SOUTHPORT, Conn.—Main Street Sports Group has announced that the FanDuel Sports Network app is now available directly on Vizio and on smart TVs with Vizio OS. The FanDuel Sports Network app features live and on-demand local sports programming.

The distribution agreement marks a significant step forward in Main Street Sports Group's direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategy for the network, the company said.

It adds to the growing list of FanDuel Sports Network devices partners, including iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV, Google TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox, and Xfinity's X1, Xumo TV, Xumo Stream Box and Flex.

“As we continue to evolve FanDuel Sports Network into a dynamic, fan-first local sports media platform, our partnership with Vizio is another meaningful milestone in expanding accessibility and fueling our direct-to-consumer growth,” Main Street Sports Group Chief Revenue Officer Eric Ratchman said.

Customers can launch the FanDuel Sports Network app directly from the Vizio Home Screen and access programming based on their regional availability.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV has announced that the DirecTV app has launched on on Vizio Smart TVs. Rolling out today, customers will be able to access and enjoy the DirecTV app directly on their Vizio Smart TVs.

“Consumers want control over when, where, and how they watch,” said Vikash Sharma, head of product at DirecTV. “We’re continuing to deliver more choice and flexibility by making DirecTV available on more devices. With DirecTV on Vizio Smart TVs, viewers can quickly and directly access live channels and on-demand favorites—all within a premium app experience.” 

With the app, customers can dive into live sports and news and explore a massive library of over 100,000 on-demand shows and movies. It also features a 'Your TV' carousel that puts their favorite teams, live stats, recent channels, and tailored recommendations front and center.

The app also provides real-time sports scores and updates, plus the newly launched Mix Channels, available to Signature Package and Genre Pack customers based on their lineup. 

More information about the various DirecTV packages and offerings is available at DirecTV. 

AccuWeather said AccuWeather Now, its free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, has launched on WatchFree+, Vizio’s free streaming platform.

For an even more personalized experience, AccuWeather has also launched a custom app on the Vizio platform. The app delivers ZIP code-specific local forecast information and national weather news video, providing expert insights and severe weather alerts to help keep people safer and better informed, the company said.

In addition to Vizio, AccuWeather Now is also carried on Roku, Xumo, LG and other platforms.

“We are thrilled to be working with Vizio to bring the most recognized and most accurate forecasts and warnings as well as comprehensive and compelling weather content to their community,” AccuWeather CEO Steven R. Smith said. “At AccuWeather, we are committed to providing unparalleled weather insights and forecasts that help people, communities and companies stay safer and make the best weather-impacted decisions. We are delighted to strengthen that commitment to the Vizio universe.”

NEW YORK—Nielsen and Vizio have announced a multi-year agreement that provides the audience measurement firm with viewership information from the set maker’s Inscape Smart TV data.

Nielsen, which began licensing Inscape for national addressable measurement in 2021, now has the right to integrate Vizio’s Inscape data in both its local and national audience-measurement solutions.

The deal also includes a period of exclusivity for data gathered from an expanded roster of 400 local stations that will be processed by Inscape’s systems.

Vizio’s Inscape data captures viewing data from millions of connected TV devices (including cable box, set-top box , DVR, etc.) and streaming environments. Automatic content recognition (ACR) data provides scale, granularity and timely insights, enabling greater understanding of what is being watched in millions of U.S. households by measuring on-screen content regardless of source.

Through this agreement, Nielsen can now add Big Data from a pool of about 20 million smart TVs, a key enhancement that includes coverage for 400 stations across local U.S. markets that currently include Local People Meter, Set Meter and Portable People Meter panels.

“At Nielsen, we are committed to innovating as consumers further embrace new ways to watch their favorite programs,” said Michelle Gelman, global head of Nielsen’s Content and Syndicated Products. “Inscape’s ACR data from one of the leading Smart TV manufacturers will help us drive value to our clients and, ultimately, help them drive ROI as they seek to reach their audience.”

Added Vizio chief revenue and engagement Officer Mike O’Donnell said: “As viewing trends shift and audiences fragment across different services, Inscape has been at the forefront of powering products that are better for the consumer experience and bringing greater transparency and scale to the measurement sector. We’re excited to work with Nielsen and for the inclusion of our opted-in viewing data in Nielsen’s services as we continue to help the entire TV marketplace evolve.”

Nielsen’s panels will be used to validate what is missing in big data sets, including complete representation, over-the-air inclusion, validation of diverse representation, understanding when the TV is on or off, and person-level measurement. Nielsen will add Big Data to its national TV measurement beginning in September, a major step towards the launch of Nielsen One, the forthcoming single, deduplicated solution for cross-media measurement.

STAMFORD, Conn.—Spectrum, Charter Communications’ operating brand, has announced that the Spectrum TV App is now available on LG and Vizio smart TVs.

With the Spectrum TV App on LG and Vizio smart TVs, customers can access their full lineup of cable channels and thousands of on-demand shows and movies. They can also take advantage of Spectrum’s Cloud DVR service.

The Spectrum TV App is also available on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Kindle Fire, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Xbox, Xumo Stream Box and Xumo TV.

“We are meeting our customers where they are, making it easier than ever for them to enjoy their favorite content," Spectrum Senior Vice President of Video Elena Ritchie said. "The Spectrum TV App brings additional value and convenience to our services and, by adding the app to popular platforms like LG and Vizio TVs, we are providing our customers with even more flexibility."

To start using the Spectrum TV App on Vizio smart TVs, customers can launch the app directly from the home screen. On LG sets, customers must download the app from the app store.

In announcing the launch, Charter cited Comscore data showing the Spectrum TV App is the most-viewed streaming service in the U.S. on an hours-per-household basis.

For more information about the Spectrum TV App, its features and compatible devices, click here.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. —SlingTV has announced that it has been working with Vizio to integrate free, live local over-the-air (OTA) channels directly into the Sling TV guide, making it easier for Vizio TV users to watch local programming.

The new OTA tuner feature is available on select Vizio TV models, allowing users to seamlessly access their local ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS and other local broadcasters within the Sling TV app when connected to an OTA antenna without the need to switch inputs or applications.

“At Sling TV, we’re always looking for ways to simplify the viewing experience while delivering the best value in television," said Seth Van Sickel, senior vice president, product and operations, EchoStar video services. “This integration with Vizio allows our customers to effortlessly access their favorite local programming right alongside their Sling content, reinforcing our commitment to affordability, flexibility and ease of use.”

In announcing the integration, the two companies explained that Vizio TV owners can quickly activate the OTA integration by connecting an OTA antenna directly to their TV’s coax input and scanning for channels. To do so, users can follow these simple steps:

1. Open the SlingTV App
2. Navigate to Settings > Local Channels > Configure Locals
3. Select Scan for Channels

Once the scan is complete, available local channels will be displayed within the Sling TV guide. Viewers can easily access their free local programming by selecting the local filter on the left side of the guide.

While broadcasters heavily promote the advantages of OTA feeds, the integration would allow Sling TV's streaming subscribers to access local broadcast TV without changing the input or paying a streaming provider like YouTube TV extra for a package that offers the local channels. It does, however reduce retransmission consent revenues that broadcasters might get from a pay TV provider or a streaming service.

For more information about Sling TV, visit Sling.com.

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Allen Media Group has announced that all 223 U.S. Markets covered by its Local Now FAST Channel are now available on the Vizio WatchFree+ streaming platform.

The deal expands the distribution of Local Now, which was already available on FireTV, SamsungTV+, LG Channels and The Roku Channel.

Local Now channel, which covers 223 markets, provides a local news stream using device geolocation. Providing real-time news and updates, it delivers more than 350,000 video stories each day from newsrooms across the country.

“The launch of Local Now on Vizio’s WatchFree+ strengthens our commitment to delivering hyperlocal news and entertainment at no cost to viewers making it more accessible and convenient than ever before,” said Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “Now millions of Vizio users can access the largest footprint of local FAST channels that feature free premium news, entertainment, sports, weather, and more 24/7.”

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has launched a new bundled app on its TV that gives viewers access to the vast selection of movies and TV shows in the Starz and AMC+ libraries for $13.99 a month, a significant discount from the $20.98 per month it would cost to subscribe to the two services separately.

“We are thrilled to offer the incredible entertainment from AMC+ and Starz at an amazing price with this subscription bundle,” Katherine Pond, group vice president of platform content and partnerships at Vizio, said. “Our team is driven by a passion to deliver value for customers, and offering this type of benefit with a Vizio Account is one more way we do that.”

To take advantage of the new app bundle, customers can click on the Apps menu item from the left-hand navigation on their Vizio TV and then select the “Bundles” tab. After they’ve completed the subscription process, customers can view and manage all their subscriptions in one convenient location within Vizio Account.

“We’re excited to partner with Vizio to provide high-quality, bold programming at exceptional value,” Starz Networks President Alison Hoffman said. “Our slate of hit originals targeting women and underrepresented audiences and expansive collection of movies make Starz an ideal complement to any bundle offering. Bundles like this elevate the streaming experience for customers and enable us to broaden our reach across connected devices.”

For more information, visit Vizio.com.

Walmart said it has finalized its acquisition of Irvine, California-based TV maker Vizio. The $2.3 billion deal, first disclosed in February, is designed to boost Walmart’s presence in the growing connected TV market, which mines viewer data to enhance targeted advertising.

CTV is among the fastest-growing advertising sectors in the U.S. with ad spend expected to grow by 22.4% globally in 2024 to $25.9 billion, according to GroupM’s midyear forecast.

As part of the deal, Walmart acquires Vizio’s SmartCast OS, which the retailer said will accelerate growth of its Walmart Connect ad business. While it plans to integrate Vizio’s products and OS into its TV product line over time, the retailer has not indicated whether it will rebrand the TVs under its Onn consumer electronics brand.

