Roku is launching a Maker’s Mark Bourbon-branded talk hosted by Randall Park.
The first two episodes of the six-episode series The Show Next Door will be available Wednesday. Park will mix a cocktail during his monologue and interview actors, athletes and musicians including Tony Hale, Terrell Owens, Fortune Feimster, Jason Mraz, Mark Duplass, and Gina Yashere during season one.
Roku, the popular streaming platform, has been wading into original programming and launched a Brand Studio in March to create shows, ads and other content for sponsors.
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Advertisers bellied up to the bar during Roku’s recently completed upfront negotiations. Roku said it doubled its upfront volume and said many deals including working with the Brand Studio.
Roku also sold its “Roku Originals”--shows originally produced for the short-lived, short-form mobile streaming service Quibi--during the upfront.
“Our partnership with Maker’s Mark is innovating how brands meet consumers today as they shift away from traditional television to streaming,” said Brian Toombs, head of content at Roku Brand Studio. “The Show Next Door is an incredible example of moving beyond the traditional 30-second ad and creating a fun and uplifting comedy so Maker’s Mark reaches streamers whether they are watching ad-supported or subscription-only content.”
Roku said the idea of building a show around a comedian like Park was based on data that showed streaming hours for comedy content increased 798% on The Roku Channel in the first quarter compared to a year ago.
“The Show Next Door is the embodiment of what we call Maker’s Hour – the much-deserved time you decide to make for yourself,” said KK Hall, global senior marketing director for Maker’s Mark. “We turned to the Roku Brand Studio because we want to go beyond the traditional ad experience on the largest screen in the home. Together we developed an entertaining and clever show with a splash of spirit as audiences transition from ‘working at home’ to ‘being at home.’”
The Show Next Door will be available to stream for free on The Roku Channel and across Maker’s Mark social channels. Starcom USA, Maker’s Mark’s media agency, helped develop the project.
Park is best known for starring in the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and for his role as Agent Jimmy Woo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“I always wondered what it would be like to host a talk show, and now I know - it’s super fun.” said Park. “I had a great time building this show with Roku and Maker’s Mark, and I’m excited it’s now available for everyone to enjoy.”
