TV Data For Our Times: Back when America watched TV via rabbit ears or a 25-channel set top box, a panel-based measurement system based on viewers keeping diaries seemed like a perfectly reasonable way to measure what people were watching on TV. But it’s 2018, and few people watch TV the old fashioned way anymore. They’re increasingly watching TV via apps on digital devices and smart TVs. And even if those apps are owned by traditional networks and MVPDs, the programming that’s on them is not getting counted. That’s why there’s so much excitement about the data collected via ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) off of smart TVs. DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE: https://mailchi.mp/tvrevolution/tvrev-white-papers Send any comments/questions to yotvrev@gmail.com

1. 1

2. 2
CONTENTS
3 TV Data For Our Times
4 Smart TVs Are Getting Connected
5 The User Experience Still Varies Widely
6 Smart TV Has Become A Two-Horse Race
8 How ACR Works
9 The Many Uses For ACR Data
10 The Pros And Cons Of Smart TV ACR Data
11 FTC Guidelines On Data Collection
13 Advantages And Challenges
15 Key Players In The Smart TV And ACR Data Ecosystem
17 Endnotes
17 Next Up…
18 About The Authors
18 Special Thanks
19 About TV[R]EV

3. 3
Executive Summary
TV Data For Our Times
Back when America watched TV via
rabbit ears or a 25-channel set top box, a
panel-based measurement system based
on viewers keeping diaries seemed like
a perfectly reasonable way to measure
what people were watching on TV.
But it’s 2018, and few people watch TV
the old fashioned way anymore. They’re
increasingly watching TV via apps on digital
devices and smart TVs. And even if those
apps are owned by traditional networks and
MVPDs, the programming that’s on them is
not getting counted.
That’s why there’s so much excitement
about the data collected via ACR
(Automatic Content Recognition) off of
smart TVs.
Smart TVs are coming into their own TV[R]
EV predicts they will be in close to 75% of
American homes by 2022. They’re unique in
that the ACR data obtained from smart TVs
reflects what’s being watched regardless of
input device. That means they can measure
set top box viewing as well as OTT.
As viewing habits change, it is important
to understand how ACR data is affecting
advertising and programing decisions,
especially as this data becomes more
prevalent with the continued adoption of
smart televisions over the coming years.
In this report we’ll explain how ACR
technology works, who’s using it and
how. We’ll also examine its pros and cons,
and offer some predictions on where it is
headed in the years to come.
Methodology
›› In preparing our analysis, we interviewed
dozens of senior-level executives in
decision-making roles at a host of leading
companies in the advertising, agency,
network and measurement space.
›› We spoke to buyers, sellers, technology
vendors and programmers, collecting
a cross-section of insights about the
workings of smart TV data.
›› No previous study has benefited from
the direct participation of multiple
companies across the entire marketplace.
INTRODUCTION

4. 4
Smart TVs Are Getting Connected
To understand how ACR data is flowing into
the television advertising and programming
ecosystem, we first need to understand the
landscape of the smart TV ecosystem and
how it has matured over the last few years.
›› The act of turning on a television now
often means accessing the internet. More
than half (56%) of U.S. adults now own
a streaming-enabled television, up from
one-third in 2015, according to the IAB1
.
By 2021, there will be 114.3 million smart
TVs in the U.S., up from 81.2 million in
2017, according to a July 2017 forecast by
eMarketer2
.
›› Smart TVs (originally called “connected
TVs”) in the past were seldom fully
activated in the way manufacturers
intended.
›› Manufacturers today say more than three-
quarters of smart TVs are connected to
the internet. This is attributable to more
intuitive interfaces, increased cord-shifting,
cord-shaving and cord-cutting, along with
the growth in popularity of streaming
services like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.
›› The vast majority of smart TVs are sold at
stores like Best Buy and Walmart, with
many priced under $500. Most new TVs
bought these days are smart TVs.
›› While connected devices like Roku, Apple
TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast
have made gains—both eMarketer and
comScore confirm Roku as the most
popular—smart TVs remain dominant.
More than 48% of viewers connect to the
internet via Smart TVs, eMarketer found in
July, compared with 37.3% through video
game platforms. Roku was next on the list
at 23.1%.
›› Connected devices offer a lower price
point and more robust line-up of channels
than Smart TVs or gaming consoles, but
they can prove confusing for those with
limited technical prowess.
uu Takeaway:
Smart TV interfaces have improved
markedly from the early days, which
has helped drive adoption. The smart
TV sector still faces strong competition
from connected devices like Roku.
More than three-
quarters of smart
TVs are connected to
the internet
HISTORY

