Adtech company Nexxen is living la vida loca. (Forgive us for this.)
Yesterday, the company announced it has renewed and expanded its partnership with VIDAA, the CTV OS that powers TVs from OEMs like Hisense and Toshiba. VIDAA also works with content owners to create CTV apps that run on VIDAA OS-enabled TVs.
The upgraded deal aims to boost monetization for VIDAA OS by offering more variety, like in-stream ad inventory, while also making VIDAA’s ACR data more available for audience targeting and measurement through the Nexxen Data Platform, which is essentially a DMP. Nexxen now gets exclusive global access to VIDAA’s ACR data and the rights to monetize CTV and native display inventory on VIDAA media (like the apps in its app store) in North America through 2029.
Nexxen—already an investor in VIDAA—is also upping its stake by $35 million, bringing its total investment to $60 million. (Hey, if you invest that much, the least they can do is give you exclusive rights, right?) VIDAA says it will use the funds to scale its retail business in North America as more TVs in homes means more opportunities for ads.
Why This Matters:
This gives Nexxen access to a unique ACR data asset—and that’s significant. Unique data is always valuable, but ACR data, which provides real-time, granular viewing behavior—what people are watching, on which apps, and when—offers particular strategic importance. By securing exclusive global rights to VIDAA’s ACR data, Nexxen gains a competitive advantage in audience targeting, measurement, and attribution. It’s a dataset other DSPs, SSPs, or measurement companies can’t touch, at least not directly.
For VIDAA, monetization is great, but, in general, North America is the big prize. While VIDAA is already pretty strong internationally (in over 180 countries), cracking the U.S. CTV market is a different challenge—it’s the most competitive and most lucrative. This deal is designed to accelerate VIDAA’s U.S. penetration through retail partnerships and distribution, then monetize that reach through Nexxen’s platform.
Experts React:
Ben Kaplan, Nexxen’s CMO, posted on X about the evolving relationship:
Moreover, Ofer Druker, Nexxen’s CEO, says, “VIDAA’s rapidly expanding distribution makes this an exciting time to deepen our relationship and begin to realize the long-term value of what we have built together.”
Our Take:
Honestly, why isn’t this getting more media coverage? This feels like a fairly big deal in the CTV space—an adtech player doubling down on a smart TV OS and securing highly compelling data in return. (Also, it just seems cool.) Yes, the deal is an expansion rather than something entirely new, but it’s surprising—at least to us—that we’re not seeing more about its uniqueness and value.
