Samsung adds interactive ads to its smart TV menu bar
In a bid to address falling TV sales, Samsung is said to be putting more ads on its smart TV menu bar. The move, which may upset the people who do buy the sets, is being tested in the US and is expected to be rolled out across Europe soon. Samsung is hoping that the interactive ad units will prove attractive to ad agencies as a way of targeting consumers with relevant brands and content. The ads will appear alongside apps such as Netflix and will be interactive when clicked on. The move has not received a universal welcome. One consumer commented: “They’re trying to make it where a person can’t escape ads”.

While it’s not unusual for ads to appear on a television, Samsung is kicking the concept up a notch — and igniting some ire in the process.

The South Korean electronics maker is reportedly adding more ads to its smart TV menu bar in an effort to make up the losses from sagging TV sales — and in the process threatening to alienate the people who actually do buy their sets. The program, currently being tested in the U.S., is expected to roll out soon across Europe.