the due diligence desk

Before you buy smart TV data: the ACR questions

Samsung, LG and Vizio sell ACR as seeing everything on the glass. Their own filings, LG's statement and lab tests say it mostly goes dark inside the native Netflix and YouTube apps, which carry more than a fifth of US TV viewing. Six of the largest ACR and TV data vendors did not answer written questions about those gaps.

1. Inside the native Netflix and YouTube apps on your sets, what does your ACR capture, if anything?

   LG said on Sept. 12, 2026 that its ACR does not operate inside Netflix or YouTube apps.

   Prompted by ADOTAT: Samsung, LG and Vizio Claim to Sell Every Pixel. Inside Netflix and YouTube, They're Blind.
2. Do any app or content contracts limit your use of viewing data, and which partners and data do they cover?

   Vizio's last 10-K says contracts with Netflix and Disney+ restrict it from using viewing data from their content.

   Prompted by ADOTAT: Samsung, LG and Vizio Claim to Sell Every Pixel. Inside Netflix and YouTube, They're Blind.
3. What share of viewing on your sets happens in apps or inputs where ACR is off or restricted?

   Netflix and YouTube carry more than a fifth of US TV viewing, and filings, lab tests and LG's own statement say ACR mostly goes dark there.

   Prompted by ADOTAT: Samsung, LG and Vizio Claim to Sell Every Pixel. Inside Netflix and YouTube, They're Blind.
4. Can an independent lab test what your sets send to fingerprint servers while an app is playing?

   In a 2024 lab study, LG's ACR traffic inside Netflix and YouTube fell to idle levels, and Samsung's US fingerprint server showed none.

   Prompted by ADOTAT: Samsung, LG and Vizio Claim to Sell Every Pixel. Inside Netflix and YouTube, They're Blind.
5. Which stations does your reference library monitor, and what share of viewed minutes falls outside it?

   Nielsen found two ACR partners missed 23 percent of viewed minutes on stations they did not monitor.

   Prompted by ADOTAT: Samsung, LG and Vizio Claim to Sell Every Pixel. Inside Netflix and YouTube, They're Blind.
6. Where are the gaps in your coverage, for both content and advertising, and why?

   KnotSimpler's Josh Chasin puts this question to ACR vendors, and Samsung, LG Ad Solutions, Vizio, Roku, Samba TV and TVision did not respond to written questions on it.

   Prompted by ADOTAT: Samsung, LG and Vizio Claim to Sell Every Pixel. Inside Netflix and YouTube, They're Blind.
7. How do you define a reached household, and what minimum viewing counts toward your reach figure?

   Netflix's 250 million monthly active viewers counts households that watched at least one minute of ads in a month.

   Prompted by ADOTAT: Netflix Says "All Hours Are Not Created Equal." Viewing Grew 2%.

More from the desk