5. 5
The User Experience Still Varies Widely
Industry sources rate Samsung as the
leading smart TV manufacturer, e.g. the
one they were most familiar with, but give
connected devices a wide lead in consumer
interface design and usability.
›› Originally, smart TV makers aimed to
create their own app ecosystems, similar
to the App Store and Google Play.
›› Over time, that task proved difficult as
users accustomed to one experience on
mobile devices were confronted with a
completely different user interface on
smart TVs.
›› More recently, some manufacturers have
teamed with Roku (Hi-Sense and six other
OEMs) and Google (Sony) to create more
user-friendly interfaces.
uu Takeaway:
Smart TV manufacturers have
improved their user interfaces, some
by partnering with Roku and Google.
Smart TVs do not have the viewer-
friendly reputation of connected
devices, which leads people to hold
on to their older TVs (seven years
is the average). Price is also a key
determinant. Consumers are more
ready try a $50 dongle or streaming
box rather than a $500 smart TV
experience.
INTERFACE
“Samsung is doing a better job. They’ve won over the
consumer market with better products.”
Senior Ad Sales Executive, MVPD
“Apple, Google and Roku have been working on
maximizing UX for years – a TV manufacturer can’t
replicate that.”
Senior Executive, Media Agency
“Smart TV remotes are still clunky. The experience
isn’t the same as it is with a Roku or an Apple TV.”
Senior VP, MVPD
“I have a 5 year-old smart TV and the interface
is an issue. It’s not even close to comparable to
connected devices.”
SVP, Advanced Media, Ad Agency

6. 6
Smart TV Has Become A Two-Horse Race
About a dozen companies are actively
manufacturing smart TVs, though there are
two main players. Combined, Samsung and
Vizio reach more than two-thirds of smart
TV homes. Most estimates have Samsung
with slightly more than 40% market share
and Vizio with slightly more than 30%.
The media executives we spoke with were
frequently surprised by these stats--many
has assumed that companies like LG, Sony
and Panasonic, which had once dominated
the television OEM market still maintained
sizable market share. While many were
aware of Samsung’s prime position, they
were unaware that Vizio has captured close
to a third of the smart TV market.
MARKET
The overall market share for Smart TVs:

7. 7
One Horse Is Not Running An ACR Data
Business
›› Samsung is a “walled garden” and is trying to create its own
media, advertising and services business around the ACR data it
collects. As such, Samsung is not selling its substantial data set to
anyone else: ad tech companies, ad agencies or networks.
›› Vizio ACR data is marketed through Inscape Data Services, its
wholly-owned subsidiary, and made available to customers to
support analytics, targeting, and measurement use cases.
›› Manufacturers other than Samsung and Vizio have little
consistency in how they enable, collect and distribute data. This
poses a problem in data quality, speed, consistency as well as
consumer privacy.
›› The choice for ACR data comes down to using Inscape or
a patchwork of data from other, much smaller OEM’s with
drastically fewer install bases.
›› Some ad tech companies make large reach estimates by
extrapolating population sizes from a small number of actual
reporting devices. This results in much higher margins of error and
slower systems for reporting. ACR data that measures conversions
using 1:1 IP-based matching is significantly more accurate given
the larger sample size.
›› Smaller OEMs are less likely to have up to date opt-in policies
because of the cost associated with compliance, which may
include firmware updates.
›› In practical terms, given the lack of data from Samsung’s
ecosystem, anyone not using Vizio data via Inscape is dealing
with a balkanized landscape where data from an assortment of
smaller players must be aggregated and normalized. This is not an
impossible task — some companies seem to be making it work —
but it’s much harder than dealing with a single source. That said,
there’s an argument to be made for getting data from diverse
sources.
uu Takeaway:
Samsung and Vizio dominate the smart TV market, but
the smart TV data market is another story. Their divergent
approaches to selling data — coupled with increasing smart
TV adoption and subsequent fragmentation of the smart
TV market — has resulted in confusion. Arriving at verifiable
numbers of households captured by the various ACR
companies and assessing the legitimacy of many data sets
remains difficult.
At present, no OEM has
permission to monitor
streaming video on demand
(SVOD) services like Netflix and
Amazon (or at least to release
the results publicly).

