RZR launches Audience Builder to unify CTV and mobile retargeting

This launch signals a shift from viewing CTV as a brand-awareness vehicle to a core component of the lower-funnel performance stack. For streaming platforms and game publishers, the ability to bridge household TV data with mobile behavior addresses the rising cost of user acquisition, which RZR claims increased by 12% last year despite stalled growth. By unifying the acquisition and retention teams under one DSP, companies can avoid 'buying the same user twice' and better manage the post-install 'leaking bucket' problem. Watch for whether rival DSPs can secure similar deterministic hardware partnerships to match this closed-loop measurement capability.

The integration of CTV into performance marketing comes as the mobile advertising landscape faces significant cost inflation. According to reporting from adjoe and Sensor Tower in early 2026, global mobile user acquisition spend reached $109 billion in 2025, with North American cost-per-install (CPI) rising to an average of $5.28. This represents a five-year cost inflation of approximately 225%, placing immense pressure on B2B ad-tech providers to prove efficiency through better retention and retargeting tools.

LG Ad Solutions has concurrently moved to capitalize on this demand for accountability. In March 2026, the company introduced the 'Own the Outcome' framework, designed to move CTV measurement beyond simple completion rates toward on-screen conversions and brand lift. Per Advanced Television, LG has also expanded programmatic access to its Home Screen inventory, allowing DSPs to transact on high-visibility placements through automated Private Marketplace deals.

The technical backbone of these partnerships relies heavily on Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) data. As noted by TripleLift in July 2026, ACR is now used by more than half of CTV buyers to solve the 'fragmentation without coordination' problem, where the same household is often over-served ads across different streaming apps. By leveraging hardware-level signals, platforms like RZR aim to provide the deduplication and frequency control that traditional multi-touch attribution models currently struggle to deliver in a cross-device environment.