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Smart TV

What is a smart TV?

A smart TV is a television equipped with an internet connection, either through an ethernet port, built-in wifi or both. With a smart television, streaming services are built-in — viewers can access streaming content, such as Netflix and Hulu, without an additional device.

Who offers smart televisions?

Almost every TV manufacturer now offers smart televisions, but the major smart TV makers include Samsung, Sharp, Sony and Vizio. Streaming services available vary from advertising-supported video on demand (AVOD) services to paid subscription video on demand (SVOD) services to free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels.

How are ads shown on smart TVs?

A smart television offers a variety of video content. What first comes to mind for most is some sort of video on demand (VOD), like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu or any other popular streaming service. Growing in popularity, though, are FAST channels.

Both content delivery types, with the exception of TVOD, are ad-supported. This means digital and connected TV, or streaming TV, advertisements are shown to the viewer.

How does it all work? The digital advertising world is full of nuances, but to put it simply, advertisements are bought and sold through either a non-programmatic direct or programmatic process. After negotiations are made and contracts are finalized, ads are then displayed before, during or after content being accessed via the smart TV.

For advertisers, smart TVs pose a unique opportunity to target audiences that complement or overlap with linear TV demographics. Because CTV is connected to automatic content recognition (ACR) technology, brands looking to advertise on streaming platforms can enjoy ACR’s robust data collection, which they can gather by employing a trusted ad technology partner, such as a demand-side platform (DSP). This DSP gathers this data to inform your precise audience targeting goals. From this detailed audience data, you can expect increased conversion for your ad campaign, including when taking the campaign to scale.

How can Simulmedia facilitate smart TV ad placements?

Contrary to popular myth, today’s streaming services are not limited to digital ads. Virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs) act similarly to traditional TV providers, giving viewers the ability to watch linear channels — think of live sporting events, news cycles and other shows found on cable. With those channels come national linear ads. The result? Most cord-cutter households are still exposed to national linear ads, dispelling the myth that linear ads only show up on broadcast, cable or satellite television.

With our unique TV+® platform for TV planning, buying, activation and measurement, Simulmedia takes a unique, truly cross-channel approach, leaving no stone unturned across linear TV or streaming TV – no matter where your target audiences are watching. With access to viewers across 120 million U.S. households and over 250 linear and streaming TV networks, publishers and services, TV+ makes it easy for advertisers to confidently execute audience-based and content-based media buys across virtually every type and supplier of TV programming that consumers can access through their smart TVs.