Glance Partners With DIRECTV to Make TVs Smarter and More Interactive With AI

Television is entering its most transformative era in decades. What was once a static screen for broadcast entertainment is now becoming an intelligent, adaptive surface — through a new partnership between Glance and DIRECTV.

This collaboration blends DIRECTV’s long-standing expertise in home entertainment with Glance’s AI innovation, setting the stage for a smarter, more interactive TV experience that responds to viewers’ moods, moments, and preferences.

As the world moves toward AI-powered living spaces, the Glance and DIRECTV partnership isn’t just an upgrade — it’s the beginning of a new relationship between people and their screens.

A Partnership That Redefines Television

Announced in late 2025, the partnership marks a major leap in how audiences will interact with their televisions. DIRECTV, one of the most trusted names in U.S. entertainment, is collaborating with Glance, a company recognized for its AI-driven consumer experiences, to explore new ways television can fit into everyday life.

The integration will debut on DIRECTV’s Gemini devices in early 2026, bringing AI-powered interactivity, intelligent visuals, and seamless discovery to millions of households.

Rather than being just a screen for streaming, TVs will evolve into intelligent companions — ones that adapt content, mood, and even context to how people live and watch.

What “AI-Powered Television” Really Means

At the heart of this collaboration is a new kind of intelligence — one that sits inside your TV and continuously enhances the experience without demanding your attention.

Here’s what AI-powered television looks like under the Glance and DIRECTV partnership:

1. Dynamic Idle Screens

When your TV isn’t streaming or playing, it won’t fade into darkness. Instead, it will display AI-curated visuals — calming scenes, trending entertainment snippets, or contextual stories tailored to your time of day or mood.

2. Interactive Discovery

During breaks or idle periods, viewers can interact with ambient content — exploring local highlights, art, or even shoppable experiences directly from their screen.

3. Visual Intelligence

Glance’s AI recognizes visual context to determine what content fits best. For instance, morning scenes might feature productivity inspiration, while evening visuals emphasize calm and relaxation.

4. Seamless Multi-Device Flow

Through QR codes and mobile sync, users can take any discovery — from news stories to products — directly onto their phones, ensuring a smooth and privacy-safe experience.

5. Personalization Without Surveillance

Unlike data-heavy personalization systems, Glance’s AI uses context, not identity. It adapts to time, mood, and trends rather than individual tracking, ensuring privacy and transparency.

How AI Is Making DIRECTV Smarter

DIRECTV’s adoption of Glance AI goes beyond aesthetics. It fundamentally changes how television systems work under the hood.

1. Smarter Content Discovery
   
   
• Glance AI helps surface relevant, timely snippets — news, entertainment, or lifestyle content — directly on-screen, reducing search fatigue.
  
  
2. Ambient Intelligence
   
   
• The AI ensures the TV remains visually engaging even when idle, aligning content with environmental context (time, weather, user activity).
  
  
3. Interactive Experiences
   
   
• Viewers can interact with certain scenes, scan QR codes for more details, or explore related visuals — all designed to complement entertainment.
  
  
4. Device Optimization
   
   
• AI-driven scene transitions reduce power waste while keeping the experience fresh.
  
  
5. Real-Time Adaptability
   
   
• The system evolves continuously, learning from viewing patterns and global trends to refine what it shows next.
  
  

Through this integration, DIRECTV transforms from a content provider into a smart experience platform.

The Broader Context — AI in Home Entertainment

The Glance and DIRECTV partnership comes at a pivotal time. The global television landscape is shifting from passive consumption to interactive engagement.

Smart TVs are already common, but their ‘intelligence’ has largely been limited to voice search or app navigation. The Glance and DIRECTV collaboration aims to take that further — using AI that curates, adapts, and inspires while maintaining viewer comfort.

In other words, this isn’t “smarter search.” It’s smarter experience.

Analysts predict that by 2027, AI will be embedded in more than 70% of connected TVs, driving personalization and ambient interactivity. With this partnership, DIRECTV is taking an early leadership position in that evolution.

