Walmart and Roku are partnering on ‘shoppable ads’ for your TV

Image: Roku

You'll be able to buy something directly from an ad on your TV if Walmart and Roku's partnership is successful. If you see an ad for something you might actually want to buy, you won't have to switch to your phone or computer.

According to a press release, here's how it works.

Viewers simply press “OK” with the remote on a shoppable ad and proceed to checkout with their payment details easily pre-populated from Roku Pay, Roku’s payments platform. From there, tapping “OK” on the Walmart checkout page places the order. A Walmart purchase confirmation is then emailed with shipping, return, and support information.

You can see the checkout screen in the image at the top of the post, but below is a preview of what the experience will look like.

Image: Roku

This new type of ad seems to fit right in with the company's goals since they have been vocal about their advertising ambitions. Walmart has been thinking about shoppable ads for a while. Vudu was sold to Fandango in 2020.

Only a limited number of people will be able to see the ads, which are described as a first pilot. Future iteration of the pilot will look for opportunities to build deeper commerce experiences that meet customers where they are. The company plans to start testing ads from brands that sell through Walmart before the end of the year.