8. 8
How ACR Works
What Is Automated Content Recognition Data?
Content and
advertisements are
ingested across multiple
connected devices and
platforms, attributing
viewing sessions by port
(e.g., HDMI)
The collected data is
processed and compared
once again to the index.
That information is then
attributed across multiple
audience dimensions.
Customers receive
regular data feeds and
products based on
individual needs
Automatic Content Recognition is a system whereby software
installed on a television, tablet or smartphone is able to recognize
which programs and commercials are being watched, for how long
the viewer is watching them.
›› ACR technology can be applied to both audio and video content.
Shazam uses to ACR recognize songs. Smart TVs incorporate ACR
to recognize ads and shows that are being watched.
›› Some TV data companies use audio to identify content, but this
has proven to be problematic as background noise can interfere
with results.
›› Video ACR operates by capturing ”fingerprints” from content that
is displayed on the TV. They are then matched to a database of
“known” fingerprints to identify the content being displayed.
›› At present, no OEM has permission to monitor streaming video
on demand (SVOD) services like Netflix and Amazon (or at least to
release the results publicly).
›› The database comes from a “listening post,” a third-party service set
up to record and monitor all the over-the-air and cable broadcasts
in different parts of the U.S.
›› When the software encounters a change in the program being
displayed, it considers two options: 1. the viewer has changed the
channel, or 2. they are watching a commercial break, and checks
for both.
›› In the case of a commercial break, ACR systems can further
distinguish between national commercials and local commercials.
(Networks allocate approximately two to three minutes of every
hour for local advertising.)
›› There is a post processing period where data is cleansed and
interpreted. This is where ACR data processing firms can determine
whether the viewer was watching on OTT/VOD, DVR or live.
›› Activities like binge-viewing can also be identified during the
cleansing process.
›› Some companies do data cleansing manually, others do it
automatically by using proprietary heuristics. The latter method is
faster but can lead to false results.
›› This is a critical distinction as one of the main differences between
various data sets comes from post-processing practices—how well
the data is cleansed and interpreted.
›› Live viewing data is available hourly, so networks and advertisers
can react quickly. This, in addition to granularity, are the key reasons
why ACR data has become so popular
›› “Fingerprinting” involves taking a piece of audio or video and
matching it to content in a database in order to identify it. While
this involves actually creating a database, it is considered to be
more accurate, and any company using ACR technology uses this
methodology.

