Why Pinterest wants to buy tvScientific, and what it signals for the CTV ads business

"Pinterest intends to buy tvScientific to turn its intent-rich audience data into a performance engine that extends beyond its own app and onto the connected TV screen - effectively using CTV to close the loop between inspiration, intent, and measurable outcomes. Announced last week, Pinterest expects that the purchase will give it immediate access to one of the few remaining pure-play performance CTV businesses, at a time when advertisers are demanding that television behave more like search and social."

"In recent years, a small crop of performance-centric CTV companies - tvScientific's peer set includes MNTN and Vibe - have emerged in response to make CTV ad-buys more outcome-driven, as opposed to a brand-led offering. Such companies have found quarry, pitching to smaller and mid-sized businesses, whose marketers do not want television as a vague awareness channel; they want proof that spend translates into measurable results which can be closely attributed to purchases."

"While large demand-side platforms such as The Trade Desk and Google's DV360 dominate agency-led, high-budget buying, performance CTV platforms have carved out a niche serving advertisers that value accountability over scale. Why? That niche is precisely what makes tvScientific attractive to Pinterest. The social platform runs a self-serve ad business and has spent the past two years repositioning itself as a performance marketing player through automation and AI-driven products such as Performance+. What it has lacked is a credible off-platform video channel that allows advertisers to extend campaigns beyond Pinterest itself without losing measurement."

Pinterest plans to buy tvScientific to convert intent-rich audience data into a connected-TV performance engine that links inspiration, intent, and measurable outcomes. The acquisition provides immediate access to a pure-play performance CTV business as advertisers press for television to behave more like search and social. Performance-focused CTV companies such as MNTN and Vibe have emerged to serve smaller and mid-sized businesses seeking outcome-driven ad buys and close attribution. Large DSPs remain dominant for agency-led, high-budget buying, while performance CTV platforms occupy a niche prioritizing accountability over scale. Pinterest lacks an off-platform video channel and seeks to extend campaign measurement beyond its app.

Read at Digiday