This could affect numerous players such as $NFLX $ROKU $MSFT $AAPL $DIS etc.
WSJ headline: Some Ads Play on Streaming Services Even When the TV Is Off, Study Finds
Subheadline: Lack of communication between TV sets and streaming devices causes estimated waste of over $1 billion in ad dollars
Many commercials continue to play on ad-supported streaming services after viewers turn off their television, new research shows, a problem that is causing an estimated waste of more than $1 billion a year for brands.
The findings come as an ever-growing share of ad dollars is shifting from traditional TV to streaming platforms, a trend that is likely to accelerate now that industry giants Netflix Inc. and Walt Disney Co. ’s Disney+ have embraced the idea of offering an ad-supported version of their services.
Some 17% of ads shown on televisions connected through a streaming device—including streaming boxes, dongles, sticks and gaming consoles—are playing while the TV is off, according to a study by WPP PLC’s ad-buying giant GroupM and ad-measurement firm iSpot.tv Inc.