9. 9
The Many Uses For ACR Data
Example of minute by minute broadcasts shows dips in attention during game play
*Second by second metrics are used by broadcasters and advertisers to track attention on an hourly basis, example
provided by Inscape.tv
Use cases for ACR data
include:
›› Media and audience planning
›› Linear TV media buying
›› Digital targeting
›› Closed-loop attribution measurement
(IP-based)
›› Measurement of campaign/audience
reach, frequency, lift

10. 10
The Pros And Cons Of Smart TV ACR Data
Pros
›› The scale, glass-level detection and near real-time nature of ACR
TV data results in more accurate measurement than set-top or
panel-based viewing metrics provided by Nielsen, Rentrak and
others.
›› Tapping into smart TV data lets businesses understand both
linear and time-shifted viewing behavior in a device and service-
agnostic environment. Whether it’s via the set top box, a smart TV
app, or a connected device — content and ads can be recognized
and measured.
›› This data can then be used to measure impact and supplement
existing audience data for targeting purposes.
›› Tracks programming from OTT services and from devices
like Roku, Chromecast, Xbox and other streaming sources —
something set top box data cannot do.
›› Can be used to account for quantum viewing (viewing that starts
on one screen and finishes on another).
›› Device IP addresses can be matched customer ID graphs and
used in cross-screen targeting.
›› Faster results — data can be made available almost instantly.
Cons
›› Critics say the database of users is a subset of all connected users
and may lack the geographic/age/income balance found in panel-
based measurement systems.
›› Database of users is self-selecting, consisting only of users who
own newer smart TVs and have agreed to be tracked.
›› Legacy users do not realize that they are being tracked, which can
lead to privacy issues. (opt-in permissions are often couched in
terms of “getting better recommendations,” not tracking viewing
for marketing purposes.)
uu Takeaway:
ACR data can provide a broader sample size than set top box
data, which is why so many see it as the wave of the future.
At present, there is a great deal of confusion in the market
around data sources and number of households sampled.
Once this is ironed out, ACR data should become standard
currency for measuring TV.

11. 11
FTC Guidelines On Data Collection
The February 2017 settlement between FTC and Vizio cleared up
much of the confusion around smart TV data collection. While VIZIO
admitted no guilt, the company worked closely with regulators to
establish the first industry guidelines for smart TV data collection
and consumer opt-in. Here are the guidelines’ main pillars:
›› Explain data collection practices up front. Tell consumers from
the outset about the information you intend to collect in easy to
understand, nontechnical language.
›› Get opt-in consent before you collect and share highly specific
information about consumer’s entertainment preferences. If
consumers wouldn’t expect you to be collecting information from
them, especially sensitive information, make sure they consent to
what you intend to do.
›› Make it easy for consumers to exercise options. Use plain English
in descriptions and be transparent about intent.
›› Established consumer protection principles apply to new
technology. Even if they were written before the advent of smart
TVs, established policies still apply.
Guidelines Are Easy, Compliance Is Hard
While the FTC settlement established clear guidelines, compliance
from OEMs and service providers is another matter.
›› The big issues with compliance are the high costs and significant
time it can take OEMs to reset their hardware and deploy new
opt-in notifications. As a result, many TV manufacturers, especially
smaller ones, are “rolling the dice” on FTC compliance.
›› Some ACR ecosystem players like Samba or Alphonso use opt-in
for apps to generate permissions for tracking and using ACR data.
Because guidelines in OTT and mobile apps are often far less
stringent, with user-flows that default to an opt-in position, the
consumer app loophole helps retargeters obtain insights without
the express consent of the device owners.
While VIZIO admitted no guilt,
the company worked closely
with regulators to establish
the first industry guidelines for
smart TV data collection and
consumer opt-in.

12. 12
Opting In
Vizio Privacy opt-in after FTC ruling
Because Opt-In for ACR data collection happens at the
OEM-level, companies like Samba can use simple TOS to
gain ACR data access (but terms vary widely among OEMs).

