Roku Partners with Best Buy on First-Ever SXSW Activation Bringing Fan-Favorite “Roku City” Screensaver to Life

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02/23/2023 - 09:00 AM

Pop-up features Best Buy Home Theater Experience and dining experiences reserved on OpenTable

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- For the first time, Roku (Nasdaq: ROKU), the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico*, will bring its iconic Roku City screensaver to life with an interactive, multi-level activation with Best Buy at SXSW. To the delight of streamers, creators, and advertisers alike, the pop-up will feature a Best Buy Home Theater Experience, a rooftop diner destination, a style shop, and hidden Hollywood references throughout the Roku cityscape.

Roku City comes to life at SXSW. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The Roku City screensaver was introduced in 2017 to streamers as an urban utopia, where aliens don’t invade, they visit; volcanoes don’t erupt, they bubble; and monsters don’t destroy buildings, they rearrange them. The surreal experience draws from the imaginations of social media fans who love to celebrate movies and TV alongside Roku. According to internal Roku data**, two in three Roku users would take a trip to Roku City if offered. Twitter data also shows that a mention of “Roku City” appears once every 12 minutes***. However, the purple-hued metropolis has only ever existed as a virtual destination—until now.

Roku is teaming up with Best Buy to bring to life a two-day activation at SXSW. Visitors will be able to:

Stop in at the Roku City Style Shop and choose a new look featuring creative, purple accents perfect for their journey to a new world.
Reserve a booth at the Roku City Rooftop Diner via OpenTable and find movie and TV references hidden within the diner’s pop-up menu.
Sit back and relax at the Best Buy Home Theater Experience to check out the latest Roku devices available at Best Buy and new Roku Originals and entertainment on The Roku Channel.
Stroll under the trees of the Roku City Park to monster-watch and sip Roku City’s finest coffee.

“There’s so much more to streaming than shows or movies punctuated by ad breaks,” said Damon Van Deusen, Vice President of Global Brand and Creative for Roku. “Our customers and partners love Roku City because it's an invitation to a better TV experience. We’re excited to invite everyone to step into the world for the first time at SXSW.”

“Any opportunity to work with a partner like Best Buy is exciting, but our team is over the moon to partner on this incredible SXSW activation,” said Julian Mintz, Co-Head of U.S. Brand Sales for Roku. “Our brands share a customer-first approach and a deep passion for entertainment. We can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve created together.”

“Roku City featuring the Best Buy Home Theater Experience” will be open to the public on March 11-12 from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM, local time. The pop-up will be located at the Riley Building at 315 Lavaca Street, Austin, Texas. For additional details and entry information, please visit Roku City and OpenTable to make a dining reservation. Roku Originals will also debut an all-new original scripted comedy series “SLIP,” on Thursday, March 16 at 5:45 PM at the Stateside Theater (719 Congress Ave).

*based on hours streamed, Dec. 2022, Hypothesis Group

** Internal Roku research: Roku City Research via Qualtrics Feb ’23

***Twitter data, 2021-2022

About Roku

Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. We connect users to the streaming content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku streaming players and TV-related audio devices are available in the U.S. and in select countries through direct retail sales and licensing arrangements with service operators. Roku TV™ models are available in the U.S. and in select countries through licensing arrangements with TV OEM brands. Roku Smart Home products, including cameras, video doorbells, lighting, plugs, and more are available in the U.S. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. U.S.A.

Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this press release are the property of their respective holders.