With the demand for AVOD content growing in the market, LA-based streamer Future Today has brought in former Roku exec Mark Smith to elevate advertising strategies for all of its AVOD channels, including FilmRise, Fawesome and HappyKids. 

In his new role as VP of ad products, operations and strategy, Smith will work on business development and expanding Future Today’s monetization models and products. He’s based in LA and reports to company co-founder Vikrant Mathur. 

Smith, who has more than 17 years of experience in advertising, will also work to promote Future Today’s AVOD channels to content partners and ad clients.

Future Today, which launched in 2006, now caters to more than 20 million users and has amassed a catalogue of more than 200,000 films and TV shows across its channels. Its flagship kids and family AVOD, HappyKids, hosts more than 60,000 titles, including Moonbug’s CoComelon, Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans Go! and 2013 feature film My Little Pony: Equestria Girls.

Smith has worked as a senior manager of technical operations and advertising at Roku for the past three years. During this time, he headed up the technical operations team and significantly developed Roku’s monetization strategy.