13. 13
Advantages And Challenges
Advantages
The Market For ACR Data Is Booming
›› The glass-level attention metrics obtained via ACR data are seen
as a more reliable approach than legacy system such as Rentrak’s
set top box or Nielsen’s small panel data.
›› Since ACR data only measures what’s on the screen, it achieves a
higher level of accuracy than set top box data, which needs to be
adjusted to account for the common scenario where viewers shut
off the TV but not the set top box.
›› Glass level attention metrics like ACR are arguably more reliable than
panel-based metrics such as Nielsen as they draw from a larger pool
of viewers and, more importantly, do not rely on self-reported data.
›› In addition, ACR data is able to provide second-by-second
measurement data, whereas Nielsen reports in 15-minute
increments. That means brands can now tell exactly how their
commercial fared overall, as well as in relation to other spots
within the same pod
›› The industry has long been searching for a data source that can
supplement/supplant Nielsen. While ACR data from smart TVs
is unlikely to replace Nielsen, which also recently began tracking
streaming video3
, it can help to fill in the gaps.
›› This will prove very valuable to networks and brands as the
industry moves to indexed and addressable models that are
based on data-driven audiences.
›› Smart TV data has an advantage over set top box data in that
viewing from all sources is measured via ACR — if it’s playing on
the TV, it’s measured. That means unlike set top box data, ACR
data captures OTT viewing off Roku, Xbox, Chromecast and other
streaming devices.
›› ACR provides the best data pool for cross screen attribution (1:1
deterministic matching with other devices means less reliance on
small panel modeling and guesswork)
›› ACR data gives agencies and networks the ability to get fast,
granular data they can utilize in something close to real time in
order to make key decisions.
ACR data gives agencies and
networks the ability to get fast,
granular data they can utilize in
something close to real time in
order to make key decisions.

14. 14
Challenges
The Industry Needs More Education As To What ACR Is And How
It Works
›› We spoke with a number of industry professionals — agency
media buyers, brand managers, network executives and
consultants — and the one commonality was that they were all
confused as to how ACR actually works.
›› Even though many had read about or spoken to companies
providing ACR data from smart TVs, they were not sure how those
companies gathered information or where their panels came
from.
›› They were unclear as to whether the data was licensed by these
companies directly from the OEMs, whether it was generated by
a software program that was installed on the TV set or whether
viewers were paid to provide their information to the ACR
companies.
›› Widespread integration of ACR data is slower due to incumbent,
legacy systems like Nielsen, that have multi-year deals in place
and multiple points of critical integration
›› While ACR data is most representative of the US census, there is
a continued perception that smart TVs skew towards a younger,
more affluent, more tech-savvy audience.
›› Samsung maintains a walled-garden approach and does not sell
its data, thus eliminating close to 40% of available smart TV data.
Vizio controls a further 30%+ of the market. Companies who do
not have a deal with Inscape, Vizio’s ACR data subsidiary, must
rely on a patchwork of data sources from various OEMs. This
makes it more difficult to obtain and manage a clean data set.
We spoke with a number
of industry professionals—
agency media buyers, brand
managers, network executives
and consultants—and the one
commonality was that they
were all confused as to how
ACR actually works.