Founded in 2002, Vizio’s growing device ecosystem and its smart TV operating system, SmartCast, have amassed over 19 million active accounts, growing approximately 400% since 2018. Vizio says its direct advertiser relationships include many of the Fortune 500. Vizio’s Platform+ segment, which consists largely of its advertising business, now accounts for all the company’s gross profit, according to the company.

“Vizio offers great products at great prices that customers love. They’ve always put customers at the center of their business—and that’s core to Walmart’s values and the omnichannel experiences we’re excited to roll out,” Walmart U.S. executive vice president and chief growth officer Seth Dallaire said. “Vizio has also expertly changed their business over time, like building and quickly scaling a profitable advertising business. Pairing it with Walmart Connect will be impactful and allow us to invest in our business even further on behalf of our customers.”

Added Vizio founder and CEO William Wang: “Since the inception of Vizio, our mission has been to provide incredible value, great technology, and award-winning innovation. Today, with the tremendous number of resources from Walmart, we will continue to further accelerate that mission around the best home entertainment experience.”

NEW YORK—Vizio’s Inscape, a smart-TV data provider, and EDO said they have extended their longstanding data partnership.

EDO said the new, multiyear agreement with Vizio’s technology division is part of its efforts to offer clients high-quality data that optimizes the effectiveness of linear and streaming TV ads. EDO leverages real-time consumer behavioral signals that are predictive of future sales—such as search activity and website visits—to help brands, agencies and publishers understand how and where ads drive engagement.

Inscape data captures viewing data from more than 24 million opted-in smart TVs. Its ACR data provides scale, granularity and timely insights to help clients and the industry understand and take action on what is being watched in millions of U.S. households. EDO’s Ad EnGage Convergent platform then matches ad exposures from Inscape data with engagement signals to determine the immediate ad-driven impact of a campaign.

Travis Scoles, executive vice president of advanced advertising at Paramount Global, applauded the new deal, saying: “Industry collaboration is essential to achieving the precision and scale needed in cross-platform measurement. As audiences navigate a more varied media landscape, Paramount brings unmatched clarity to campaign performance across linear and streaming channels. With data-driven insights—like those powered by EDO and Vizio—we can further empower brands to reach and resonate with our audiences, maximizing engagement and impact across Paramount’s extensive media portfolio.”

“Reliable, cross-platform TV outcomes measurement is essential to creating a sustainable and accountable advertising ecosystem,” added Joshua Lee, chief technology officer and head of product, EDO. “Our extended partnership with Inscape enables us to deliver investment-grade convergent TV outcomes. This partnership will ensure we continue to have access to Inscape’s trusted ACR data for years to come.”

Ken Norcross, VP of data licensing and strategy at Vizio Inscape, said: “We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with EDO in a meaningful way that helps drive value for their customers and the industry as a whole. By leveraging Inscape’s robust data set, outcomes measurement is becoming that much smarter.”

SEATTLE—In the run-up to the hotly contested 2024 elections, Sinclair’s free local streaming news service NewsON said its app is now available on Vizio TVs.

The app offers live and on-demand newscasts and content for free from more than 285 TV stations spanning 135-plus markets, covering over 90% of the U.S. Additionally, 190-plus local stations also offer FAST channels that stream on the NewsON app.

“Expanding NewsON to Vizio’s platform underscores our commitment to making local news accessible to more viewers,” NewsON Vice President and General Manager Ron Stitt said. “We’re excited to bring comprehensive, real-time and on-demand local news coverage to Vizio users, ensuring they stay informed about their communities.”

The app also offers access to weather forecasts, breaking news, and top trending stories of the week with What’sON, providing Vizio users another way to stay connected to the latest local news happening across the country and to watch breaking news from the battleground states.

NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES—The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented the inaugural “Excellence in Production Technology” Emmy Award to “The Santa Clauses Season 2” during the 75th Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards at the Prince George Ballroom in New York on Oct. 9.

During the ceremony, hosted by David Pogue, Emmy award-winning science correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning, Vizio founder and CEO William Wang also received Lifetime Achievement honors for his contributions to the television manufacturing industry by bringing premium-quality, innovative TVs, and soundbars into millions of U.S. homes at affordable prices.

“We’re delighted to honor the individuals and companies dedicated to delivering high-quality content and innovative new technologies for consumers,” NATAS President and CEO Adam Sharp said. “Mr. Wang’s Lifetime Achievement Award comes after a long career of reshaping what’s possible and making advanced technology accessible, speaking to his powerful leadership and founding of Vizio.”

“I am deeply honored to receive this prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award,” Wang said in a statement. “My life has been dedicated to bringing great technology to consumers in America. This recognition is also a testament to the incredible team at Vizio—it is our lifetime achievement. Together, we’ve challenged the status quo and have created new possibilities for the future of television. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and excited for the journey ahead as we continue to push the boundaries of technology and entertainment.”

Accepting the “Excellence in Production Technology” award, Rachel Rose, R&D supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic, said: “The team at Industrial Light & Magic are incredibly honored to be recognized by [NATAS] with an Emmy Award for our innovative StageCraft technology and the advancements made for ‘The Santa Clauses, Season Two.’ This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our exceptional team of technologists, artists, and production crew.”

ILM contributed successfully to the first season with StageCraft LED work. For Season 2, ILM StageCraft was used once again with ILM also contributing post visual effects. Visual effects work on the project was overseen by Trevor Hazel, with a seamless partnership between ILM’s San Francisco office and SDFX. Together, the team ultimately delivered 333 shots of Christmas cheer for the series.

In addition, the 2024 Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards were given out at the event. Honorees included the following:

Pioneering Development of Inexpensive Video Technology for Animation:

• Lyon Lamb (Bruce Lyon and John Lamb)

Large Scale Deployment of Smart TV Operating Systems

• Samsung
• LG
• Sony
• Vizio
• Panasonic

Creation and Implementation of HDR Static LUT, Single-Stream Live Production

• BBC
• NBC

Pioneering Technologies Enabling High Performance Communications Over Cable TV Systems

• Broadcom
• General Instrument (CommScope)
• LANcity (CommScope)
• 3COM (HP)

Pioneering Development of Manifest-Based Playout for FAST

• Amagi
• Pluto TV
• Turner

Targeted Ad Messages Delivered Across Paused Media

• DirecTV

Pioneering Development of IP Address Geolocation Technologies To Protect Content Rights

• MLB
• Quova

Development of Stream Switching Technology between Satellite Broadcast and Internet to Improve Signal Reliability

• DirecTV

Design and Deployment of Efficient Hardware Video Accelerators for Cloud

• Netint
• AMD
• Google
• Meta

Spectrum Auction Design

• FCC
• Auctionomics

TV Pioneers—Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT)

• Boris Lvovich Rosing
• Alan Archibald Campbell Swinton

TV Pioneers—Development of Lighting, Ventilation & Lens-Coating Technologies

• Hertha Ayrton
• Katharine Burr Blodgett

IRVINE, Calif.—In a sign of how important advertising has become to makers of TV sets, Vizio has announced that its popular WatchFree+ service is now available on the Vizio mobile app for iOS and Android devices. 

The move, which allows users access over 300 channels on mobile devices even if they don’t have a Vizio TV, will expand the reach of the WatchFree+ free streaming service and make it more valuable to advertisers. 

“Consumers have shown us how much they love WatchFree+, making it the number two most watched, free, ad-supported app on the Vizio platform, and we’re absolutely thrilled to make the service available to everyone in the Vizio mobile app– whether they have a Vizio TV or not,” said Katherine Pond, group vice president of platform content & partnerships at Vizio. “Making great entertainment affordable and accessible to everyone has always been core to our mission, and we are excited to offer even more users access to the amazing content and great experience that WatchFree+ offers.”

Packed with more than 260 free, live entertainment and 40 local channels, including top sports, news, entertainment, and kids content, WatchFree+ users can now access hours of bingeable content wherever they may be.

With the launch, WatchFree+ now allows users to pick up where they left off on their Vizio TV at home directly on their phone, so they never miss a second of their favorite show. Users can continue watching the latest news from CNN Headlines during their morning commute or catch up on their fan-favorite series such as Bachelor Nation or The Walking Dead Universe while they wait to board a plane. WatchFree+ users can also personalize their binging experience by favoriting their top channels and browsing through customized recommendations directly in the app. With 24 categories to choose from, users can easily jump to their favorite with a simple click. 

WatchFree+ is available to everyone in the Vizio app with a free Vizio Account on iOS and Android devices in the United States. To learn more about WatchFree+, and Vizio’s lineup of televisions and soundbars, visit vizio.com.  

Vizio is jumping into the live sports business with a new deal that will make Vizio WatchFree+ will be the exclusive place to watch The Women’s Cup Summer 2024 Tournament games.  

This event marks the first live sporting event hosted exclusively on the WatchFree+ platform in the U.S.  It is also a notable example of streaming platforms have been expanding their live sports and illustrates how smart TV manufacturers like Vizio are expanding their content offerings and ad sales efforts. 

The Women’s Cup, a prestigious women’s professional club soccer tournament, features top international and U.S. women’s soccer teams, showcasing the global talent in women’s soccer. Eight games will be available exclusively on Vizio WatchFree+ on a dedicated pop-up channel (ch. #1301), available from August 7 to August 19. 

This channel will also feature archival games from previous tournaments, game highlights, interviews, and more - enhancing the viewing experience for fans. 

The Women’s Cup will showcase the talents of eight exceptional women’s club soccer teams, representing the United States, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. 

“The Women’s Cup aims to reach new audiences and share the power of women’s soccer,” said John Paul Reynal, CEO of The Women’s Cup. “We are proud to name Vizio the exclusive viewing destination for the tournament in the U.S. so that millions will be able to enjoy the best talent and competition from around the world.” 

