• by Wayne Friedman , June 17, 2022

Roku and Walmart are partnering for what they say is a “first-of-its-kind” ecommerce partnership: making TV streaming a place for online shopping.

Walmart will be the exclusive retailer where Roku device/platform users can purchase products from Walmart directly.

In contrast to existing “shoppable” TV technologies using QR codes, the companies say their venture goes beyond that to include “product discovery” and a seamless checkout process.

“No one has cracked the code around video shoppability,” Walmart CMO William White said in a statement announcing the deal.

“We’re making shopping on TV as easy as it is on social,” Roku Head of TV Commerce Peter Hamilton added.

When watching a shoppable ad, viewers simply press the “Ok” button on Roku’s remote to proceed to checkout with their payment/shipping details already loaded on Roku’s “Pay” payments platform.

Viewers then press “Ok” again on the Walmart checkout page to place the order. 

Roku’s “OneView” ad-buying platform is also a key part of the process, offering advertisers the ability to target, optimize and measure ecommerce results through the partnership.

Additionally, advertisers will have access to the Roku Brand Studio to design creative and branded content for TV streaming and shopping.