Flailing satellite TV provider DirecTV will use AI to put your face in screensaver ads starting 2026

DirecTV will introduce AI-generated screensaver ads featuring users’ faces on its Gemini streaming devices starting in early 2026, partnering with ad company Glance. The move represents another attempt by the struggling satellite TV provider to diversify revenue streams as it faces declining subscriber numbers, dropping from over 20 million in 2015 to approximately 11 million in 2024.

What you should know: The AI-powered screensavers will replace Google wallpapers on DirecTV’s Gemini Air and Gemini set-top box devices when TVs are idle for 10 minutes.

• Users can create AI avatars of themselves by scanning QR codes displayed on the screensaver, then use these avatars to browse AI-generated content and product recommendations.
• The system will allow users to “dress up” their avatars and receive shopping suggestions through reverse-image searches, with Glance claiming access to “a trillion SKUs” for product matching.
• Purchases will be completed on separate devices like phones, not through the Gemini hardware itself.

The technology behind it: Glance’s AI platform analyzes user behavior and preferences to deliver personalized product recommendations and content.

• The screensavers will support 30-second AI-generated videos featuring user avatars, along with real-time weather updates and sports scores.
• According to Ian Anderson, Glance’s VP of AI, the avatars “analyze customer behavior, preferences, and browsing history to provide tailor-made product recommendations, enhancing engagement and conversion rates.”

Who’s involved: Glance, owned by mobile ads company InMobi, previously brought similar AI-generated lock screen ads to Samsung Galaxy phones in June.

• The Indian company has been expanding from mobile lock screen advertising into smart TV operating systems.
• InMobi, a mobile advertising firm, has a documented history of tracking users without their knowledge.

Why this matters: DirecTV’s pivot to advertising-heavy screensavers reflects broader industry trends as streaming platforms increasingly rely on ad revenue over subscription growth.

• The satellite TV provider faces mounting pressure to find new revenue sources amid rapid subscriber losses and the shift toward streaming services.
• While screensaver ads may be less intrusive than pause ads DirecTV has already experimented with, they risk further alienating customers already frustrated with the company’s service.

What they’re saying: DirecTV executives frame the initiative as enhancing user experience rather than simply adding more ads.

• “This will allow people to instantly select a brand and reimagine themselves in the brand catalog right from their living-room TV itself,” said Naveen Tewari, Glance’s CEO and founder.
• Vikash Sharm, DirecTV’s SVP of product marketing, expects the screensavers to help with “content discovery” and “personalization” beyond just advertising.

Looking ahead: Glance plans to expand beyond screensavers into other parts of the TV interface.

• “This, we can integrate across different places within the television,” Glance COO Mansi Jain told The Verge. “We are starting with the screensaver, but tomorrow… we can integrate it in the launcher of the TV.”
• Users will be able to disable the screensavers, though they’re enabled by default.