Gracenote, Nielsen’s content intelligence business, is expanding its role in connected TV (CTV) advertising by using content-based metadata to address gaps between media buyers, ad-tech platforms and publishers.
The approach focuses on two challenges in CTV advertising: the erosion of privacy-safe tracking methods and limited program-level visibility in programmatic CTV buying. Gracenote is positioning content metadata as an alternative signal for targeting and transacting against video content.
The fragmentation of streaming services and platforms can make consistent program-level information difficult to access across the CTV advertising supply chain. Gracenote’s foundational Gracenote IDs and standardised content metadata provide a common framework for buyers and sellers to identify and transact against video content.
Rather than relying solely on information about individual viewers, advertisers can use content attributes to inform targeting decisions. Gracenote’s source-validated metadata allows programming to be identified through characteristics including genre, mood, ratings and other contextual signals, enabling a more content-led approach to CTV advertising.
Gracenote, which has historically powered TV guides and streaming engines, is also moving into a more direct role with media planners through Gracenote Content Connect. The platform allows agencies and brands to create custom contextual segments and activate them within buying platforms. This expansion most recently included the company’s first DSP integration with The Trade Desk, announced in August 2026.
Programmatic CTV has also faced concerns around unsuitable content and limited visibility into where ads are delivered. Gracenote addresses this through show-level delivery logs, allowing brands to verify that campaigns have run in identified, brand-safe environments.
For brands and agencies, the approach is intended to support the shift of linear TV budgets into CTV with greater visibility around content and delivery. For DSPs and SSPs, Gracenote’s standardised content graph can be used to enrich bidstreams, improve inventory value and support programmatic deals. Publishers and streamers can use enriched content information to create more targeted advertising opportunities from their video inventory.
