Home screen ads on CTV appear before the viewer has selected any content — on the TV's launcher interface, the streaming platform's home screen, or the OEM-managed content discovery layer. These are pre-content placements that reach the viewer in content discovery mode: they have turned on the TV and are deciding what to watch. The intent state is different from mid-stream placements — less attentive but potentially more receptive to content recommendations and top-of-funnel brand awareness messages.
Types of CTV home screen inventory
TV OS launcher ads (OEM): Smart TV manufacturers (Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL, Xiaomi) control the launcher interface that appears when the TV turns on or when the user presses the Home button. This prime real estate is monetised by OEM ad networks: Samsung Ads and LG Ads are the most developed in India. Typical formats include: featured app tiles (a brand sponsors placement in the app row), display banner ads in the launcher UI, and promoted content tiles that highlight specific content within an app.
Streaming app home screens: Within streaming apps, the home screen shows content rows — carousels of titles curated by the platform. Sponsored content tiles (also called featured placements) allow a brand to pay for a piece of content to appear prominently in a specific row. This is technically a content discovery promotion, not a traditional display ad, but it functions as advertising from the brand perspective.
Fire TV home screen: Amazon's Fire TV OS has a prominent home screen advertising surface — sponsored tiles, banner ads, and autoplay video units. In India, Fire TV Sticks are among the most-used streaming devices, making Fire TV home screen inventory a distinct and scalable channel. Amazon DSP provides programmatic access to some Fire TV home screen inventory.
Samsung Ads in India
Samsung is the largest premium smart TV brand in India by volume. Samsung Ads operates the advertising layer within Samsung's Tizen OS (on smart TVs) and offers home screen inventory including: the Smart Hub featured banner (top of the Samsung home screen), sponsored app tiles in the content row, and Samsung TV Plus pre-roll (within Samsung's owned FAST channel service). Samsung TV Plus is free ad-supported streaming with Samsung-controlled content, providing an AVOD-like inventory pool.
Samsung Ads India inventory is bought through Samsung's direct sales team or via select agency relationships. Programmatic access to Samsung Ads India inventory is limited. ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) data is Samsung Ads' key differentiator — it knows what the TV is displaying regardless of which app is open, enabling viewing behaviour targeting that no streaming platform can provide.
LG Ads in India
LG Ads (formerly Alphonso) operates on LG's webOS smart TVs. India is an emerging market for LG Ads — the product is more developed in the US but is expanding to India as LG TV penetration grows. LG Ads inventory includes LG Channels (free streaming), home screen display, and ACR-based audience targeting. Buying LG Ads in India requires direct engagement with the LG Ads team; no standardised programmatic access exists as of 2025–26.
When to buy home screen CTV ads
Home screen inventory is best suited for: top-of-funnel brand awareness during high-reach periods (festival seasons, product launches); app install campaigns targeting smart TV users to download an app; content promotion where a streaming platform or content brand wants to drive viewership of specific titles; and reach extension for campaigns already running video pre-roll on the same devices.
Home screen ads are not appropriate as a standalone campaign for performance objectives — the viewer intent is browse mode, not purchase mode. They complement video advertising rather than replacing it.
India buying summary
Samsung Ads: direct deal, India team. LG Ads: direct deal, India emerging. Fire TV home screen: Amazon DSP (partial programmatic access). JioCinema home screen: part of Jio Ads direct packages. Hotstar home screen / content tiles: direct deal via agency relationship. No open programmatic access to home screen CTV inventory in India.