Samba TV builds AI-driven media intelligence software for Smart TVs. Its core technology is Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), which identifies content on connected television screens and underpins cross-screen measurement and advertising products. The company's technical work spans machine learning, computer vision-style content recognition, data analytics and Smart TV software engineering, applied to large-scale television and viewing data.
Founded in 2008 by early employees of BitTorrent, Samba TV launched its patented ACR technology in 2011. In 2013 it introduced Sync and Retarget, described as the first cross-screen advertising solution tied to real-time contextual awareness of Smart TV content. The company positions itself as an independent data business, with a stated aim of demonstrating what independent data can do for the television industry.
Samba TV operates in 37 countries and reports an addressable base of 48 million TV devices, with annual revenue surpassing $100 million. Its work sits at the intersection of several sectors: television and media, advertising and ad tech, media measurement, and consumer electronics.
