Roku Users Don't Have to Worry About Missing the Super Bowl, Unlike Last Year

A year ago, Roku’s then 32 million accounts very nearly missed out on being able to stream Super Bowl 54. And though there’s already been a lot to worry about in 2021, this year the platform's now 51 million active accounts will have no concerns about losing access to Sunday's Big Game matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Instead, Roku has teamed with TurboTax to keep its subscribers engaged before and during Sunday's game. The brand will be the official sponsor of The Roku Channel's Big Game editorial hub and its Where to Watch Guide surrounding the Super Bowl. Roku and Fox—which had the broadcast rights in 2020—hit an impasse ahead of last year's game after Roku announced that Fox’s suite of apps, including Fox, Fox Sports and Fox Nation, would no longer be available through Roku devices on Jan. 31. The two came to an agreement less than two days before the game. ViacomCBS and Roku have had no such distribution squabble ahead of the most hotly anticipated sporting event of the year. Roku users can stream this year’s Super Bowl on both the CBS Sports app and the NFL app for free. (For those cord cutters who aren't Roku users, there also are plenty of streaming options: CBS is providing unauthenticated access to the game on its website, and on the CBS Sports app for OTT devices and services, smart TVs and mobile devices.) “Streaming will score a touchdown during this year's Big Game,” said Tedd Cittadine, vp of content distribution. He noted that the free streaming options are “another sign of the future where all content will be streamed.” In a blog post, Roku encouraged customers to start a free trial of CBS All Access (soon to become Paramount+) or to authenticate the channel with a participating pay-TV provider, which will also enable them to stream the game. Additionally, Roku TV owners with an antenna can tune into broadcast TV. More Super (Bowl) streaming during Covid The way people watch the 2021 Super Bowl is going to look a little different because of the pandemic. Roku found that the vast majority of its users who plan to watch the game will do so from their own home (86%), instead of attending a Super Bowl watch party. Of those, nearly half (42%) will opt to stream the game instead of watching it on linear TV (44%). “What we are seeing with the Super Bowl data, where basically viewers are split evenly between those who will watch on traditional TV and those who will stream it, is that the usual 'hooks' for traditional TV, namely news and sports, are no longer holding audiences to traditional pay TV the way it once did,” Cittadine said. “Millions of Americans have now discovered new ways to access sports and quality news programming on streaming, which we believe will only further the migration towards a streaming-first TV world.” Roku reported an estimated 51.2 million active accounts at the end of 2020, up 39% over the course of the year. Any Roku user streaming the game on the platform will likely come across TurboTax's Super Bowl sponsorship. For the third year in a row, the brand will be the official sponsor of The Roku Channel's Big Game editorial hub and its Where to Watch Guide surrounding the game. TurboTax will be featured in several interactive ad units, including pre-show, pause break, movie night sponsorship, search zone and a mini/primetime ad. Roku has also commissioned the Derek Jeter-founded digital publication The Players' Tribune to produce exclusive content that will live in the editorial hub during Super Bowl week. Those offerings include behind-the-scenes history of the 2013 Super Bowl Blackout featuring interviews with San Francisco 49ers players Delanie Walker and Michael Crabtree, Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta, and Hall of Famer Ed Reed, with custom animation bringing their stories to life. For all the latest Super Bowl advertising news—who’s in, who’s out, teasers, full ads and more—check out Adweek’s Super Bowl 2021 Ad Tracker and the rest of our stories about the Big Game. And join us on the evening of Feb. 7 for the best in-game coverage of the commercials anywhere.