15. 15
Key Players In The Smart TV And ACR Data
Ecosystem
Companies That Collect ACR
Data From Smart TVs
›› Gracenote: Gracenote began life as a
music company, matching MP3 files to
actual song titles. They now use audio-
based ACR to match what viewers are
watching to companion apps, and to
provide viewership data back to their
users (but not globally, as Gracenote isn’t
in the business of selling audience data.
As of December 2016, Gracenote is a
subsidiary of Nielsen.
›› Inscape: Established in 2010 as TV
Interactive Systems, Inc, the company
operated at Cognitive Media Networks,
the industry leader in ACR before being
acquired by VIZIO in 2015. The company
is a VIZIO subsidiary that has business
with other OEMs and looks to consolidate
ACR data under one cohesive umbrella.
It currently pulls daily active data from
7.3 million explicitly opted-in homes.
The company is based in San Francisco.
Vizio, along with Samsung, dominates the
smart TV market, with Vizio accounting
for over 30% of all smart TVs sold in
the U.S. Inscape is Vizio’s wholly owned
subsidiary, and collects and sells data
from Vizio TVs.
›› Enswers: Enswers is a South Korean-
based ACR company that became a
subsidiary of Gracenote Korea in 2015.
The company’s ACR technology is
embedded in Samsung TVs and is used
to collect data for Samsung’s proprietary
ACR data plays.
›› Roku: The Roku OS is embedded in one-
eighth of the smart TVs sold in the U.S. It
contains a lightweight software solution
that tracks what the viewer is watching on
various OTT services.
›› Verance: Verance has a product called
Aspect that may provide a post-ACR
measurement system. Aspect relies
on watermarking and would work on
any connected device — TV, tablet or
smartphone. The catch is that the OEMs
will need to install Verance’s software
on their firmware and since most OEMs
are building businesses off their ACR
capabilities, those deals are not a given.
›› Sorenson: Sorenson has been working
with Samsung and Vizio to take the
data they collect and use it to overlay
addressable TV ads on local broadcasts.
This will greatly expand both the
addressable TV market and the profile of
ACR data
Streaming Device
Manufacturers
›› Roku: The most popular streaming device
(comScore stats give them a 42% market
share4
, eMarketer 29%5
), Roku’s software
tracks viewing and is able to provide both
measurement and recommendations.
Roku recently raised $219 million in an IPO6
and is rumored to be working on placing
ad-supported programming on its mobile
apps7
.
›› Amazon Fire TV: Amazon’s Fire TV is the
second-most popular streaming device (28%
according to ComScore, 27% per eMarketer)
and collects OTT viewing data that Amazon
uses for its own targeting purposes.
›› Chromecast: Google’s Chromecast is the
third most popular streaming device (18%
per ComScore, 28% per eMarketer) and
can track what viewers are watching off
various sites and apps. Google announced
in October 2017 that 55 million Chromecast
devices have been sold to date.
›› Apple TV: The least popular TV streaming
device (12% per ComScore and 16%
per eMarketer) Apple is one of the only
companies to take a strong stand on
privacy. Apple TV is able to provide
recommendations, but that data is never
shared externally or used for marketing
purposes, even internal ones.