"We are thrilled to be the exclusive home of The Women’s Cup in the United States, highlighting our commitment to showcasing excellence in women’s sports," said Katherine Pond, Group Vice President of Platform Content & Partnerships at Vizio. "Bringing live sports to WatchFree+ is one way that we can celebrate the talent and passion of female athletes while making world-class sports entertainment more accessible to everyone." 

For more information about WatchFree+, visit www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus.     

SILVER SPRING, Md.—Curiosity Inc. has announced the launch of its free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel Curiosity Now on Vizio WatchFree+. 

Curiosity offers its flagship streamer Curiosity Stream as well as the linear Curiosity Channels, Curiosity University, and FAST channels that include Curiosity Now, Curiosity Español, Curiosity Science, and more. The company specializes in offering award-winning documentaries and factual programming exploring science, nature, history, technology, lifestyle, and more.

“Launching on Vizio, reaching millions of new viewers through its free streaming service, is a significant milestone for Curiosity’s FAST channel expansion,” said Jay Sodha, Curiosity’s vice president of partnerships and distribution. “Vizio’s commitment to delivering immersive entertainment aligns perfectly with our mission to spark curiosity and engage and entertain viewers with premium factual programming.”

Curiosity Now is on channel #1272 in the History + Documentary section of the WatchFree+ programming guide. The latest WatchFree+ programming is available on Vizio Smart TVs. For more information about WatchFree+, visit www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus. 

NEW YORK—Amagi has announced the successful deployment of Amagi's Zero Slate technology on Vizio's owned and operated WatchFree+ channels. 

The deployment, which Amagi called the first showcase of the solution, is part of Amagi's broader Stream Personalization initiative. The new Zero Slate offering enhances the streaming experience with its patent-pending technology that can dynamically adjust the length of ad breaks on a per-viewer basis, eliminating the need for slates or filler to round out linear ad breaks.

This new "viewer-first" personalized approach to digital streaming has already demonstrated a lift in viewership, according to Amagi, which reported a 20% increase on Vizio's owned and operated channels utilizing the Zero Slate capabilities. 

Data from Amagi Aanalytics indicates that slates, often used to fill the unsold portion of ad pods, may increase viewer churn by as much as 15% in today's Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (FAST) ecosystem. Zero Slate's early success demonstrates that personalizing pod length can boost viewer engagement, enabling more high-quality viewing experiences over time. This capability also represents an important first step for Amagi toward a broader suite of Stream Personalization capabilities that offer even more engaging linear viewing experiences.

"We are pleased to partner with Amagi on this showcase of their Zero Slate technology. This collaboration reinforces Vizio's commitment to enhancing user experiences and delivering personalized content as we expand Zero Slate across more channels," said Katherine Pond, group vice president of platform content and partnerships at Vizio.

"We are grateful to have partnered with an industry leader like Vizio to test the impact of our new Zero Slate capability and are excited about Stream Personalization's ability to further transform the linear viewing experience," said Srinivasan KA, co-founder and chief revenue officer, Amagi.

BENTONVILLE, Ark., and IRVINE, Calif.—In a deal that is likely to have important implications for the streaming, online retail and CTV ad business, Walmart has reached an agreement to acquire Vizio for $11.50 per share in cash, or about $2.3 billion.

Walmart has been a major retailer for Vizio TVs for many years and the acquisition would give it greater control over both the Vizio TVs and Vizio’s large CTV ad business. 

In announcing the deal Walmart stressed that the acquisition of Vizio and its SmartCast Operating System (OS) would accelerate growth of its Walmart Connect ad business through Vizio’s SmartCast Operating System. The Walmart Connect closed-loop omnichannel media advertising business, grew 30 percent for fiscal year 2024. 

Further highlighting the importance of CTV ad opportunities in driving the deal, the companies also noted that advertising revenue from Vizio’s operating system accounted for the majority of Vizio’s growth in the last five years

“There is a lot to be excited about with this acquisition,” said Seth Dallaire, executive vice president and chief revenue officer, Walmart U.S. “We believe Vizio’s customer-centric operating system provides great viewing experiences at attractive price points. We also believe it enables a profitable advertising business that is rapidly scaling. Our media business, Walmart Connect, is helping brands create meaningful connections with the millions of customers who shop with us each week. We believe the combination of these two businesses would be impactful as we redefine the intersection of retail and entertainment.”

The deal will could also strengthen Walmart's competitive position against Amazon and put increased pressure on Roku and other competitors in the smart TV and CTV businesses, ad executives said. 

In recent years, Vizio’s growing device ecosystem and its Smart TV operating system, SmartCast, have amassed over 18 million active accounts growing approximately 400 percent since 2018. The company has used that market presence to grow a major CTV ad business. Vizio’s platform currently has over 500 direct advertiser relationships, including many of the Fortune 500. Vizio’s Platform+ business, which consists largely of its advertising business, now accounts for a majority of the company’s gross profit.

“We believe this is the ideal next chapter in Vizio’s history. By bringing our capabilities and resources together, we’ll drive innovation and create even more value for our customers,” said William Wang, chief executive officer of Vizio. “Walmart’s approach is aligned with Vizio’s mission and vision, and our technology will help bring a scaled, connected TV advertising platform to Walmart Connect. This transaction delivers immediate and compelling value to Vizio stockholders and is a true testament to the hard work of the entire Vizio team.”

Outside reaction also highlighted the opportunities in the ad sector that the deal opens up. 

“By acquiring Vizio, Walmart has access both to the actual TV hardware and to the Vizio operating system,” said Ken Suh, CSO, Nexxen (formerly Tremor). “The operating system…is key because it is in the home and collects the ACR [automatic content recognition] data that tells you what people are watching but also what they do on their TV – for example, it's not just I watch the Super Bowl, it's that I actually play casual games on my TV. This ACR data provides very powerful targeting capabilities which Amazon doesn’t have at Vizio’s scale for Walmart Connect to actually start to compete with some of the other companies out there.”

“All in, it’s a really smart deal because Walmart can essentially give the Vizio TVs away for really low prices to gain the distribution network of data for powering their ACR data,” he added. 

Alex Yip, AppsFlyer director of product, CTV, AppsFlyer described “the acquisition of Vizio by Walmart” as “a game-changer for the retail and streaming sectors.”

“Walmart is not only adding a popular private label TV brand to its portfolio, but also gaining access to a huge amount of first-party consumer data that will enhance its advertising and streaming capabilities,” he said. “The company will be able to leverage Vizio’s SmartCast platform to promote its own products and services, such as Walmart+, as well as sell more targeted ads to third-party advertisers who want to reach Walmart’s customers. Walmart+ has already seen the development of really smart and successful partnerships with Paramount+, Roku, TikTok, NBCUniversal and others, and it will be interesting to see how this potential deal affects those existing relationships.”

“At the end of the day, this is about competing with Amazon,” he said. “Whether Walmart decides to start producing its own streaming content or partnering with other providers will be interesting to see and this reminds me of Apple's foray into the market -- which has ended up with Emmys and Oscars wins for the brand. This deal will help Walmart diversify its revenue sources, increase its customer loyalty, and challenge Amazon’s dominance in the e-commerce and streaming sectors.”

Per Walmart, other key aspects of the transaction include: 

• The transaction is subject to regulatory clearance and other closing conditions specified in the merger agreement.
• Vizio’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved the transaction.
• Vizio stockholders (including Mr. Wang and his affiliates) holding approximately 89% of the voting power of Vizio’s outstanding common shares have approved the transaction. No other stockholder approval is required to complete the transaction.
• Vizio has the right to terminate the transaction within a 45-day period if, subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement, Vizio receives and accepts a “Superior Offer” as defined in the merger agreement.
• Upon completion of the transaction, Vizio’s Class A common stock will no longer be publicly listed.
• Due to certain transaction-related costs associated with the acquisition, including for talent retention and technology integration, Walmart expects the transaction to be slightly dilutive to EPS in the near term.
• To finance the acquisition, Walmart plans to use cash and/or debt. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition.
• IRR for this transaction is expected to be ahead of Walmart’s reported ROI.
• Following the completion of the transaction, Vizio’s business will be reported as part of the Walmart U.S. segment.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has streamed past some notable user milestones, with new data showing that it has more than 80 million active accounts and viewer engagement on Roku is also at a record high. For the first time, more than 100 billion hours were streamed on the platform in 2023, averaging a record of 4.1 hours per day per account in Q4. 

Additionally, in the U.S., Roku’s active account base is now bigger than the subscribers of the six largest traditional pay-TV providers combined, the company reported. 

In addition, Roku is the leading TV streaming platform in the U.S. and Mexico by hours streamed and is the #1 selling TV operating system in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in Q4, the company also reported. 

The news comes at a time when Roku’s stock has been hurt by a Wall Street Journal report that Walmark is thinking of buying TV maker Vizio and fears that a Walmark deal might lead it to provide preferential treatment to Vizio’s devices over Roku’s. 

“As the leading TV streaming platform, Roku aims to make television better for everyone,” said Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO, Roku. “In a world where one day all TV will be streamed, we’re immensely proud to be the programmer of the home screen for more than 80 million active accounts around the globe, connecting people directly to what they love to watch.”

In 2023, Roku launched its own line of TVs and expanded the Roku TV licensing program to include more than 30 partners, furthering the reach of the Roku Operating System (OS), Roku reported. 

Also in 2023, in select markets, user experience updates, new features, and content discovery tools like the Sports Experience, What to Watch, All Things Food, and All Things Home were added to the platform. These enhancements, plus a more informative and engaging Roku search, have led to increased time spent on the platform and an easier, more enjoyable experience for the Roku user, the company said. 

