Nexxen renews partnership with VIDAA for North American CTV expansion

Nexxen International Ltd. announced on August 11, 2025, the renewal and expansion of its strategic partnership with VIDAA, the world's fastest-growing Connected TV platform. The agreement extends Nexxen's global ACR data exclusivity and grants ad monetization exclusivity on VIDAA media in North America through at least the end of 2029.

According to Nexxen, the company will invest an additional $35 million in VIDAA to accelerate the expansion of VIDAA's North American CTV base, ad inventory and ACR data scale. This brings Nexxen's total investment to $60 million, representing approximately 6% of VIDAA's outstanding shares.

VIDAA, which launched in 2014, operates as a Linux-based smart TV operating system developed by VIDAA USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Hisense. The platform has established partnerships with over 400 content providers and currently operates on more than 30 million connected devices worldwide. According to company data from 2024, VIDAA ranked as the second most installed smart TV operating system behind Tizen.

The platform powers tens of millions of CTVs from Hisense, Toshiba and other leading brands globally across over 180 countries. VIDAA's parent company is based in the Netherlands, with additional offices in China, USA, Israel and Poland, including operations at 7310 McGinnis Ferry Road, Suwanee, GA 30024 in the United States.

Since launching their partnership in 2022, VIDAA has established a leadership position in key international markets, including across Europe, reinforced by a recent agreement with Vestel, and in Australia. During this period, Nexxen has developed infrastructure to ingest and integrate VIDAA's ACR data into the Nexxen Data Platform.

This data now powers advanced audience targeting, insights and measurement capabilities across the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and Germany. The updated agreement extends Nexxen's exclusive global access to VIDAA's ACR data and grants the Company exclusive rights to monetize CTV and native display advertising on VIDAA media in North America through at least the end of 2029.

The partnership occurs as Connected TV advertising growth accelerates, with CTV's share of media budgets projected to double from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025. Industry data indicates that 72% of marketers plan to increase programmatic advertising investment in 2025, with CTV demonstrating particular strength in brand-building objectives, as 80% of respondents identify it as primarily achieving brand objectives.

"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," said Ofer Druker, Chief Executive Officer of Nexxen. "Their growing footprint, combined with our data and TV advertising technology capabilities, paves a long runway for strategic innovation and revenue growth."

Nexxen operates as a global, flexible advertising technology platform with deep expertise in data and advanced TV. The company's unified technology stack comprises a demand-side platform and supply-side platform, with the Nexxen Data Platform at its core. Nexxen is headquartered in Israel and maintains offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Guy Edri, Chief Executive Officer of VIDAA, added that Nexxen has been a crucial partner in VIDAA's journey to becoming a leading Smart TV platform. "This new agreement marks a significant step forward in our shared success," Edri stated. "Strengthening our collaboration, this partnership plays a key role in supporting our next phase of growth in North America, following our success across other global markets."

VIDAA's platform is designed with user-friendliness at its core, reaching millions of users around the world through partnerships with manufacturers such as Hisense, Toshiba, Loewe, We by Loewe, Newsan, BGH, Element, Schneider, Nordmende, Shinon, Vortex, AKAI, NIKAI, BRUHM, General Gold, and hundreds more.

The smart TV operating system offers users access to over 400 global and local applications, with the library expanding monthly. Content statistics show that over 2 billion hours of content are watched globally each month on VIDAA-powered TVs, demonstrating significant user engagement across the platform.

Nexxen's focus on VIDAA reflects broader industry transformation. Market research reveals 59% of connected TV viewers find television ads useful for providing holiday shopping information, representing a 73% year-over-year increase. Smart TV home screen advertising effectiveness has grown even more dramatically, with over 25% of CTV viewers finding these ads helpful for holiday shopping—marking a 105% increase from previous measurements.

The benefits related to the updated agreement are expected to take effect starting in 2026, enabling Nexxen's customers to gain exclusive access to inventory unavailable via other platforms while unlocking unique opportunities for Nexxen's retail and direct-to-consumer advertiser clients.

For the marketing community, this partnership demonstrates the growing consolidation within the Connected TV ecosystem as platforms seek to scale their operations and advertisers demand more sophisticated targeting capabilities. The exclusive nature of the agreement reflects the competitive dynamics in CTV advertising, where access to premium inventory and first-party data has become increasingly valuable.

Nexxen's investment strategy aligns with broader trends in programmatic advertising, where companies are securing strategic partnerships to maintain competitive advantages. The automatic content recognition technology at the center of this partnership enables advertisers to gain insights into viewers' TV watching habits across both linear and streaming platforms, providing detailed information about content consumption patterns that inform targeting and measurement strategies.

VIDAA plans to use the additional funds to support retail partnerships and expand its presence across the world's largest advertising market. After nearly a decade of focusing on developing its Smart TV platform, VIDAA aims to establish a significant presence in the U.S. market, building upon its track record of success across international markets.

The partnership announcement coincides with the broader evolution of Connected TV advertising, where traditional television viewership continues declining while streaming consumption increases. Recent developments include Amazon's advertising revenue jumping 22% to $15.7 billion in Q2 2025, driven by Connected TV partnerships and AI-powered tools.

Industry experts anticipate continued growth in programmatic CTV advertising as traditional television budgets migrate to streaming platforms. The elimination of third-party cookies and restrictions on device-level tracking create demand for contextual targeting approaches that do not depend on individual user identification, making ACR data increasingly valuable for advertisers seeking privacy-compliant targeting methods.