16. 16
Ad Re-targeting or Adsync
Retargeting is a way for brands to reach
users who have already been exposed to
an ad in one medium on another medium.
Retargeting prospects include people who
have seen the ad for the same product, a
related product or a competitor. Reach is
also a problem for retargeters, whose large
data sets may not allow them to reach large
segments of their desired audiences.
›› Alphonso: Alphonso provides both ad
retargeting and analytics. The company
claims to get its data from 40 million
devices (30 million mobile devices and 10
million smart TVs.) Their audio-based ACR
software is embedded into smartphones
and is activated when viewers use one of
the apps that have an agreement with
Alphonso while they are watching TV.
For TV-based data, Alphonso works with
smaller OEMs--they do not appear to have
contracts with Samsung or Inscape.
›› Samba: Samba has several business lines:
they provide content recommendations,
function data management platform
(DMP), provide ad syncing and retargeting,
work with programmatic demand side
platforms (DSPs) to target viewers, operate
a connected TV ad platform that allows
brands to target viewers with interactive
ads, measure ad effectiveness, and work
with networks and publishers to help
them drive tune-in by tracking their
viewers across devices. Samba claims
that 1 in 4 ACR TVs (1 in 3 opted in ACR
TVs) use Samba software. (That’s 13.5M TV
HHs—11.9M smart TV HHs, 1.6M set-top-
box HHs — and on 66M digital devices.)
Samba works with OEMs in the third of the
market that is not controlled by Samsung
and Vizio, including Sony, Sharp, Toshiba,
Philips, Sanyo, Magnavox, Element, Seiki,
and Westinghouse. The number of TVs
actively reporting data to fuel Samba
metrics is not made public.
›› Tapad: Tapad provides cross screen
advertising capabilities. Their proprietary
algorithm can determine which devices
are owned by the same person which
allows marketers to target that individual
across screens. It fuels the mobile device
side of the business.
›› TVadSync: TVadSync uses Vizio data from
Inscape to determine what viewers are
watching and what ads they’ve seen. They
then use that data to help brands target
those same viewers on mobile devices.
›› Viant: Viant, which was purchased by
Time, Inc. in 2016, maintains a platform
known as the Viant Advertising Cloud, one
of the largest registered user databases in
the world, with access to over 1.2 billion
registered users. They also maintain a DSP
and use Inscape’s ACR data to both target
users and to understand their behavior as
they track them across platforms.
Advertising Attention,
Attribution Measurement
›› iSpot: iSpot uses data from Inscape to
track TV commercials and provide brands
with what it calls “attention metrics” —
data on what percentage of viewers saw
the commercial, how many watched it
to completion, where those viewers lived
and what programs they were watching.
Relying on ACR data allows them to tracks
viewing patterns second-by-second rather
than the 15-minute increments Nielsen
is able to provide. iSpot is also using that
data to provide multi-touch attribution
data, helping to prove the effectiveness of
TV advertising based on how and when
ads prompt top of the funnel activity like
website visits.
Data Management Platforms
As Digiday explains, “a data management
platform (DMP) is a data warehouse. It’s a
piece of software that sucks up, sorts and
houses information, and spits it out in a way
that’s useful for marketers, publishers and
other businesses.”8
›› Lotame: Lotame is a data management
platform that uses Inscape ACR data
to create audience segments that help
marketers execute TV ads placement. They
can then combine this data with the data
they have on digital viewership to plan and
measure cross-screen campaigns.
›› Adobe/Tubemogul: Tubemogul, which
was acquired by Adobe in November
2016, is a combination DMP/DSP. It allows
brands to plan, buy, measure and optimize
their ad campaigns across a variety of
screens. TubeMogul’s PTV (Programmatic
TV) platform uses (Inscape) ACR data to
help identify audience segments and what
shows they are watching.
›› TruOptik: TruOptik is a Connecticut-
based startup that maintains an OTT data
management platform that allows brands
to run ads on ad-supported OTT and
connected TV platforms. Their proprietary
system allows brands to buy ads with the
same audience segments and targeting
capabilities as digital.

17. 17
Next Up…
Look for Part 2 of our study, where we’ll do a deep dive into how
ACR is being used to both track and place advertising. We’ll look at
the players who are doing it and how they do it, who is using them
and what the future of ACR looks like.
Endnotes
1 “The Changing TV Experience, 2017.” IAB, www.iab.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/05/The-Changing-TV-Experience-2017.pdf.
2 “168 Million Will Watch Connected TV in the US This Year.”
EMarketer, EMarketer, 26 July 2017, www.emarketer.com/Article/168-
Million-Will-Watch-Connected-TV-US-This-Year/1016233.
3 Myers, Jack. “90% Of SVOD Viewing Is On the TV Set, Reports
Nielsen. Only 20% of Viewing Is Original Content.” MediaVillage, 23
Oct. 2017, www.mediavillage.com/article/90-of-svod-viewing-is-on-
the-tv-set-reports-nielsen-only-20-of-viewing-is-original-content/.
4 “Roku Leads OTT Streaming Devices in Household Market Share.”
ComScore, Inc., 16 June 2016, www.comscore.com/ita/Insights/Blog/
Roku-Leads-OTT-Streaming-Devices-in-Household-Market-Share.
5 “168 Million Will Watch Connected TV in the US This Year.”
eMarketer, ibid.
6 Natasha Bach. “Roku’s IPO Price Just Gave the Company a $1.3
Billion Valuation.” Fortune, 28 Sept. 2017, fortune.com/2017/09/28/
roku-ipo-billion-valuation/.
7 Roettgers, Janko. “Roku Wants to Start Streaming to Third-
Party Devices (EXCLUSIVE).” Variety, 25 Oct. 2017, variety.
com/2017/digital/news/roku-mobile-third-party-device-
streaming-1202598964/.
8 Marshall, Jack “What Is a Data Management Platform, or DMP?”
Digiday, 28 Apr. 2017, digiday.com/media/what-is-a-dmp-data-
management-platform/.