Inscape, a major provider of currency-grade smart TV data from millions of Vizio TVs, has announced they are expanding measurement coverage of local stations by tapping directly into tuners built into Smart TVs.

The new solution will significantly increase Inscape’s coverage to thousands of local stations and offer local TV stations a big data source for over-the-air viewing spanning all stations and markets., the company said.

The launch comes at a time when cord cutting has made the measurement of over-the-air signals more important than ever. Currently about 18% of TV households report having a digital antenna and watching TV over the air., Inscape reported.

Both Comscore and Videoamp are adding the data to their measurement solutions.

“For Comscore, having multiple sources of data capture is a key component of our TV measurement approach, which spans across all 210 local markets. Incorporating Smart TV Tuner Data from Inscape gives Comscore additional views into local station viewing behaviors, enabling us to better serve our clients with the most precise measurement,” said David Algranati, chief innovation officer, Comscore.

“By unlocking the potential of local TV in this game-changing way and bringing the full power of big data to OTA signals, clients and the industry as a whole will now have a critical entrypoint to previously unfeasible attribution of local TV content,” said Charbel Makhoul, vice president of product management, data science and analytics at Vizio/Inscape.

“We’re excited that Inscape is bringing the scale and representativeness from its 22+ million opt-in Smart TV homes to local,” said Josh Chasin, former chief measurability officer, VideoAmp. “In doing so, the entire local marketplace will now have access to the highest fidelity data in order to capitalize on the growth potential that CTV brings to the space. Local TV, and especially over the air (OTA) digital broadcast, is one of the most robust spaces in the video ecosystem. We’re thrilled that Inscape is proactively supporting the measurement of this vital piece of the video pie.”

The company said that Inscape’s Tuner Data will help address the longstanding challenge of measuring viewers and developing accurate audience insights regarding the viewing of local Over-the-Air (OTA) TV signals. The Tuner Data will help overcome this blindspot by creating an industry-wide solution for local TV markets regardless of size, the company said.

More specifically, the new solution builds on Inscape’s ACR technology that is always running to identify content and commercials on the TV screen. The new Tuner Data will layer on additional data points collected directly from built-in televisions tuners to supplement exposure signals for smaller markets. This also marks a major step forward in accurately capturing the audiences of smaller subnets, Inscape said,

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has announced new deals with BBC Studios, Magnolia Pictures and Paramount Global Content Distribution that dramatically expand the free content on its Vizio WatchFree offering. 

These recent agreements are part of an aggressive free premium content expansion during 2023 for the Vizio service, which now provides over 275 streaming channels and 15,000+ on-demand movies and shows. The expansion more than doubles the number of titles offered just a year ago. 

“Over the past year, we have remained steadfastly committed to enhancing and elevating the WatchFree+ entertainment experience,” said Katherine Pond, group vice president of platform content & partnerships. “With an expansive library featuring more live channels and movies than ever before, enriched personalization with localization, and data-driven content discovery features, WatchFree+ continues to deliver the ultimate free entertainment destination for millions of Vizio consumers.”

The deal deals add to a lineup of more than 20 studios and media companies supplying content, including A24, AMC Networks, Disney Entertainment, Lionsgate, MarVista Entertainment, NFL Media, Relativity Media, Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sony Pictures.

New programming and features include: 

• More than 400 on-demand episodes showcasing 30 unique BBC shows, and a selection of BBC Studios’ free channels including Antiques Roadshow UK, BBC Food, and Top Gear, with Classic Doctor Who coming soon. 
• Select Paramount Pictures titles available every month until the end of the year, with various movies from the Star Trek franchise including Star Trek:  (The Motion Picture, ), Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection and The Untouchables airing in November. 
• 50 movies and 50 episodes from Magnolia Pictures, including popular titles like Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, Bad Reputation and I Give It a Year. 
• Vizio's Branded Content Studio's latest holiday premiere, Merry & Bright. Hosted by American Idol's Jordin Sparks.
• Newly launched Free Movie Network, Vizio's latest curated channel on WatchFree+. 
• Personalized entertainment with Vizio's new geo-filtering feature that automatically displays live regional news, weather, and sports across 40 local channels from Cox Media Group, FOX, and Gray TV. 

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio (NYSE: VZIO) has expanded its sports entertainment and NFL content lineup with the launch of the NFL app on Vizio Smart TVs. 

The launch will provide football fans with access to the NFL app and NFL+, the League’s direct-to-consumer streaming service. Available across devices in the United States, NFL+ now includes a live stream of NFL Network and NFL RedZone, in addition to access to live out-of-market preseason games, live local and primetime regular season and postseason games (phone and tablet only), live local and national audio for every game, NFL Film’ archives and more, Vizio said. 

This expansion also includes NFL’s integration of Vizio’s subscription management service, Vizio Account, later this year. 

“We’re excited to expand the NFL content offering and make our sports experience for Vizio users even better,” said Katherine Pond, group vice president of platform content and partnerships of Vizio. “With the launch of the NFL app, the renewal of the NFL Channel and an expanded on demand NFL programming lineup on WatchFree+, we’re delivering a suite of NFL entertainment for Vizio users.” 

NFL+ is currently available for $6.99/month or $49.99/year, with the ability to upgrade to NFL+ Premium for $14.99/month or $99.99/year.

NFL+ Premium offers all of the features on NFL+, as well as full and condensed game replays, the All-22 Coaches film and NFL RedZone. With NFL+, fans can watch every NFL Network exclusive game this season across all devices, including the two upcoming games in Frankfurt, Germany (Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins on November 5 at 9:30 AM ET and Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots on November 12 at 9:30 AM ET). 

The NFL+ product is available within the NFL app across mobile phones, tablets, and select connected TVs.

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has announced the ESPN App, including ESPN+,  the No. 1 U.S. sports streaming platform, is now available to millions of Vizio users on its Smart TV. 

With the ESPN App and ESPN+, fans can experience over 27,000 live sports events, replays, original shows, and ESPN exclusives from ESPN networks, Vizio reported.

This launch also allows users to subscribe to and access the Disney Bundle Trio, which includes access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. This bundle offers one of the largest streaming collections of entertainment, news, and sports content from top brands and franchises – with over 100,000 movie titles, TV episodes, originals and sports events.

"With our expanded relationship with Disney, Vizio audiences can now enjoy the ESPN app, ESPN+, and the Disney Bundle Trio, offering a wide selection of live sports and entertainment," said Chris Tanquary, senior director of business development at Vizio. “ESPN has helped revolutionize sports storytelling, and we’re excited to bring live sports from the best leagues and biggest tournaments as well as their ground-breaking originals to Vizio’s millions of users." 

The ESPN App is accessible from the apps catalog on the Vizio Home Screen and provides access to ESPN+, the No. 1 U.S. sports streaming platform. Fans can also live stream ESPN’s networks including ESPN2, ESPN3 and more through an affiliated video provider login. 

With the ESPN app, Vizio users can sign up for ESPN+ streaming service for $9.99 per month or save with an annual subscription of $99.99.

The ESPN App is also featured on Vizio’s custom-curated Football Kickoff collection for the 2023 pro and college season. 

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Newly released research is providing more evidence of the importance of free ad-supported streaming services, with a new Inscape study finding that TV viewing of FAST channels grew by 70% year over year. 

Inscape is a provider of ACR data from millions of VIZIO smart TVs. 

Using that data it reported that streaming continues to grab a larger share of TV viewing. Inscape first reported in early 2022, streaming had displaced cable/satellite as the most-viewed TV source by U.S. households. In the quarters since, it has steadily grown its share of viewing time and there are no signs of a slowdown. 

Looking at Q2 over the past three years, streaming has captured 9.7% of viewing share from cable/satellite for the U.S. TV households, Inscape reported.  According to Inscape’s panel that projects out viewing percentages to the U.S., streaming’s share of viewing has increased from 44.1% to 53.8% in Q2 since 2021. Meanwhile, cable/satellite’s share has fallen from 46.9% to 37.1% while gaming and OTA viewing share has remained relatively consistent during this time.

The report found that FAST channels continue to gain popularity among consumers. FAST viewing time increased by 70% from Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2022. 

The Inscape report is available here. 

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has announced that its 2nd Annual Vizio Developer Conference, themed "Innovate: Beyond the Stream,” summit will take place on August 22. 

The summit will showcase the latest innovations around its recently enhanced operating system, VizioGram, the company’s photo and video sharing feature, opportunities with Vizio’s payment and subscription management service, Vizio Account, exciting casual gaming developments and new features available on Vizio Mobile, the company said. 

"At Vizio, we are committed to driving innovation and what is possible with Smart TVs and that means moving beyond video and looking at what’s next with the biggest screen in the home," said Katherine Pond, group vice president, platform content and partnerships at Vizio. "`Innovate: Beyond the Stream,' serves as a forum for connecting with innovative content partners, developers and industry experts who are passionate about pushing the boundaries of streamed content to include gaming, fitness and more. Together, we can shape the future of TV and provide audiences with extraordinary entertainment experiences."

The August 22 in-person event in Irvine Calif. will bring together the industry’s top engineering, content, product and technology professionals, to explore possibilities for the future of connected TVs, Vizio said. 

Attendees of the full-day event will be able to choose from two tracks of breakout sessions in order to gain valuable insights on designing apps for discoverability, integrating monetization options, creating experiences that consumers love and learning best practices for Connected TV (CTV) app development, Vizio said. 

The event will feature a keynote from VIZIO leadership, immersive workshop sessions and discussions led by VIZIO product, engineering, and technical account management teams as well as a roundtable discussion. 

The panel will include respected executives from Accedo, Ottera, Sling and Warner Bros. Discovery, who will share their experiences and explore the transformation taking place in the streaming industry and advancements made in partnership with VIZIO.

