Broadcast advertising was bought by programme and time slot: everyone watching saw the same thing. Internet-delivered television changed the unit of sale from the slot to the household, and that single change reorganised the economics of the medium.
Where the targeting data comes from
- Automatic content recognition built into many smart televisions, which identifies what is on screen — including from an attached console or set-top box.
- The streaming application's own account and viewing history.
- Identifiers matched against third-party datasets to infer household characteristics.
- Approximate location derived from the network connection.
The setting is usually not called advertising
Viewing measurement is typically found under a name such as viewing information services, interest-based ads or similar, in the television's own privacy menu rather than the streaming app. Turning it off generally does not reduce the number of adverts — it reduces how specifically they are aimed.
What it changes for viewers
Two practical effects. Small and local advertisers can now buy television inventory that was previously out of reach, which is why unfamiliar brands increasingly appear between programmes. And the same household can be reached with the same message across the television, a phone and a laptop, which is why an advert seen on one screen often reappears on another.
Reducing the targeting
- Open the television's own settings and look for privacy, then viewing information or measurement, and disable it.
- Repeat in each streaming application's account settings, which are governed separately.
- Reset the advertising identifier on the device where the option exists.
- Recheck after major firmware updates; these settings are sometimes re-enabled.
THRYV carries advertising itself and labels every unit accordingly; our advertising and affiliate disclosure explains how that works and how it is kept separate from editorial decisions.