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About The Authors
Special Thanks
Journalist & Analysts
Dawn Chmielewski
David Bloom
Dan Rowinski
Eleanor Dowling Semeraro
Research & Production
John Cassillo
Zach Servideo
Annie Edwards
Jon Cappetta
Mike Gasbara
…and all the executives that spoke to us off
the record, shared data and gave insights
Alan Wolk
“If you know anything about
television, you probably know
Alan Wolk.” That’s how Adweek
describes the best-selling
author of Over The Top. How The Internet Is
(Slowly But Surely) Changing The Television
Industry. As co-founder, editor and lead
analyst of TV[R]EV, Wolk has created one
of the media industry’s go-to sites for
understanding the changes coming from
Hollywood, Silicon Valley, Madison Avenue
and beyond. A frequent contributor to and
columnist for Slate, Forbes, Decider and
other industry news sites, Wolk has been
interviewed and quoted by everyone from
NPR to the New York Times to CBC National
News and recently appeared on a segment
of public television’s Brian Lehrer Show about
the future of TV.
Jason Damata
Jason is the founder and CEO of
Fabric Media, a media incubator
and talent consortium. The
company serves leading-edge
TV disruptors—from data and analytics
platforms to TV networks to emotional
measurement companies. Damata has
traveled the country for C-SPAN, where he
worked with MSOs, produced educational
political programming. He has served as
CMO of Bebo when it was the world’s 3rd
largest social network, led marketing for
Trendrr until it was acquired by Twitter
and helped build the world’s largest LIVE
broadcast offering at explore.org where he
built up a global syndication network.
Dade Hayes
A two-decade entertainment
journalist and media veteran,
Dade Hayes has held high-level
executive editorial positions
at Variety, Entertainment Weekly and
Broadcasting & Cable. Currently serving
as Contributing Editor at Deadline, Hayes
is author of two books whose writing has
appeared in the New York Times, Fierce
Cable, the Globe and Mail, Los Angeles Times,
Forbes, TV Guide and TV[R]EV.

19. 19
About TV[R]EV
TV[R]EV is a strategic consulting and publishing group.
We cover the rapidly changing world of television as it intersects
with advertising, social media and digital. We are analysts,
producers, journalists and industry executives who get our
information from inside sources, people we’ve known and
cultivated over the years and whose trust we’ve earned. That alone
makes us different from the vast majority of our competitors. We
don’t drink the Kool-Aid, and we understand that nothing is ever
black and white.
WORKSHOPS. Want to get your team up to speed on the trends
that matter in TV? We are happy to lead half/full/two-day workshops
both as a one time event or as a fun recurring way to keep everyone
up to speed.
ANALYST IN RESIDENCE and NEWS CURATION. Don’t have time
to keep on top of the seemingly daily changes the industry is
undergoing, let alone figure out what they mean? Not to worry.
Our customized biweekly news analyses will keep you up-to-date,
let you know why whatever happened matters to you and to your
company, along with what you need to do about it.
STRATEGY WORK. You’ve got a great product but you’re not sure
how to position it for the networks or MVPDs you want to sell it to?
We can help you craft a marketing strategy that hones in on the
features your target actually cares about. We’ll help you identify
the pain points your product can solve. Make sure your pitch uses
language that resonates with your target. Even sit in on your pitches
and offer our critique.
IN-DEPTH RESEARCH REPORTS. If you liked our report on ACR,
we can create similar in-depth reports on any media-related topic
that interests you. Whether you want to invest, acquire or just get a
leg up on the competition, TV[R]EV will mine our industry contacts,
create custom surveys and sprinkle in our stellar analytical skills and
deep industry knowledge to prepare a report that’s exclusively for
you and your team.
For more information or to find out how we can help you, email us
at info@tvrev.com

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