Samba TV, which has deals to put its software on sets made by about a dozen TV brands, uses viewing data to make personalized show recommendations. But that’s not the big draw for advertisers.
Once enabled, Samba TV can track nearly everything that appears on the TV on a second-by-second basis, essentially reading pixels to identify network shows and ads, as well as programs on HBO and even video games played on the TV. Samba TV has even offered advertisers the ability to base their targeting on whether people watch conservative or liberal media outlets and which party’s presidential debate they watched.