does kind of suck. I think there’s been like TWO movies I viewed on their platform. One was Greyhound. Not sure what the other was though. One of my kids watches it.

RayGeode

My current TV is from before ROKU so I use an Apple TV interface. Very happy. I will buy another for the next TV and watch exclusively from HDMI 2. Does that really avoid the ROKU experience?

Donut417

Thanks for the post. I was considering switching to Roku, but now I dont think I will.

ElQuintron

I mostly run Nvidia shields for that sort of thing, but would pihole solve most/some of this?

RayGeode

I have no experience with TVs less than 10 years old. So I don’t yet know if a new Samsung TV would work the same as mine. Currently, my TV always turns on to the last mode I always end with, HDMI#2 which plays my Apple TV interface. New TVs I know have built in Streaming which I don’t want to be bothered with. So I’m wondering if my next new TV will try to advertise to me, before it will switch to HDMI 2.

EDIT: I just read on the Best Buy site Q&A that ROKU TV does not force its OS. One can configure it to go to HDMI port on boot up

Andyross

Reading the Roku forums, people are absolutely thrilled about this change…
https://community.roku.com/t5/Features-settings-updates/Video-Ads-Autoplaying-on-Homescreen/m-p/1052012#M55725
https://community.roku.com/t5/Features-settings-updates/Video-Ads-Autoplaying-on-Homescreen/m-p/1051971#M55711
https://community.roku.com/t5/Features-settings-updates/Video-Ads-Autoplaying-on-Homescreen/m-p/1051989#M55718

telcodad

Andyross Reading the Roku forums, people are absolutely thrilled about this change…

Hmmm…. I didn’t see that, in fact it seemed most people did not care for this change. 😉

TC1USCG

Andyross Yeah, they seemed “thrilled”. Clearly. Though I have a couple of smart tv’s, down from 5 (I retired, moved, downsized). I have roku’s on all my TV’s. All gen 4’s. But I do have a Firestick on a non-smart LCD tv out by the pool. I’m very happy with it. It’s fast(er). But I’m done with Roku’s. My NAS box (ASUS) can plug directly into my TV via HDMI so I don’t have to even stream via plex, which is also raising it’s price for new members.

Rich221976

I know with the TCL ROKU Tv, I can disabled most of the ROKU features and just use it as a TV and not bother with the streaming stuff if that starts to pop up on my TV. I will switch back to my Apple TV if they start doing that to this TV

moonpie

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Horrible idea.

Roku is doing a great job of killing itself. Why rock the boat when the water is calm and smooth?

I too am a Roku user and fan, and I’m disappointed.

Businesses will push people as far as they can until people say the word “NO”.
So, has is become “NO” time for Roku users?

px_eliezer_

moonpie BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Horrible idea.

Roku is doing a great job of killing itself. Why rock the boat when the water is calm and smooth?

If there is any possible alternative, I will NOT buy such a TV.

HardlyWorthit

telcodad
It was a test, and you passed.

lesmikesell

TC1USCG Apple TV as a hardware device runs all the same apps as everyone else and is generally better hardware. Apple TV+ as a service has some fairly good series and their production quality is great.

Rich221976

TC1USCG

I meant hooking up my Apple TV box to the tv to access my streaming apps. No ads that way. If the current Roku software starts doing this.

I also have two DirectV streaming devices. One is hooked up in the living room and one in the office. I can always take the one out of the office and hook it up to the bedroom TV, but seriously, I barely turn that TV on anymore.

I think I have watched only YouTube on that TV, and that was video’s of two car repairs that I follow and watch.

Bink63

Rich221976 I also have two DirectV streaming devices.

Me too, well mine are DirecTV devices, but my Genie and HR20 avoid the wholesale streaming Ad crap.

telcodad

telcodad The test, limited to a small group of users for now, …

I hope those lucky “small group of users” gave Roku an earful of “feedback.”

just_4_fun

haven’t seen any ads from roku yet but what’s new here (for the last week or two) when I power-up roku there is new screen that appears to be some type of legal warning but it disappears so fast I don’t have time to read it