DoorDash, Roku partner on food ordering via TV

Roku users will soon be able to order groceries and restaurant takeout from their TV.

The streaming service is partnering with DoorDash on “shoppable ads” that allow viewers to start an order from their TV screen. Wendy’s is the first restaurant to buy the ads, which go live Tuesday and run through March 12.

The ads will appear on the Roku home screen and during programming. Viewers can scan a QR code on the screen or enter their phone number to receive a link that takes them to a DoorDash ordering page. The ads will sweeten the deal with promotions such as $5 off orders of $15 or more. Customers will need a DoorDash account to complete the order.

Shoppable ads have been growing in the grocery segment in recent years.

Tuesday’s announcement builds on a Walmart pilot program that launched in June, which enabled Roku customers to buy items directly from the retailer. And in 2020, Roku partnered with Kroger on a shopper data program focused on consumer packaged goods marketers.

Earlier this month, delivery rival Instacart announced a shoppable ad campaign with Michelob Ultra that allows viewers to shop for game-day snacks and drinks by scanning a QR code in the ad.

Ordering food is already as easy as picking up your smartphone, but the Roku ads give restaurants and grocers a very direct way to influence customer behavior. And streaming fans tend to be a willing audience: Roku research determined that a third of its users get takeout or delivery weekly.

“Streaming and delivery just go together, which is why we're making it easier than ever for Roku users to order their favorite food right from their TV,” said Gidon Katz, Roku’s president, consumer experience, in a statement. 

The format will also give Wendy’s and DoorDash good insight into how the ads are performing.

Also as part of the deal, Roku users will get six months of free access to DashPass, DoorDash’s membership program. It waives delivery fees on orders from eligible restaurants and normally costs $9.99 a month.

Roku is a streaming device that allows consumers to access a variety of streaming channels. It ended 2022 with more than 70 million active accounts, presenting DoorDash with a large pool of potential new customers.  

The third-party delivery service will be Roku’s exclusive partner for shoppable restaurant and grocery ads for one year.

DoorDash has more than 25 million monthly active users across the more than 75,000 grocery, convenience and retail stores on its platform, according to the company.

This story originally appeared on WGB sister site Restaurant Business. It has been modified slightly.