Observed Signal · Oct 15, 2025 · Product Launch · Source: State of Streaming · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
DirecTV Launches AI Shoppable Screensavers in 2026
DIRECTV will replace idle screensavers on its Gemini devices with an interactive, shoppable AI experience from Glance starting in early 2026. Developed with Google, the feature uses on-device AI to surface personalized content (sports scores, weather) and browsable brand catalogs during 10+ minutes of inactivity. Viewers can scan a QR code to upload photos that are inserted into AI-generated TV scenes, and shopping sessions can be sent to a phone to complete purchases. Glance is owned by InMobi. The move targets new ad revenue from otherwise idle TV attention as DIRECTV’s subscriber base has declined over the past decade. The rollout raises questions about user control and opt-out options.
Introduces a new shoppable ad format on CTV and monetizes idle home-screen attention for a major legacy TV provider; relevant for publishers, advertisers and platform partners though not a platform-level policy change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- DIRECTV will replace idle screensavers on its Gemini devices with an interactive, shoppable AI platform from Glance beginning in early 2026.
- The feature was developed with Google and uses on-device AI to display real-time info (sports scores, weather) and shoppable brand catalogs.
- Users can scan an on-screen QR code to upload photos that are inserted into AI-generated scenes on the TV and can send shopping sessions to a phone to complete purchases.
- Glance is owned by InMobi.
- The screensaver experience activates after 10 minutes of inactivity; the rollout is positioned as a revenue play as DIRECTV’s subscribers have fallen significantly over the last decade.
Connected Companies & Entities
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
DirecTV, Glance Launch Shoppable TV Screensavers
DirecTV is partnering with AI company Glance (part of InMobi) to replace the screensavers on its Gemini devices with interactive, shoppable content beginning in early 2026. After ten minutes of inactivity, the new screensaver will let viewers scan a QR code to download an app and upload photos; Glance’s AI will generate personalized scenes and videos featuring those photos, which users can modify via voice commands. Glance uses reverse image search to surface similar products for purchase, but final transactions must be completed on a mobile device. The move extends lock‑screen e-commerce tactics to the TV home screen, creating a new living-room commerce channel while raising questions about adoption consistency and privacy noted in a DirecTV planning document.
Samsung Ads Opens CTV Homescreen for Programmatic Buys
Samsung Ads will make advertising placements on the start screens of its smart TVs programmatically bookable worldwide via The Trade Desk and Google Display & Video 360, using Magnite’s ad server technology (Springserve). The rollout is scheduled to begin in Q3 2026. Homescreen placements appear when viewers power on their TVs, giving advertisers a prominent CTV surface; Samsung reports more than 70 million addressable TVs in Europe. Samsung plans to use AI-supported filters, manual reviews and platform brand-safety controls to manage suitability. The move follows similar launches in the market (e.g., Titan OS and Equativ) and raises questions about measurement, standardisation and brand-safety for homescreen inventory as it becomes available programmatically.
Streaming Becomes a Shoppable Storefront
An ADWEEK House Cannes Lions fireside chat (published June 29, 2026) explored how Connected TV is evolving from a passive viewing medium into an interactive commerce channel. Paramount and KERV Interactive discussed product-level, in-scene shopping experiences, flexible ad placements, and AI-driven optimizations. Paramount said it uses AI to optimize poster art and launched an "Inside Peek" feature on Roku, while a joint Paramount–KERV study found more than 60% of viewers who used a pause-to-shop feature enjoyed it and generated pause rates 7x higher than benchmarks. Panelists argued scaling shoppable CTV requires industry standards, shared data, scene-level targeting and automation tools (including agentic AI) to enable retailers to bid on specific product moments and to integrate retail media into streaming experiences.
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