What Viewers Will Actually Experience

Here’s how the average DIRECTV household could experience Glance’s AI in action:

• Morning Routine: Your TV displays serene sunrise visuals and a short digest of local news — curated by AI, not manually selected.
  
  
• Midday Break: The screen shows trending travel visuals or lifestyle stories when idle. You can explore any of them via QR code.
  
  
• Evening Relaxation: As daylight fades, the visuals shift to calming generative art, paired with ambient sound.
  
  
• Weekend Discovery: The AI highlights cultural moments, movie trailers, or design inspiration — connecting you to experiences beyond programming.
  
  

It’s television that fits your life — quietly, seamlessly, and intelligently.

The Design Philosophy — Calm, Not Cluttered

A key element of Glance’s design approach is “calm technology.” This means creating experiences that serve the user without overwhelming them.

Rather than flood the TV with flashy graphics or notifications, the Glance interface emphasizes subtle motion, elegant typography, and contextual pacing.

Every interaction is user-initiated and optional. The experience is meant to enhance your space, not dominate it.

This philosophy ensures that the AI feels human-centered — a quiet companion, not an algorithm demanding attention.

Privacy and Transparency

Both companies have been clear: AI interactivity must respect boundaries.

• Local Processing: Most AI operations occur directly on the TV hardware, minimizing cloud dependency.
  
  
• No Personal Likeness Generation: The system will not display faces or simulate individuals.
  
  
• User Control: Every discovery prompt is optional; users can disable or modify settings at any time.
  
  
• No Ad-Based Tracking: The system avoids ad monetization frameworks, focusing purely on the user experience.
  
  

This approach aligns with Glance’s broader mission to make AI ethical, transparent, and trust-driven.

Industry Reactions

Early coverage from outlets like The Verge, TVTechnology, and TheDesk praised the Glance and DIRECTV collaboration as “a step toward AI-led TV interactivity.” Analysts noted that while the media world speculated about advertising potential, both companies consistently emphasized a consumer-first approach — focusing on product design, innovation, and creative discovery.

“Glance’s integration with DIRECTV is a redefinition of idle screens — turning waiting time into discovery time,” one media analyst wrote.

Others highlighted how this move could set the standard for AI-led TV innovation globally.

The Benefits for DIRECTV Users

Here’s how DIRECTV viewers stand to gain from this AI integration:

These benefits go beyond convenience. They signal a shift in how technology coexists with everyday life — responsive, relevant, and respectful.

Why It Matters

For decades, television has been reactive — waiting for human input. The Glance and DIRECTV partnership reverses that dynamic, turning the TV into an active participant in the home environment.

This evolution means viewers can:

• Spend less time searching and more time discovering.
  
  
• Enjoy content tailored to their day without typing or browsing.
  
  
• Experience a visually richer home environment even when not watching a show.
  
  

It’s not about controlling technology — it’s about collaborating with it.

Looking Ahead: The Future of AI-Driven Entertainment

When the Glance–DIRECTV AI integration launches across devices in 2026, it could mark the beginning of a new phase in AI-driven entertainment — one defined by interaction, intelligence, and inspiration.

Potential future developments could include:

• Voice or gesture-based interactions for exploring content hands-free.
  
  
• Mood-driven visuals that adjust based on lighting or sound levels.
  
  
• Cross-device synchronization, connecting phones, wearables, and TVs for unified experiences.
  
  

But at its core, the mission remains the same: make technology human again.

Final Thoughts

The partnership between Glance and DIRECTV isn’t just about adding AI to television — it’s about reimagining what television can be.

It transforms the screen from a window into the world into a mirror that reflects the viewer’s curiosity, rhythm, and inspiration.

For viewers, it means television that quietly adapts and responds. For DIRECTV, it signals continued innovation in connected entertainment. And for Glance, it demonstrates how AI can remain simple, beautiful, and human.

As agentic AI evolves, collaborations like this could shape how technology enhances daily life — not by commanding attention, but by quietly enriching it.

2026 will be remembered as the year television became truly smart — not because it listened, but because it understood.