“In the summer it will be more soccer-related. Later in the fall, it will highlight the LPGA or the WNBA seasons, and then eventually we want to make sure that we bring lesser-known leagues and lesser-known talent to users,” Wachter added.

A brand (new) opportunity

Roku’s Women’s Sports Zone has other opportunities for brands outside of the home screen and presenting offerings, which Wachter expects to play a role in the upfront.

Degree signed on as a sponsor of the Live Event Playlist product, which acts as a streaming guide for consumers and helps them get into the right apps during the games. 

Within the microsite, the Roku Brand Studio can create custom content that connects a sports moment to a brand’s messaging.

“We’re also using [Women’s Sports Zone] as another thing to make a brand’s media plan custom throughout the upfront and into next year,” said Wachter. “It’s been exciting to see how lean-forward brands are in highlighting this problem and making it part of their upfront strategy to help solve it for streamers.”