How QR ads work on TV
The ad shows a QR code; the viewer points their phone camera at it and lands on the advertiser's page. Because the code can carry a unique tracking link, each scan can be counted and tied to the ad that was shown. That gives TV advertising something it usually lacks: a measurable action.
TV platforms use the same idea in their own ad formats: Whale TV, for example, lists QR codes as an action on its display ads.
Three ways to use QR codes in a TV app
- QR card: a full-screen card with the advertiser's headline, an image and a QR code, shown at a break with a visible countdown.
- Video with a QR companion: a normal video ad with a QR code in a corner, so a viewer who is interested can act without waiting for the end.
- Scan-to-reward: in a game, the player opts in, scans the code and gets the reward (a life, coins) as soon as the scan registers. No 30-second video.
Scan-to-reward is the TV-native one: the player has a reason to pick up the phone, and the game knows exactly when to grant the reward.
How scan-to-reward works
- The game asks for a rewarded ad. The ad server returns a creative with a QR code that encodes a short link with a one-time token.
- The ad shows the code with the reward on it ("Scan to get +500 coins"), a "Waiting for scan" status and a Close button. There is no countdown.
- The player scans. The link hits the ad server first, which records the scan and redirects the phone to the advertiser's page.
- The TV asks the server every few seconds whether the token has been scanned. On the first yes, the game grants the reward and the screen says "Reward unlocked".
- The player closes the ad with OK or BACK and carries on. If nobody scans, the ad closes after a time limit, without a reward.
The reward is confirmed on the server, not on the TV, so it can't be faked by pressing buttons, and it is granted once per token.
QR size and quiet zone at 1080p
Viewers sit around three meters from the screen and scan with whatever phone they have. Our rules for a 1920×1080 layout:
- At least 300×300 px for the code itself.
- Dark modules on white, never inverted or on an image.
- A quiet zone: the QR standard asks for a white margin of four modules around the code.
- Short URLs: fewer characters means fewer, larger modules. Encode a short tracking link, not the full landing URL with its parameters.
- Inside the safe area: keep it 5% from every edge (96 px left and right, 54 px top and bottom at 1080p) so no TV crops it.
| TV size | Picture height | 300 px QR on screen |
|---|---|---|
| 32-inch | 40 cm | about 11 cm |
| 43-inch | 54 cm | about 15 cm |
| 55-inch | 68 cm | about 19 cm |
| 65-inch | 81 cm | about 22 cm |
What scan rates to expect
Be careful with QR promises. For ordinary CTV video ads with a QR code, eMarketer reported BrightLine data showing the scan rate falling from about 0.010% in the first half of 2025 to 0.004% in Q4 2025: roughly 400 scans per 10 million impressions.
Those numbers are for passive QR codes on video ads that nobody asked to see. An opt-in scan-to-reward ad in a game is a different situation: the player chose it and gets something for scanning. We know of no public benchmark for it yet, and we won't make one up.
Tracking and pricing: cost per scan
Because each scan is counted on the server, QR ads can be bought per scan instead of per thousand impressions. For an advertiser that means paying for people who acted; for a publisher, scan-to-reward placements earn when players scan. A scan can also be the start of a conversion that is reported back later (a sign-up, a purchase) through a postback.
Advertisers: see advertising with SofAds. Game developers: see rewarded ads for Smart TV games for placement and remote UX.
Early access
How SofAds fits
SofAds builds QR cards, video with a QR companion and scan-to-reward into its TV SDK, with the QR generated on the device, at least 300 px with a white quiet zone, and the scan confirmed on our server. Advertisers can buy per scan or per thousand impressions. We are in early access and don't have scan-rate data of our own to publish yet.
Frequently asked questions
How big should a QR code be on a TV?
At least 300×300 pixels in a 1080p layout, dark on white, with a quiet zone of four modules around it. On a 55-inch TV that is about 19 cm tall.
What is scan-to-reward?
A rewarded ad where the player scans a QR code with their phone instead of watching a video. The reward is granted as soon as the server registers the scan.
What is a typical QR scan rate on CTV?
For passive QR codes on CTV video ads, eMarketer reported a scan rate of about 0.004% in Q4 2025, down from about 0.010% in early 2025. There is no public benchmark for opt-in scan-to-reward ads in games.
Can advertisers pay per scan?
Yes, where the ad server counts scans itself. SofAds supports cost per scan next to CPM pricing.
Sources
Checked on October 7, 2026. Platform rules change; when a source and this page disagree, the source wins.