The full agenda and registration is available here.  

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio is rolling out a reimagined design of its home screen experience that the smart TV maker said will improve the way consumers discover and stream entertainment. 

“The Vizio Home Screen is the next step in our evolution to bring our consumers the best entertainment experience. Our goal is to make it easy for our consumers to experience our latest innovations as soon as they are available, even on older Vizio Smart TVs” said Kaitlyn Collins, vice president of product marketing at Vizio. “The rollout and availability of the new Vizio Home Screen is another manifestation of the idea that, even after consumers purchase a TV from us, we’ll continue to offer value, support, and innovation to their viewing experience.”

The new home screen offers a number of new built-in features and ways to customize the user experience. Those include:

• Intuitive Design: revamped menus, settings, and navigation features make browsing easier than ever, and a redesigned virtual keyboard and genre pages improve the ease and speed of searching for content.
• Seamless Content Discovery: easily find your next favorite movie or show right from the Home Screen, with built-in recommendations and valuable information like Common Sense Media parental guidance and Rotten Tomatoes scores.
• Customization: personalize the App Row with your favorites, and centralize movies and shows from different apps in one place with My Watchlist.

ATLANTA—The Weather Channel will begin giving Vizio customers access to its 24/7 streaming app, expanding the relationship that the weather news and information source has with the TV set manufacturer.

The Weather Channel streaming app offers customizable local weather information and on-demand original programming. It allows subscribers to customize local weather information, live stream news and view on-demand original programming.

Features include:

• Real-time weather observations as well as hourly, daily and weekly forecasts with pressure, wind speeds and other conditions. 
• User choice of up to five favorite locations for easy access.
• A complete suite of full-screen maps for user control. 
• Live radar, satellite, alerts and more.
• Severe weather alerts and future forecasts for subscribers.

“We are pleased that millions of Vizio users now have access to America's most trusted news source,” said Byron Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of The Weather Channel parent company Allen Media Group. “Through this agreement with Vizio, we are able to expand our reach to include millions of Vizio users who can now access personalized weather tracking and best-in-class weather, news and entertainment content on the Weather Channel streaming app.”   

The Weather Channel is offering a seven-day free trial for a limited time to new app subscribers. Viewers who have access to The Weather Channel via their cable and satellite provider can subscribe by authenticating their accounts using their provider credentials.

More information is available on The Weather Channel website. 

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has launched a Peacock Preview experience, offering episodes of popular titles from NBCUniversal on Vizio’s streaming app, on its WatchFree+ streaming app. 

The preview channel will be available for a three-week period, during which Vizio viewers can enjoy a preview of more than 16 popular Peacock titles and connect directly with the Peacock app to discover even more entertainment available through the premium subscription service. 

With this launch, Vizio also introduces Content Connections, a new interactive feature that offers users a seamless way to move between Vizio’s WatchFree+ environment and popular subscription services. During Peacock Preview viewing, users are presented with messages and the ability to watch additional episodes and entertainment in the Peacock streaming app. 

“As the exclusive home to the Peacock Preview channel, our millions of WatchFree+ viewers have access to a world-class collection of hit shows, originals, and beloved Peacock titles,” said Katherine Pond, group vice president, platform content & partnerships at Vizio. “This industry-leading launch brings together great content and an engaging user experience thanks to Content Connections that make it easier for viewers to discover more of the shows they enjoy most.” 

“Providing opportunities for consumers to discover Peacock’s programming is integral to our continued growth,” added Annie Luo, executive vice president, global partnerships and strategic development, Peacock. “As a brand, we’re always looking for innovative partnerships that can help audiences build a stronger connection to our content, and through Vizio’s Content Connections we can both introduce viewers to our series and give them a way to connect to Peacock with ease.” 

During the three week period, the Peacock Preview experience will be featured on the Vizio Home Screen and accessible on channel 196 of the WatchFree+ programming guide. 

WatchFree+ offers hundreds of free channels and thousands of popular on-demand TV series and movies.

Starting June 14, in the Movies & TV category of the WatchFree+ programming guide, users will have free access to such Peacock programming as: 

• A Friend of the Family
• Bel-Air
• Below Deck Adventure
• Below Deck Down Under 
• Below Deck Mediterranean
• Dr. Death
• The Real Housewives of Atlanta
• The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
• The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip
• The Traitors
• Vanderpump Rules

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio and AMC Networks have inked a deal that will expand AMC’s channels on Vizio smart TV by adding the AMC+ app, nine free streaming channels and over 150 on-demand feature films to Vizio’s free streaming service, WatchFree+.

New AMC Networks’ channels include Portlandia, MSG Sports Zone, AMC en Espanol, Allblk Gems and Overtime along with more than 150 AMC on demand feature films.

The new agreement builds on AMC’s free streaming channels already available on Vizio’s WatchFree+ streaming service, including All Reality WE tv, AMC Thrillers, IFC Films Picks and The Walking Dead Universe.

Vizio users who subscribe to the AMC+ premium subscription service can enjoy popular series titles from AMC’s award-winning library like “Dark Winds”, “Gangs of London”, “Happy Valley” and the recent premiere of “Lucky Hank”. 

“AMC and Vizio have been working together for several years to bring audiences the best in entertainment. The expansion of our partnership is based on user engagement with existing FAST and AVOD AMC programming as well as viewer response to the recent addition of AMC+ to our premium app library,” says Katherine Pond, group vice president, platform content and partnerships at Vizio. “Our expanded agreement means Vizio users can access an even wider range of AMC’s library of critically acclaimed original titles - enjoying more of what they love, all in one place.”

Currently Vizio users can easily subscribe to AMC+ from the Vizio home screen. In the coming months, users will be able to subscribe using their Vizio Account, a feature that allows users to manage subscriptions and redeem special offers in one place.

"This is an exciting expansion of our relationship with Vizio, which will make even more of our acclaimed and popular programming available to Vizio audiences including, for the first time, the addition of nine of our curated FAST channels," said Kim Kelleher, chief commercial officer of AMC Networks. "As we continue to build a new programming universe and franchise around the iconic works of Anne Rice, and bring exciting new stories from the world of The Walking Dead and other new original series to millions of passionate fans, we value our partnership with Vizio to connect our high-quality and popular original programming with viewers as part of our robust and growing distribution ecosystem."

IRVINE, Calif.—In a relatively rare example of a TV set manufacturer partnering on the production of exclusive original content, Vizio has announced the launch of a branded entertainment series, “3 Pointers”, which will begin airing exclusively on Vizio on March 17. 

The show is being produced in partnership with BetMGM, a sports betting and gaming entertainment company. 

The partnership highlights the growing importance of the advertising businesses being developed by set makers like Vizio and their need for fresh original content to drive sponsorship revenue. 

Hosted by Casey Webb ("Man vs. Food"), the four-part limited series celebrates the culture of college basketball’s big month with game day recipes, beverages, and entertainment hacks designed to elevate the viewing experience. 

“`3 Pointers’ captures important criteria as we evaluate what to put in front of our audiences: relevance, timeliness, and premium storytelling,” said Steve DeMain, vice president of branded content and sponsorships at Vizio. “As we continue to evolve the experiences we deliver to our customers, we’re also expanding the opportunities we can provide brands to connect with our audience in unique ways that add value to their journey. It’s a win-win.”

“We collaborated with Vizio on this one-of-a-kind programming from concept to completion with the goal of creating a premium entertainment experience that taps into the excitement of March basketball,” said Matt Prevost, CRO at BetMGM. “`3 Pointers’ is a creative and dynamic series that we hope sports fans will enjoy throughout the month-long celebration of college basketball and beyond.”

“3 Pointers” is available on the Vizio home screen and on demand on WatchFree+. 

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has announced a suite of updates to its TV user interface and mobile app to take on perhaps viewers’ number one gripe about the ever-expanding streaming universe: Discovering and managing content. 

The company has launched Vizio AutoUpdate and redesigned its Vizio Mobile app, which it says will give Vizio customers faster access to their favorite apps, movies, and free streaming options.

The AutoUpdate of 2023 provides shortcuts for select Vizio TV owners with a new Quick Menu, WatchFree+ Mini Guide, and Recent Apps row, while the redesigned Vizio Mobile app for iOS and Android extends the time-saving features to smartphones, with quick access to voice controls, simple content discovery features, one-button access to WatchFree+, and streamlined subscription-management tools through Vizio Account.

Viewers can now simply press the Menu or Gear Icon button on their Vizio remote to get what the company describes as its “cleanest, fastest menu ever.” The button will also allow viewers to adjust picture settings, pair Bluetooth headphones for private listening on compatible models, activate or disable closed captioning subtitles, and access a full menu of in-depth settings in a slick, modern, and intuitive interface.

While watching Vizio WatchFree+, viewers can click left on their Vizio remote which will then bring up the new WatchFree+ Mini Guide on the left-hand side. The Mini Guide allows viewers to scroll through programming on other WatchFree+ channels without interrupting the viewing experience. Vizio WatchFree+ provides access to more than 260 free channels and over free 6,000 movies and shows

A new addition to the “Apps and Inputs” row on the Vizio Smart TV home screen will give viewers faster access to their favorite apps, while the newly redesigned Vizio Mobile app provides an easier way to subscribe to popular streaming services, get special offers, browse favorite apps, and discover movies and shows  in one place.

New features to Vizio Mobile now bring push to talk Voice Control on the app remote screen; one-click access to entertainment discovery features such as promoted premieres, streaming apps, free content, and seasonal programs directly on the mobile remote; the ability to open apps on a viewer’s device to display on the TV screen and create personalized app lists to launch favorites channels. 

Viewers can also now use the mobile app to control their Vizio devices and manage subscriptions.  

