Ah, the glory of modern living. With a few quick swipes, consumers can have just about anything delivered right to their door -- and sometimes, in a matter of minutes! If we're talking about food, services like Uber Technology's (UBER) Uber Eats, Door Dash (DASH), Grubhub, and more have made it simple to get just about anything you're craving. You simply open the app, scroll around a bit until you see something that looks yummy, and order it straight to your door.
While it's nice to be able to do just about anything with the help of your smartphone, you can usually have your goods delivered with the help of one of your other devices. Tablets, laptops, desktop computers -- if you're trying to avoid the temptation to doom-scroll during your lunch break, you can leave the phone on "do not disturb" and still find a way to get your favorite food practically dropped into your lap.
The ability to order food from just about any device may seem excessive, but it could come with some benefits. Or at least that's what the streaming service Roku thinks. The company has teamed up with food delivery service DoorDash to bring you on-demand ordering ... from your TV.
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The 'Why' and 'How' of Food Delivery From Your TV
Roku and DoorDash have teamed up to make ordering through the streaming service a reality. But why? To save money, of course!
Fast food restaurant Wendy’s (WEN) is the first company to buy a place in this new advertising market. Customers who order through Roku will receive exclusive discounts, like $5 off a minimum order of $15. As viewers watch their favorite show, a Wendy’s ad with a special deal will place a QR code on the screen, automatically opening the DoorDash app and adding the coupon code.
Roku and DoorDash are really trying to sweeten the deal by giving users another perk. These folks will also get six months free of DashPass, which eliminates delivery fees and is usually $9.99/mo. Both companies are eager to make this work, and if it does, it could mean good things for Roku.
The Struggle With Ad Sales is Still On
Roku, like several tech companies whose revenue relies on ad sales, has been struggling to get advertisers interested in purchasing slots. Last November's third-quarter earnings reports posted a loss of 88 cents per share for the three months ending in September.
Roku CEO Anthony Wood indicated that shareholders should brace themselves for the upcoming quarter. "We are seeing signs that Q4 is going to be worse in terms of the ad market than Q3," Wood said during the earnings call.
Meanwhile, chief executive of Ark Investment Management Cathie Wood has continued to look favorably on Roku's stock value. Just a few weeks ago, Ark scooped up $4.2 million worth of Roku shares.
