What is ACR data and how does it work in CTV?
ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) is a technology that identifies the content being displayed on a TV screen by sampling the video signal and matching it against a reference library. Smart TVs with ACR enabled — predominantly Samsung (Tizen OS) and LG (webOS) — continuously fingerprint the content being watched and send that data to the TV manufacturer’s data platform. This means ACR data can identify not just streaming content but also linear TV, HDMI inputs (gaming, set-top box), and even broadcast content playing through an antenna. For advertisers, ACR data enables linear TV audience exposure data — useful for identifying households that watched a competitor’s TV campaign and retargeting them with a CTV ad.
Is ACR data available for India CTV advertising?
ACR data availability in India CTV is limited but growing. Samsung Ads India has an ACR-based advertising product — Samsung smart TVs in India have ACR capability (branded as “Viewing Data”), and Samsung Ads uses this to offer linear TV viewership segments for CTV retargeting. LG Ads (LG’s advertising unit) has a presence in India but its ACR data product is less developed for India-specific targeting. No other India CTV platform or device manufacturer offers a commercially available ACR data product as of 2026. The DPDPA (Digital Personal Data Protection Act) and app-level consent requirements create compliance questions for ACR data collection in India — buyers using Samsung Ads ACR segments should confirm the consent and data handling framework.
How can ACR data be used in India CTV advertising campaigns?
Primary ACR data use cases applicable to India: (1) Linear TV audience suppression — identify households that have already seen a brand’s linear TV campaign (via ACR exposure data) and suppress them from CTV campaigns to reduce waste. (2) Competitor conquesting — identify households that watched content from a competitor advertiser on linear TV and target them with a CTV response campaign. (3) Content audience extension — identify households that watched a specific programme on linear TV (a cricket match, a serial, a news programme) and reach them on CTV with contextually relevant ads. These use cases are available through Samsung Ads India and, to a lesser extent, via data partnerships with ACR data aggregators operating in India.