Vizio Mobile is available for download free on Google Play and in the App Store.

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has unveiled some significant upgrades to the design and user experience for WatchFree+, Vizio’s free streaming service that comes built into millions of Vizio Smart TVs. 

WatchFree+ has grown to include more than 260 free channels and 6,000 titles on demand, with an ever-expanding library of movies, TV shows, news, sports, music, and programs.

The latest update brings a new look and feel, intuitive Electronic Program Guide (EPG), faster and easier navigation, and personalization features to the free streaming service. 

“We are proud of the growth we have seen across our free streaming service,” said Steve Yum, vice president of software product management at Vizio. “This redesign makes it easier than ever to navigate and explore the continually expanding universe of entertainment on WatchFree+ across live and on demand programming.”

Notable updates to the WatchFree+ user experience include:

• Electronic Program Guide: See a schedule of all WatchFree+ programs in a simple grid format, segmented in half-hour intervals.
• In-Line Content Descriptions: View movie and show descriptions as you move through the WatchFree+ Guide.
• Picture-in-Picture: Continue to watch a show while browsing additional WatchFree+ channels.
• Jump to a Category: Long press the “OK” button while in the EPG guide to get a list of channel genres, making navigation easier.
• Easy Access to On Demand Titles: Quickly and easily launch an on-demand movie or show directly from the program guide.

LOS ANGELES & IRVINE, Calif.—Fox Corporation and Vizio have inked a multi-year expansion of their distribution partnership that will bring the Fox Sports app and add the Fox Weather channel to Vizio WatchFree+. 

The Fox Sports app joins Fox’s Tubi, Fox Nation, and Fox Now on Vizio TVs. 

The Fox Weather channel joins existing Fox ad-supported channels LiveNOW and Fox Soul on Vizio WatchFree+. 

As part of the agreement Vizio Ads will also have access to Fox’s premium inventory for audience-based opportunities with advertisers. 

To celebrate the launch of Fox Sports, the companies said that Vizio’s Home Screen will feature a “sports blitz” creative execution highlighting live College Football and NFL games throughout the weekend of November 12-13. 

The Fox Sports app is the home for streaming live and on-demand sports from Fox, FS1, FS2, and Fox Deportes. 

Every Live Fox Sports game and studio show is available to TV subscribers, making NFL, MLB, NASCAR, College Football, College Basketball, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championships, CONCACAF Soccer, MLS, WWE, USFL, and Liga MX, as well as on-demand highlights of top moments from user-favorite shows and leagues all one click away.

Additionally, viewers now have access to even more FIFA World Cup content, with the launch of Tubi’s exclusive FIFA World Cup Linear FAST channel, the companies said. 

“We are pleased to extend and expand our long-standing relationship with Vizio as we bring Fox Weather and the Fox Sports app to Vizio users and provide them with greater access to our industry-leading portfolio of news, sports and entertainment,” said BJ Elias, executive vice president, distribution advanced services, Fox Corporation.  

“Fox and Vizio have been working together for several years to bring audiences the best in entertainment. We are very pleased that our strategic relationship continues to grow, and our expanded agreement means Vizio users can enjoy a wide range of sports, live events, news and lifestyle programming for years to come,” said Katherine Pond, group vice president of platform content and partnerships at Vizio.

As a result of the deal, Vizio SmartCast users across America can now access Fox Weather on WatchFree+ and Fox Sports app on the Home Screen. Additionally, the Tubi app available on SmartCast now features more than 45,000 movies and TV shows including a growing library of Tubi originals. 

Vizio Smart TVs also include support for Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in, allowing viewers to stream, control, and share content from their phone, tablet, or laptop directly onto the big screen. 

NEW YORK and IRVINE, Calif.—Hearst Television announced today that its free streaming service, Very Local, is now available on Vizio smart TVs.

Very Local provides round-the-clock local news in Hearst Television markets nationwide. Viewers can also stream Very Local original series that encompass food, travel, adventure, dating and true crime—all with an emphasis on stories from viewers' hometowns, and content relatable to communities everywhere.

"The addition of the Vizio platform marks a major step in the growth of our distribution for Very Local's programming," said Andrew Fitzgerald, Senior Vice President, Streaming Video Services, at Hearst Television. "We want to reach consumers with quality local content wherever they are and on their own timetable, and working with Vizio helps us substantially in that objective. We're confident Very Local will prove an excellent complement to Vizio's outstanding lineup of movies, TV shows, sports, kids and family content, news, lifestyle programming, gaming and more."

"We aim to give our audiences content that not only excites, but is relatable, too," said Chris Tanquary, Senior Director of Business Development at Vizio. "Very Local's addition to Vizio is sure to give our users the news, weather and shows that matter to them most, no matter where they are in the U.S."

Hearst’s Very Local App is available for free on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku or Vizio. 

IRVINE, Calif.—In a sign of a strong connected TV ad market, Vizio has announced that it concluded its upfront season with more than $200 million in direct advertising commitments from agency holding companies, brands and studios. 

The figure marks a 100% year-over-year increase, Vizio said and comes on the heels of a 71% year over year increase in ad revenue in Q2, 2022. 

Vizio attributed the steady growth in advertising revenue for Vizio Ads to a variety of factors that included the migration of audiences from linear TV to streaming along as well as better targeting and measurement. 

Other contributing factors include the expanded library of programming on Vizio’s free ad-supported streaming service, WatchFree+, as well as buyer demand for data-informed advertising and home screen engagement offerings that deliver unique audiences and experiences, Vizio said. 

“Our focus is always on how we benefit customers, starting with the millions of people that turn our TVs on every day all the way through to the advertising community in search of unique audiences and better experiences,” said Mike O’Donnell, chief revenue/ strategic growth officer for Vizio. “The growth in our upfront commitments are a reflection of the important role connected TVs have in the home and in the marketplace at large.”

Vizio reported that its advertising business grew 71% in Q2 2022, compared to the same period last year, during which time it added 243 net new advertisers as the company deepened relationships across the agency landscape.

“Right now advertisers have a renewed focus on optimization and outcomes, and Vizio’s integrated hardware and software model uniquely positions us to help them prove the impact of campaigns,” said Adam Bergman, group vice president of advertising & data sales at Vizio. “Advertisers trust us to help them reach receptive audiences, verify that ads actually hit the screen across devices, and identify the actions viewers took from experiencing the creative.”

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has added four additional free channels from The E.W. Scripps Company to Vizio’s free streaming service, WatchFree+.

The new channels are ION, ION Mystery, Bounce XL and Grit Xtra.

The newly added channels further expand the distribution of Scripps content across Vizio's platform beyond existing free channels such as Newsy and ION Plus and premium streaming apps – Newsy, Court TV and Brown Sugar.

“We are pleased to be working with Scripps to expand their content offering on Vizio, helping us deliver on our commitment to provide endless entertainment options and enhanced consumer experiences,” Katherine Pond, group vice president, platform content and partnerships at Vizio.

Thanks to these popular Scripps channels with some all-time consumer favorite shows, we can offer an ever-wider variety of free programming across genres and interests and bring more options to millions of WatchFree+ viewers.” 

“Our growing relationship with Vizio is part of the rapid expansion of our networks into connected TV and free streaming platforms,” said Jeffrey Wolf, chief distribution officer, Scripps Networks division. “Working with Vizio, we are able to reach more consumers and broaden the audience for our very popular brands and wide array of programming that entertains, informs and engages millions of consumers.”

IRVINE, Calif.–Vizio has launched “Vizio Account,” a payment and subscription management app that allows millions of Vizio Smart TV users a central hub to subscribe to streaming services and take advantage of special offers.

Vizio SmartCast TV owners can enter profile and payment information into a secure platform to create a Vizio account. Features include:

• A single place to subscribe, track payments, and manage streaming services integrated with Vizio Account
• Easy account maintenance for all Vizio TVs connected to Vizio account
• Convenient account management through the Vizio Mobile App
• Automatic TV registration
• Easier tech support check-in with TV registration
• Access to special sales and offers
• Email notifications for new features and products

“The launch of Vizio Account lays an important foundation for streamlining payment and subscriptions on our platform,” said Mike O’Donnell, Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer at Vizio. “Vizio Account will provide consumers with more choice and greater control over their entertainment investments while giving our partners a dynamic marketplace for delivering offers.”

Vizio Account is available on the vast majority of Vizio SmartCast TVs.

 IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has announced that TikTok TV is now available on its smart TVs. 

TikTok has been making a concerted effort to expand its presence on the big screen. Last year it launched TikTok TV on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Google TV, Samsung and LG. 

As part of the launch, Vizio said it will highlight TikTok TV content on the Vizio Home Page in a dedicated carousel showcasing popular trending genres so users can more easily discover their next favorite TikTok videos.

“TikTok is a cultural phenomenon redefining the meaning of entertainment, music, and video alike. Extending this unique app off the mobile phone and onto the biggest screen in the home is an important evolution of the Vizio TV experience,” said Katherine Pond, vice president of business development at Vizio. “The addition of the TikTok TV app invites families and friends to gather around the TV and immerse themselves in the latest viral videos, content from favorite creators, and discover new short-form videos in multiple categories.”

The TikTok TV app was launched last fall in North America and is specifically created for a TV home-viewing experience, allowing audiences to view the most popular videos across a huge range of categories, from gaming and comedy to food and animals. 

In addition, Vizio users with a TikTok account can link their accounts to enjoy content from their 'For You' and 'Following' feeds on the big screen.

NEW YORK—Nielsen and VIZIO have announced a multi-year agreement that provides Nielsen with viewership data from VIZIO’s Inscape Smart TV data. 

The deal, which expands Nielsen’s rights to use VIZIO’'s Inscape ACR data from approximately 20 million VIZIO TVs, includes a period of exclusivity for data gathered on an expanded roster of 400 local stations that will be processed around the clock by Inscape's systems.

