Pinterest moves deeper into CTV as the company acquires tvScientific to scale performance advertising

Pinterest has taken a decisive step to expand its advertising ambitions beyond mobile and web by acquiring tvScientific, a connected TV performance advertising platform, marking its most significant move yet into outcome-driven television advertising. The acquisition positions Pinterest to extend its performance advertising model into connected TV environments, enabling advertisers to measure television campaigns with the same rigor typically associated with digital channels such as search and social media.

The deal signals Pinterest’s intent to evolve from a discovery and inspiration platform into a broader performance advertising ecosystem that spans screens, formats, and consumer moments. While financial terms were not disclosed, Pinterest confirmed that tvScientific will be integrated into its advertising infrastructure to accelerate the company’s push into performance-based connected TV advertising.

Why is Pinterest investing in connected TV performance advertising now?

Pinterest’s move into connected TV comes as advertiser demand increasingly shifts toward measurable outcomes rather than brand awareness alone. Connected TV ad spending continues to grow rapidly as streaming consumption rises and traditional linear television declines. However, despite this growth, many advertisers remain frustrated by limited attribution, fragmented measurement, and the difficulty of linking television exposure to real business outcomes.

Pinterest believes it is uniquely positioned to address this challenge because of the intent signals embedded within its platform. Users on Pinterest are actively planning purchases, projects, and life decisions, generating high-value data around future consumer behavior. By combining this intent data with connected TV delivery and attribution through tvScientific, Pinterest aims to close the gap between inspiration and measurable action on the largest screen in the home.

For Pinterest, the acquisition is less about entering television as a branding channel and more about redefining television as a performance medium. The company has spent the past several years investing heavily in automation, artificial intelligence, and lower-funnel advertising products. Connected TV now represents the next frontier for extending those capabilities.

What does tvScientific bring to Pinterest’s advertising stack?

tvScientific has built its platform around the idea that television advertising should be measurable, automated, and accountable. The company focuses on performance outcomes such as website visits, app installs, and purchases rather than reach and impressions alone. Its technology enables advertisers to buy connected TV inventory programmatically, optimize campaigns using real-time performance signals, and attribute outcomes back to television exposure.

By acquiring tvScientific, Pinterest gains direct access to advanced connected TV measurement and optimization capabilities that would be difficult and time-consuming to build internally. The integration allows Pinterest to offer advertisers a unified workflow where campaign planning, execution, and measurement extend seamlessly from mobile feeds to connected TV screens.

Importantly, tvScientific’s platform aligns closely with Pinterest’s existing Performance+ advertising products, which already rely heavily on automation and machine learning to optimize outcomes. Together, the combined stack is designed to reduce friction for advertisers who want to run cross-screen performance campaigns without managing multiple vendors or fragmented datasets.

How does this acquisition change Pinterest’s position in the advertising market?

Historically, Pinterest has occupied a distinct niche in digital advertising, positioned somewhere between social media, visual search, and ecommerce enablement. Its advertising business has benefited from the platform’s planning-oriented user behavior, but it has often competed for budgets against larger platforms such as Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.

The tvScientific acquisition represents a strategic expansion that allows Pinterest to compete for a new category of advertising spend. Connected TV budgets are often allocated separately from digital budgets, particularly within large brands. By offering performance measurement that bridges these silos, Pinterest increases its relevance to chief marketing officers seeking integrated media strategies.

This move also places Pinterest in more direct competition with retail media networks and streaming platforms that are increasingly promoting their own performance advertising capabilities. Unlike platforms that rely primarily on transaction data, Pinterest’s value proposition centers on predictive intent. That distinction could resonate with advertisers seeking earlier-stage signals that influence downstream purchasing behavior.

How could this reshape connected TV advertising strategies for brands?

For advertisers, the integration of Pinterest and tvScientific offers the possibility of treating connected TV as a true performance channel rather than a top-of-funnel branding tool. Campaigns can be optimized toward specific outcomes, budgets can be adjusted dynamically based on results, and connected TV exposure can be measured alongside mobile and web performance.

This approach may be particularly appealing to mid-sized and performance-oriented advertisers who have historically struggled to justify television spending due to opaque measurement. By lowering the barrier to entry and improving accountability, Pinterest could help unlock incremental connected TV demand from advertisers who previously focused exclusively on digital channels.

At the same time, larger brands may view the platform as a way to bring greater discipline to television investment by tying creative exposure more directly to conversion metrics. Over time, this could accelerate a broader industry shift toward outcome-based television buying.

What does this mean for Pinterest’s revenue growth and investor sentiment?

From an investor perspective, the acquisition underscores Pinterest’s long-term commitment to diversifying and strengthening its advertising revenue streams. While the company has not indicated that the deal will materially impact near-term financial performance, it reinforces Pinterest’s strategy of expanding addressable market size through product innovation rather than user growth alone.

Pinterest’s stock performance in recent quarters has reflected cautious optimism around its advertising roadmap, particularly as macroeconomic uncertainty has pressured discretionary marketing budgets. Moves that enhance advertiser return on investment and improve measurement clarity are generally viewed favorably by markets, especially if they support higher pricing power over time.

The connected TV opportunity also aligns with broader industry trends that favor platforms capable of unifying fragmented media consumption. If Pinterest successfully integrates tvScientific and demonstrates measurable advertiser outcomes, it could strengthen its competitive position and support longer-term revenue resilience.

What challenges could Pinterest face as it integrates tvScientific?

Despite the strategic logic, execution risk remains. Integrating connected TV capabilities into an existing digital advertising platform is complex, particularly when it comes to data privacy, cross-device attribution, and interoperability with third-party measurement providers. Pinterest will need to ensure that advertisers trust the accuracy and transparency of its connected TV reporting.

There is also the challenge of differentiation in a crowded ad technology landscape. Many platforms are racing to position themselves as performance-oriented connected TV solutions. Pinterest’s success will depend on how effectively it leverages its unique intent data and how clearly it communicates the value of that data to advertisers.

Finally, regulatory scrutiny around data usage and advertising measurement continues to evolve globally. Pinterest will need to navigate these considerations carefully as it expands into new formats and markets.

What are the key takeaways for advertisers and investors watching Pinterest’s CTV push?

• Pinterest is positioning connected TV as a measurable performance channel by combining its intent-driven user data with tvScientific’s outcome-based advertising technology

• The acquisition expands Pinterest’s addressable advertising market and strengthens its appeal to brands seeking unified cross-screen performance measurement

• tvScientific’s automation and attribution capabilities align closely with Pinterest’s existing Performance+ products, reducing integration friction for advertisers

• The move increases competition in the connected TV performance advertising space, particularly against retail media networks and streaming platforms

• Successful execution could support longer-term revenue growth and improve advertiser return on investment, strengthening Pinterest’s strategic narrative with investors