With The Trade Desk’s earnings approaching, some rumors are swirling.
According to a report by The Verge last week (which many of us somehow missed), Sonos is “deep into development” on a streaming device codenamed “Pinewood.” This is the rumored smart TV offering from Sonos, powered by the Ventura CTV OS that The Trade Desk is developing. So, Pinewood (Sonos) + Ventura (TTD) = this long-awaited streaming box. The reported price? Between $200-$400!
The Pinewood streaming device has drawn criticism from some corners. Here’s what PC World had to say:
Here’s what’s more concerning: that Sonos has reportedly partnered with The Trade Desk, a digital ad firm, to develop the player’s OS.
We haven’t seen this interface in action, but The Trade Desk’s marketing makes much of its “cleaner supply chain for streaming TV advertising” and “ensuring maximum ROI for every advertising dollar,” all while “finding relevant audiences with greater precision,” which sounds suspiciously like tracking.
To be fair, advertising has become an inescapable part of the streaming landscape, and the more affordable your streaming hardware is, the more aggressively your viewing habits will be studied and sold. But I’d certainly think twice about cracking my wallet for a premium streaming box with software developed in part by an advertising firm.
Yeesh.
A few days after this rumor surfaced, The Trade Desk gave a great interview to VideoWeek, promising “fewer (more relevant) ads.” However, this feels like a conversation that should be happening with consumer technology reporters, too, given the focus of the offering.
Why This Matters:
In January, we wrote about how Sonos has faced internal turmoil, with its CEO stepping down after a botched app revamp. Bloomberg reported that the company may be an acquisition target for Amazon, Roku, or others, some of whom have little need for Ventura.
If Sonos is sold, could it jeopardize The Trade Desk’s plans? It raises questions about Ventura’s rollout and whether TTD has a strong relationship with Sonos’ fluctuating leadership. (The CMO of Sonos stepped down a few days ago, as well.)
Experts React:
Our Take:
The Sonos situation could ultimately be a non-issue—perhaps The Trade Desk’s real goal is simply to showcase Ventura, regardless of scale or partner. Today’s earnings call will likely provide more clarity.
The bigger question is how consumers will respond to this OS. As PC World highlighted, skepticism around an ad-tech-powered streaming platform is already surfacing, and overcoming that perception could be The Trade Desk’s biggest challenge
