Connected TV Money Moves: Fox's Roku Bet and AVOD's Growing Share of Ad Spend

"MediaTalk" host Mike Reynolds sits down with Kagan's Justin Nielson and Seth Shafer to break down some of the major themes reshaping media right now, including Fox's purchase of Roku, advertising-based video on demand's (AVOD's) continued ascent, the migration of sports rights and the maturation of the streaming market. First, they unpack Fox's acquisition of Roku, framing it as a strategic advertising and connected TV expansion. With Roku already heavily driven by ad revenue, the deal signals how Fox is chasing ad dollars — and audience scale — without taking on the full burden of streaming subscription competition. Next, the conversation turns to AVOD growth. Nielson and Shafer highlight why ad-supported models are gaining traction as consumers face rising streaming costs. AVOD is increasingly becoming a durable revenue engine, even as ad spend patterns continue to evolve. Finally, they explore sports streaming maturity: rights are shifting, but linear still dominates many live events. As more sports move to streaming, how much migration is actually happening versus what still remains stubbornly linear — and what does that mean potential regulatory and legislative efforts? More S&P Global content: Kagan Research Kagan Media & Telecom Summit Preview: Streaming, Sports Rights, Broadband, M&A Outlook for 2026 Featured experts: Justin Nielson, head of Kagan Research at S&P Global Market Intelligence. Seth Shafer, principal analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan. Credits: Host/Author: Mike Reynolds Producer/Editor: Sarah James