Roku OS’s home screen now features a large, permanent ad

“I don’t want recommendations! I know what I want to watch.” Roku just unveiled the biggest overhaul to its smart TV operating system (OS) in 10 years. One of the most noticeable differences is that ad space now takes up a large chunk of the screen’s landing page. 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. Once a user started started navigating the home screen, the menu would collapse, and they’d see a large ad on the right side of the screen. Now, users will see that large ad as soon as they turn on their Roku device. The ad remains visible as you navigate different parts of the Roku platform, 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