Pinterest Inc. (PINS) shares traded lower Thursday after the company announced it's buying tvScientific, a move designed to bring its AI-powered advertising engine into the connected television space.
The acquisition lets Pinterest bolt tvScientific's outcome-based CTV platform directly onto its existing performance advertising suite. Think of it as taking the intent signals Pinterest already collects from people pinning recipes and home décor ideas, then connecting those insights to measurable TV campaign results.
Why This Matters for Advertisers
Pinterest CEO Bill Ready explained that advertisers are already planning and shopping across multiple screens. The tvScientific integration will let them measure TV results with the same clarity they've come to expect from digital channels. Ready called the expansion a critical piece of Pinterest's multi-year strategy to grow demand sources beyond its own platform.
Pinterest's existing AI systems analyze user intent through something called the Taste Graph, which powers recommendations for hundreds of millions of monthly users. Every saved pin creates what marketers call high-intent signals, basically breadcrumbs showing what people actually want to buy or do.
Now add tvScientific's automated media buying and deterministic attribution to that mix. Advertisers of any size will be able to buy and measure connected TV campaigns right alongside their digital performance ads, all in one place.
The Vision Behind the Deal
Jason Fairchild, CEO of tvScientific, said combining performance CTV with Pinterest's intent platform will fundamentally shift what advertisers expect from television. He described it as a powerful new equation for modern marketers who want measurable TV outcomes, not just impressions and guesswork.
What Happens Next
Pinterest plans to scale tvScientific's capabilities in the U.S. market first before rolling out more broadly. The deal still needs regulatory approval and has to clear other standard closing conditions. Pinterest expects everything to wrap up in the first half of 2026.
After the acquisition closes, tvScientific will keep operating under its current name with its existing team intact.
PINS Price Action: Pinterest shares were down 1.89% at $27.26 at the time of publication Thursday.