Pixalate Blog

Pixalate Launches OpenEPG™ 1.0 Analytics to Bring Linear TV-Grade Measurement & Verification to Open Programmatic CTV; OpenEPG DB™ Unlocks 12,875 Shows From 318 Channels Using Bidstream Bundle ID

Written by Pixalate | Jun 16, 2026 12:33:30 PM

By requiring and analyzing only the standard bidstream CTV Bundle ID and impression timestamp, OpenEPG™ automatically maps full show-level records—including air time, channel, and market—across major networks like CNN and Food Network with zero reliance on publisher data-sharing or opt-ins.

LONDON, June 16, 2026 Pixalate, a global ad fraud and privacy compliance platform, today announced the launch of Pixalate OpenEPG™ 1.0 Analytics. OpenEPG™ brings linear TV-style measurement and content visibility to open programmatic Connected TV (CTV) — across mobile over-the-top (OTT) streaming (iOS, Android) and the large screen (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung TV, Apple TV).

Built specifically for Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs), Supply-Side Platforms (SSPs), and programmatic ad buyers, OpenEPG™ eliminates the structural data blackout without requiring publisher opt-in or custom data-sharing agreements. To unlock this linear-style visibility, programmatic platforms only need the CTV Bundle IDs included in the incoming bidstream.

By automatically mapping Bundle ID to the app name and channel, Pixalate OpenEPG™ delivers show-level content verification spanning all 210 U.S. media markets, independently mapping and validating 12,875 unique television shows across 318 digital and FAST channels.

Data Coverage

At launch, Pixalate OpenEPG™ spans:

Category

Coverage

Shows

12,875 (60 Minutes, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Beat Bobby Flay, 90 Day Fiancé, Being Mary Jane)

Channels

318 (CNN, Food Network, Yahoo! Sports Network, BET, NBA, TLC, CBS News)

Platforms

6: Android, iOS, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Tizen, Apple tvOS

Geographic Coverage

210 U.S. Media Markets

 

Pixalate’s OpenEPG platform data is filterable across three layers:

Show level details

  • Show title
  • Genre
  • Air date
  • Time of day, and Daypart

 

Where it ran

  • App and channel name
  • Programmatic CTV Bundle ID
  • Device Type (Large and small screen)
  • Operating system (Android, iOS, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple tvOS, Samsung Tizen)
  • U.S. Media Market Share of Voice (SOV)

 

How it performed

  • Ad impression volume
  • Consumer reach
  • Ad duration
  • Invalid traffic at the show level: IVT %, GIVT %, SIVT % — per Pixalate's MRC-accredited detection

 

The Show-Level Data Blackout in CTV Open Programmatic: Blindness for Sellers and Buyers Alike

While advertisers have migrated billions from traditional linear TV to programmatic streaming, the shift has created a profound information-level blackout. In traditional linear TV, the programming environment is clear. In the open programmatic CTV space, a systemic blind spot leaves both ad sellers and ad buyers completely in the dark regarding the specific content and shows that ads run against, unless the publisher includes the show-level information in the bidstream.

OpenEPG™ addresses this gap, arming programmatic players to solve three systemic infrastructure failures:

  • Bypassing the Publisher Opt-In Bottleneck: Show-level transparency has always required publishers to opt in and pass content metadata through the bidstream — and premium publishers often withhold it, pushing buyers into closed DSPs and clean rooms. OpenEPG™ bypasses that permission wall entirely, delivering the same visibility from standard open exchange signals.
  • Resolving Broken Bundle ID Mapping for SSPs & DSPs: Raw EPG strings are routinely crammed into the generic bundleId field, producing garbled text that won't map to app names, let alone shows. OpenEPG™ acts as an automated translator, turning those corrupted strings into usable targeting and verification data.
  • Overcoming Legacy Measurement Long-tail Blind Spots: Legacy TV measurement firms were designed for static linear grids and premium content, rather than the long tail, fragmented programmatic bidstreams.