Timeline

• 2014: VIDAA launches as smart TV operating system
• 2022: Nexxen and VIDAA begin strategic partnership
• 2024: VIDAA becomes second most installed smart TV operating system behind Tizen
• January 21, 2025: Comscore report reveals 72% of marketers plan to increase programmatic advertising investment in 2025 with CTV budget share projected to double
• July 2025: Multiple CTV measurement and partnership announcements across industry
• August 11, 2025: Nexxen announces expanded VIDAA partnership with $35M additional investment
• 2026: Benefits from updated agreement expected to take effect
• 2029: Agreement extends through at least the end of this year

PPC Land explains

Connected TV (CTV): Represents digital streaming television content delivered over internet-connected devices such as smart TVs, streaming boxes, and gaming consoles. Connected TV has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments in digital advertising, with industry projections showing CTV's share of media budgets doubling from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025. The technology enables advertisers to reach cord-cutting audiences who have moved away from traditional linear television viewing patterns.

Automatic Content Recognition (ACR): A sophisticated technology that automatically analyzes audio and visual components of video content to identify specific programs, movies, or advertisements being watched. ACR creates unique digital fingerprints for content by monitoring devices that continuously sample what viewers watch, then matching these samples against vast databases of stored fingerprints. This technology provides advertisers with detailed viewership insights without requiring surveys or panels, enabling precision targeting based on actual viewing behaviors.

VIDAA: The world's fastest-growing smart TV operating system, launched in 2014 as a Linux-based platform developed by VIDAA USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Hisense. VIDAA powers tens of millions of Connected TVs from manufacturers including Hisense, Toshiba, and other leading brands across over 180 countries. The platform operates on more than 30 million connected devices worldwide and has established partnerships with over 400 content providers, making it the second most installed smart TV operating system globally behind Samsung's Tizen.

Nexxen: A global, flexible advertising technology platform with deep expertise in data and advanced TV advertising solutions. Headquartered in Israel with offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Nexxen operates a unified technology stack comprising demand-side platform and supply-side platform capabilities, with the Nexxen Data Platform serving as its core infrastructure. The company focuses on enabling advertisers, agencies, publishers and broadcasters to utilize data and advanced TV in ways most meaningful to their specific objectives.

Smart TV: Internet-connected television devices that combine traditional broadcast capabilities with streaming services, applications, and interactive features. Smart TVs serve as the primary hardware foundation for Connected TV advertising, enabling direct delivery of targeted advertisements through built-in operating systems like VIDAA, Tizen, or webOS. These devices collect viewing data through ACR technology and provide platforms for delivering both traditional linear content and streaming services within unified user interfaces.

Programmatic Advertising: Automated buying and selling of digital advertising inventory using real-time bidding technology and data-driven targeting capabilities. The programmatic approach has experienced significant growth, with 72% of marketers planning to increase their programmatic advertising investment in 2025. This method enables advertisers to purchase Connected TV inventory more efficiently while leveraging audience data for precise targeting, moving away from traditional direct insertion orders toward more sophisticated, data-driven campaign optimization.

Streaming Platforms: Digital services that deliver video content over the internet, including subscription-based services like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video, as well as ad-supported tiers and free ad-supported television services. These platforms have fundamentally disrupted traditional television consumption patterns, creating new advertising opportunities while challenging conventional media buying approaches. Streaming platforms increasingly offer advertisers access to engaged audiences who have migrated away from linear television viewing.

North American Market: The primary geographic focus for VIDAA's expansion efforts under the renewed Nexxen partnership, representing the world's largest advertising market by revenue. North America offers significant opportunities for Connected TV growth as cord-cutting accelerates and streaming adoption continues expanding. The region's sophisticated media consumption patterns, combined with high advertising spending levels, make it an attractive target for international CTV platforms seeking to establish meaningful market presence and advertising revenue growth.

Data Platform: Nexxen's core infrastructure that ingests, processes, and integrates viewing data from multiple sources including ACR technology, set-top box information, cross-screen panel data, and streaming viewership statistics. This comprehensive data foundation enables advanced audience targeting, insights generation, and measurement capabilities across multiple markets including the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and Germany. The platform serves as the technological backbone supporting Nexxen's advertising technology solutions and competitive advantages.

Advertising Technology (Ad Tech): The broad ecosystem of software platforms, data management systems, and automated tools that enable digital advertising campaign planning, execution, optimization, and measurement. The ad tech landscape includes demand-side platforms, supply-side platforms, data management platforms, and measurement solutions that work together to facilitate programmatic advertising transactions. This technology infrastructure has become increasingly important as advertising moves toward more automated, data-driven approaches across Connected TV and digital channels.

Summary

Who: Nexxen International Ltd., a global advertising technology platform, and VIDAA, the world's fastest-growing Connected TV platform owned by Hisense Group

What: Renewal and expansion of strategic partnership with $35 million additional investment from Nexxen, extending exclusive global ACR data access and granting exclusive North American ad monetization rights through 2029

When: Announced August 11, 2025, with benefits expected to take effect starting in 2026 and agreement extending through at least the end of 2029

Where: Global partnership with particular focus on North American CTV market expansion, building on existing success in Europe, Australia and other international markets

Why: To accelerate VIDAA's North American expansion while enabling Nexxen to capitalize on growing Connected TV advertising market, where CTV's share of media budgets is projected to double from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025