Nielsen, which licensed Inscape for national addressable measurement starting in 2021, now has the rights from VIZIO to integrate Inscape data in both its local and national audience measurement solutions, the companies said. 

Through this agreement, Nielsen can now add big data from a pool of approximately 20 million Smart TVs, a key enhancement that includes incremental coverage for 400 stations across local U.S. markets that currently include Local People Meter, Set Meter and Portable People Meter panels.

"At Nielsen, we have a commitment to the industry to continue to innovate and improve for the future. This agreement with one of the premier Smart TV manufacturers, for both national and local measurement, further validates our commitment," said Peter Bradbury, chief commercial officer, Nielsen. "Having millions of devices covered by ACR is incredible for our audience measurement, and when these big data sets are verified and enhanced by real human behavior, which only Nielsen can do, this represents the future of media measurement."

"As viewing trends shift and audiences fragment across different services, Inscape has been at the forefront of powering products that are better for the consumer experience and bringing greater transparency and scale to the measurement sector," said Mike O'Donnell, chief revenue and engagement officer at VIZIO. "We're excited to work with Nielsen and for the inclusion of our opted-in viewing data in Nielsen's services as we continue to help the entire TV marketplace evolve."

VIZIO's Inscape data captures viewing data from millions of connected TV devices (including cable box, set top box , DVR, etc.) and streaming environments. 

Nielsen's panels will be used to validate what is missing in big data sets, including complete representation, over-the-air inclusion, validation of diverse representation, understanding  when the TV is on or off, and persons-level measurement. 

Nielsen will be launching big data into its national TV measurement beginning in September, a major step towards the launch of Nielsen ONE, the forthcoming single, deduplicated solution for cross-media measurement.

IRVINE, Calif.—VIZIO has announced a slate of new content available through its VIZIO Features offering, including a series of custom-curated channels on the rapidly growing WatchFree+ streaming service.

The move is part of an aggressive effort by the smart TV maker to ramp advertising revenues from its connected TVs and devices with VIZIO Features, an exclusive content offering on the VIZIO SmartCast operating system for smart TVs and connected devices. 

As part of that effort, it uses VIZIO’s viewership data and home screen targeting capabilities to deliver personalized content experiences to audiences via free ad-supported channels, movies, and shows, the company said. 

The effort, VIZIO said, is driving higher CPMs and offers advertisers unique ways to reach viewers, including in-program video ads, banner ads and branded channel sponsorship opportunities. Major brands like Microsoft, Grey Goose, Freshworks, and Cracker Barrel have already worked with VIZIO Ads. 

“Features is a good business model for VIZIO because it solves problems for viewers, advertisers and content partners alike,” said Steve DeMain, vice president of engagement at VIZIO. “Our Features programming strategy delivers more of what our viewers love across multiple genres. And by developing these passionate audiences, we are not only building great sponsorship opportunities for brands, but we are also helping our content partners generate new revenue with VIZIO.”

The VIZIO Features channels now include the home and food channel Fork & Flight;​ the gaming and anime channel Gamernation; true crime channel Investigation; the sci-fi movie and TV channel Mission; the horror moving and TV channel Fear; and the upcoming Polaris channel, which is being launched by cultural journalists, personalities, and music historians, to share stories created by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

In the coming months, VIZIO said it will further expand its VIZIO Features offering with new channels focused on home & DIY, holidays, live concerts, naturescape programming, and other areas. 

MENLO PARK, Calif.—Future Today and Vizio have launched streaming channels CoComelon and iFood.tv for Vizio’s SmartCast TVs, the companies announced today.

The new offerings bring to 13 the number of ad-supported video on-demand (AVOD) streaming apps and four Free Ad-Supported Linear TV (FAST) channels on Vizio’s SmartCast TVs.

“Future Today is a fantastic partner and we’re very excited to add two more new apps featuring fan-favorite shows,” said Katherine Pond, Vizio vice president of business development. “We deliver right-out-of-the-box entertainment options for every SmartCast TV household. Expanding our free-of-charge channels on a family-safe platform, reflects our continuing commitment to provide endless entertainment options for the millions of households that count on our curation for best-in-class viewing.”

CoComelon is a children’s channel that has surpassed 100 million subscribers on YouTube and has received nearly 100 billion views. CoComelon content teaches children how to handle daily activities and offers role models for positive behavior.

iFood.tv offers a collection of more than 50,000 cooking shows and video recipes. Each recipe is tried, reviewed and organized by Future Today’s editorial team and community members. 

Future Today offers a Channels-as-a-Service technology stack to help content owners, video distributors and advertisers deliver OTT experiences to viewers, drive viewership, engage audiences and increase ad revenue. More than 100 million U.S. households stream family-friendly content from Future Today.

More information is available on the Vizio and Future Today websites. 

NEW YORK & IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio and Verizon Media are putting their heads together in an effort to push forward advanced TV advertising, announcing a strategic partnership that will aim to deliver new cross-platform and connected TV (CTV) advertising solutions, anchored in unique TV viewership data and premium programmatic inventory access.

Verizon Media now has demand-side platform (DSP) access to Vizio’s Inscape viewership data from more than 18 million opted-in Vizio Smart TVs. This will help enable expanded CTV targeting, optimization and measurement opportunities for Verizon Media’s DSP advertisers, independent of cookies.

Vizio remains the exclusive seller of its guaranteed inventory and data licensing, but this partnership makes Verizon Media its preferred supply-side platform (SSP) for programmatic ad monetization.

The deal is also designed to boost Vizio’s cross platform ad retargeting product, Household Connect. Vizio, through Verizon’s unified ad platform, will now be able to offer audience extension campaigns to its advertisers with Verizon’s omnichannel marketplace and diverse cross-device Identity Graph, matched with near real-time Inscape ACR data. This will allow advertisers to extend the reach and frequency of their Vizio CTV campaigns while also reinforcing brand messaging in an omnichannel manner, according to the official announcement.

“VIZIO has built a CTV advertising ecosystem centered around premium partnerships and our direct-to-device offering,” said Mike O’Donnell, chief revenue officer, Platform+ at VIZIO. “Our relationship with Verizon Media will enable us to expand our reach, bridge the gap between TV and mobile, and create more impactful and actionable premium advertising experiences across platforms.”

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio Ads is adding a new skill to its toolbelt, announcing the launch of Universal Frequency Control, which enables brands to set limits on how often a Vizio TV within a household is exposed to a specific ad creative when placing an ad through its platform.

Universal Frequency Control measures the number of times an ad is exposed at the glass-level for each TV in a household across linear, CTV, VOD and OTT. This allows brands to limit how much a brand appears on a device by day, week or month.

This new frequency control capability is powered using data from Inscape, Vizio’s ACR data business.

"With this new frequency control offering, brands can use deterministic information to control linear and CTV advertising experiences at the device level," says Travis Hockersmith, vice president, Platform Business at VIZIO. "This solves a major problem marketers face when diversifying and managing their reach to TV audiences. Most importantly it will make a much better experience for viewers at home, which is our primary focus."

For more information, visit www.vizioads.com.  

CUPERTINO, Calif.—Apple is expanding the presence of its Apple TV app, announcing that it will become available on LG, Sony and Vizio smart TV “later this year.”

The Apple TV app gives consumers access to more than 30 Apple TV channels, including the Apple TV+ streaming service and its shows like “The Morning Show,” “Dickinson” and “See.” In addition, consumers can buy and rent TV shows and movies through the app, including ones in 4K HDR.

Previously, the app had been available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac and iPod Touch devices, as well as Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices. Samsung was the first manufacturer to integrate the Apple TV app onto its smart TVs.

LG has already announced that its 2020 LG OLED and LG NanoCell TVs will feature the Apple TV app. For those with 2018 and 2019 LG TV models, they will be able to access the Apple TV app through a webOS smart TV update.

No official date has been announced for when the Apple TV app will be available on any of these TV models.

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has rolled out the 2019 models of its 4K TVs, which feature a range of new and upgraded technology features.

Vizio now offers 10 TV models that feature wide-color-gamut quantum-dot displays; they previously only offered one. This quantum-dot technology will appear in the company’s M Series Quantum, P Series Quantum and P Series Quantum X series and will deliver up to 84% of the Rec. 2020 color-gamut standard.

Other new features for Vizio’s 4K TVs include a boost of peak brightness up to 3,000 nits in a pair of models; an increase in the number of full-array LED back-lit local-dimming zones to 480; and the incorporation of the new SmartCast 3.0 OS, which will make Vizio’s smart TVs compatible with the Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and—following a summer firmware upgrade—Apple Siri voice assistants.

Read the full story on TVT’s sister publication, TWICE.

NEW YORK—The development of a new, open standard for addressable advertising on connected TVs will be a group effort, as a number of America’s top media and technology companies and smart TV company Vizio are forming a consortium called Project OAR, which stands for Open Addressable Ready.

Joining Vizio as part of Project OAR are Disney’s Media Networks, Turner, Xandr, Comcast’s FreeWheel and NBC Universal, CBS, Discovery, Hearst Television, AMC Networks and Inscape. The goal will be to define technical standards for TV programmers and platforms to deliver more relevant advertising experiences within linear and on-demand formats on smart TVs.

“We all recognize the most important goal of this initiative is to drastically enhance the TV experience for people at home,” said William Wang, Vizio founder and CEO.

Inscape will be the ones developing the technology, with input from the other companies. The standard is expected to implement a technologically sound, dynamic ad-delivery system that utilized industry best practices. “The standard will define the baseline for ad delivery, impression verification and privacy compliance, but networks will have plenty of room to create unique and enriched advertising experiences,” said Jodie McAfee, senior vice president at Inscape. “We are making this flexible enough to enable interactivity and other bells and whistles that have yet to be imagined.”