 

The Tech Under the Hood: Inside OpenEPG DB™

OpenEPG DB™ is Pixalate's independently built, continuously updated map of the open-programmatic TV programming landscape — the channels, programs, and schedules an ad can run against. OpenEPG DB™ ingests and organizes publicly available electronic program guide (EPG) data into a centralized database.

OpenEPG DB™ turns a raw bidstream signal into show-level records. Resolution happens in multiple stages:

  1. Normalize the app and channel. OpenEPG DB™ normalizes 37,000+ open-market Bundle ID variations — including non-standard IDs — to clean, canonical parent app identities, matched across all six operating systems. For single-channel apps, the app identity resolves the channel directly; for multi-channel aggregators, channel signals carried in the bundle metadata identify the specific channel.
  2. Resolve the program. Using the standardized app identity and resolved channel, OpenEPG DB™ maps the channel's schedule at the impression's exact timestamp to resolve the program — and episode, where the schedule carries it — airing in that moment.

From there, OpenEPG™ layers on the measurement: impression volume, share of voice by market and daypart, and show-level invalid traffic scored under Pixalate's MRC-accredited methodology.

 

Use Cases

For DSPs, Agencies & Advertisers (Buy Side)

    • Pre-Bid Planning at the Show Level: Use show-level, channel-level, and content-rating segments — derived from open-exchange signals — to direct or exclude pre-bid spend. Different shows within the same app can present different brand environments.
    • Show-level Visibility in Post-bid Analytics: See which show ads ran against, not just the intended app, with post-campaign reporting.
  • Screen Size Verification: Confirm whether impressions delivered on the large screen (CTV) or the small screen (mobile)
  • Brand Safety at the Show Level: Use show-level signals to apply your brand-safety standards to the specific show an ad runs against, not just the app it ran in.

 

For SSPs, Publishers & App Developers (Sell Side)

  • Spot IVT at the Show and Daypart Level: Identify where invalid traffic is concentrated within your inventory before it impacts buyer confidence or CPMs
  • Defend CPMs with Show-Level Context: Show advertisers which specific programs and dayparts drive open-exchange demand against your bundle IDs — not just app-level aggregates
  • Unlock Aggregator App Value: Surface which individual shows inside aggregator apps are driving the most programmatic activity, and price that inventory accordingly

 

How Pixalate OpenEPG™ Compares to Legacy Measurement

 

Pixalate OpenEPG™

Panel & ACR Measurement

Buying Medium Focus

Open programmatic

Direct Sales

Bundle ID Mapping

Yes

No

No publisher or show level info required in Bidstream

Yes

No

No custom data agreements needed

Yes

No

FAST premium & long tail content

Yes

Limited

Big-screen CTV (Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, Apple TV)

Yes

Yes

Mobile TV streaming (iOS, Android)

Yes

No

Show resolved per ad impression

Yes

Modeled / projected

Show-level IVT (MRC-accredited)

Yes

No

 

Availability

Pixalate OpenEPG™ 1.0 Analytics is available for DSPs, SSPs, and ad buyers looking to bring linear TV-type measurement, analytics, and fraud prevention capabilities to their CTV operations.

Pixalate OpenEPG™ 1.0 Analytics powers the OpenEPG™ Index, a free monthly public ranking of the top 100 streaming TV shows by U.S. open programmatic ad spend and consumer reach.

About Pixalate

Pixalate is a global platform specializing in privacy compliance, ad fraud prevention, and digital ad supply chain data intelligence. Founded in 2012 and recognized by UNICEF as a “key innovator” for children’s online privacy, Pixalate is trusted by regulators, data researchers, advertisers, publishers, ad tech platforms, and financial analysts across the Connected TV (CTV), mobile app, and website ecosystems. Pixalate is accredited by the MRC for the detection and filtration of Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). pixalate.com

Disclaimer

OpenEPG™ data reflects Pixalate's opinions based on open-exchange signals and public EPG data; no assurances or guarantees are made as to the accuracy or completeness of any classification, resolution, or rating. Attributions are for identification and measurement purposes only and imply no affiliation, partnership, or endorsement. IVT metrics follow Pixalate's MRC-accredited methodology and do not constitute a finding of fraud or any violation of law or platform policy. Pixalate's full disclaimer can be found here.