Vizion has made the pledge that once the consortium has developed the standard it can be deployed on its opt-in footprint of connected TVs. The goal though, is for the protocol to be open and designed to enable any internet-connected TV maker and connected-device company to use.

Project OAR is hoping to have a working product by spring 2019, with full deployment targeted for early 2020.

Vizio has begun shipping what it’s hailing as its brightest TV yet, the 2018 flagship P-series Quantum TV.

First previewed earlier this year, the 65-inch 4K smart TV boasts Dolby Vision HDR, active full-array backlighting with 192 zones of local dimming, 700 nits of full-screen brightness, 2,000 nits of peak brightness, and Quantum Color Spectrum technology said to provide a palette of over 1 billion colors. Other details include 240Hz refresh rate and Clear Action 960 technology reducing motion blur.

[Read: Vizio Embraces ATSC 1.0 Tuners & HDR In New 4K TVs]

Vizio’s built-in SmartCast OS enables consumers to access popular streaming apps, control their TVs via voice using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, or control the TV using a mobile device. SmartCast also comes with built-in Google Chromecast.

The bezel-free TV is now available for a $2,099 suggested retail at such retailers as Best Buy, Costco and Sam’s Club.

Vizio is bringing ATSC broadcast tuners back to its entire 4K TV lineup.

The company is launching four new 4K smart-TV lines that feature more high dynamic range (HDR) formats, higher peak brightness levels in all but the entry-level series, more backlit local-dimming zones in select models to improve black levels, and its first quantum-dot TV in two years.

The new TVs are also the company’s first TVs that can be voice-controlled through smart speakers and mobile phones via Amazon Alexa. Like last year’s models, the new models can also be voice-controlled through speakers and phones via Google Assistant.

The flagship TV is the $2,199-suggested P-series Quantum, a 65-inch model with quantum-dot display, 192 local dimming zones, 2,000 nits of peak brightness, black levels said to be “comparable” with OLED displays, and wide color gamut reaching 98 percent of the DCI P3 digital-cinema standard, or 80 percent of the Rec. 2020 standard. It’s Vizio’s first quantum-dot TV in two years after phasing out a 65-inch Reference-series TV.

As quantum-dot film comes down in price, Vizio “will see how far we can spread it” in its lineup, but the company has no current plans to do so, said John Hwang, senior director of product management.

The quantum-dot TV is among 19 smart 4K TVs that Vizio is unveiling in the D, E, M and P series of 4K smart TVs. The entry-level D series also includes some HD and FHD smart and non-smart models. Like before, all models feature full-array backlighting instead of edge-lit LED lighting for better light uniformity and contrast, Vizio said.

All 2018 smart TVs run on Vizio’s SmartCast OS, which incorporates onscreen apps and Chromecast built-in, which enables the TV to stream any one of thousands of Chromecast-enabled apps running on a mobile device.

ATSC REVISITED

All TV models feature ATSC 1.0 tuners, which in the 2017 lines were available only in the entry-level D series. Vizio brought back free over-the-air ATSC tuning in force because the company recognized that although “a large percentage” of consumers don’t watch over-the-air TV, people who have cut the cord with traditional pay-TV services see value in free ATSC broadcasts, Hwang said.

[Read: Vizio Makes ATSC Tuner-Free 4KTVs]

Because linear TV is “still a strong use case,” Hwang added, Vizio is bringing YouTube TV’s vMVPD service to its selection of embedded smart-TV apps in the spring as well as its own over-the-top (OTT) free-TV service, which it is developing with Pluto TV to let viewers stream more than 100 free Internet channels.

The as-yet unnamed service, which will include some Vizio-exclusive channels, will give users access to OTT linear-TV channels through the TVs’ onscreen GUI as well as by using the channel up/down buttons of the TV’s remote. The service will feel like a traditional pay-TV service without the set-top box or subscription fee, the company said. Channels will offer news, sports, movies, talk shows, concerts and the like.

Pluto TV’s own OTT linear-TV service is available on 2017 and 2018 Vizio smart TVs, but Vizio promises its free linear-TV service will offer content not available through the Pluto service.

HDR, peak brightness: In its 2018 lineup, Vizio is also stepping up picture performance, in part by adding more HDR options. Hybrid Log Gamma appears for the first time in Vizio TVs and will be available on all 4K models, while Dolby Vision, previously available only in the M and P series, migrates down to the “step-up entry-level” E series. Like before, the HDR 10 format appears in all 4K models.

To goose up the peak brightness levels of specular highlights on a sustained basis, Vizio expanded its user-selectable Extreme Black Engine feature down into the E series and upgraded its performance to reduce blooming, said Hwang. The feature is tied to the TVs’ multiple backlit local-dimming zones.

A longer version of this article is available on TWICE.

For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.

IRVINE, CALIF.—Amazon Video content is now available at Vizio users’ fingertips with the announcement that Vizio has added the streaming service to its new SmartCast TV platform. This new service will be available in all Vizio SmartCast P-Series and M-Series UHD displays, which are now available, and will be added to other models like the Vizio SmartCast E-Series UHD display later this summer.

Vizio users can access content directly from their displays through the V-button on the new 2017 remote. This one-button access provides access to the Vizion SmartCast TV user interface, as well as shortcut keys to other apps.

Amazon Video allows consumers to buy or rent content, as well as the subscription service Amazon Prime Video to have watch Amazon Original series and movies.

In addition to Amazon Video, the Vizio SmartCast TV provides access to Crackle, Hulu, iHeartRadio, Netflix, Pluto TV, Vudu and XUMO apps.

IRVINE, CALIF.—The Vizio SmartCast app has added a new tool to its make-up, the Xumo live and video-on-demand OTT system. The Xumo system joins other apps as part of the SmartCast experience, including Vudu, Crackle, Hulu, Pluto TV, iHeartRadio, FandangoNOW and Google Play Movies & TV.

With Xumo, SmartCast users have access to more than 70 OTT channels, including Time Inc.’s People/Entertainment Weekly Network, Sports Illustrated, Refinery29, Funny or Die, and Outside TV Shorts. Consumers can browse the Xumo content alongside content catalogs from other apps available on SmartCast.

The Vizio SmartCast app is available on mobile and tablet devices, and smart TVs.

IRVINE, CALIF.— Vizio is rolling out a new line of smart 4KTVs that aren’t. The Southern California set maker announced a new line of television sets with the works—Ultra HD resolution, high dynamic range, integrated Google Cast streaming technology and a 6-inch, 1080p Android tablet remote… but no ATSC over-the-air tuners. Without tuners, Vizio’s new line legally can’t be referred to as “TVs.”

“They are obviously trying to get around that problem by including no tuner at all, as opposed to including a tuner that picks up only some channels,” said one veteran media attorney based in Washington, D.C. “However, you then need to market the device as a ‘monitor’ or a ‘display.’ Calling it a ‘TV’ leads to an issue with consumer confusion. Some manufacturers produced similar sets during the DTV transition when tuners were expensive, but they flopped with consumers.”

The 1962 All Channel Receiver Act “authorized the commission to require that all television receivers shipped in interstate commerce, or imported into the United States, for sale or resale to the public be capable of receiving all channels allocated to television broadcasting.” The Federal Communications Commission further amended its TV reception rules for the digital transition, requiring all new TV receivers shipped into and within the United States to have ATSC tuners as of May 1, 2007.

In fact, Vizio itself does not refer directly to its new TVs as “TVs” or “televisions.” The terms appear only in the boilerplate of Vizio’s press release announcing its new “Vizio SmartCast P-Series Ultra HD HDR Home Theater Display collection.” However, the P-Series falls under the category of “TV Series” on the Vizio website.

News sites that picked up the press release connected the dots. “Vizio’s newest 4K UHD HDR P-series TVs with Google Cast baked right into them,” the headline at 4K News said.
“Why Did Vizio Remove ATSC Tuners From P-Series 4K TVs?” TV Technology sister publication TWICE said.
From The Verge: “Vizio’s new P-Series reinvents the ‘smart’ TV with Google Cast — and nothing else.”
And TechHive: “Cord cutters should hope Vizio’s new smart TVs don’t spark a trend.”

“Vizio is also boasting that its SmartCast 4KTVs will be ‘tuner-free,” Jared Newman wrote for TechHive. He reported that a Vizio spokesman told him that since a minority of U.S. households rely exclusively on over-the-air TV—roughly 10 percent—that Vizio decided to leave out the tuners and simplify the set-up process.

Reliance on over-the-air TV reception could be changing, however. A Canadian market researcher recently said 1.13 million U.S. households dropped pay TV in 2015, up four times the 2014 cord-cutting rate, according to Multichannel News.

When asked directly why it was leaving tuners out of the P-Series and possibly other lines, Vizio provided TV Technology with the same statement it gave to TechHive:

“Research shows that less than 10 percent of TV viewers receive over-the-air broadcast programs. As we continually evaluate and focus on designing products that deliver a beautifully simple experience, we felt that removing the tuner would simplify the overall setup and user experience for the vast majority of customers. P-Series users can play content from nearly all content sources, like most cable/satellite set-top boxes, game consoles, Blu-ray players and more. If consumers use an external ‘rabbit ear’ antenna to watch local over-the-air broadcast TV signals, a TV tuner can be purchased separately,” it said.

Additionally, a Vizio spokesperson said the company continued to make “TVs.”

“Vizio released the D-Series TVs earlier this year that do include over-the-air ATSC tuners. Those models range in size from 24 to 70 inches, from prices between $149.99 and $1299.99.”

Vizio is well known among TV manufacturers for making low-cost sets, but there was no mention of saving money by omitting ATSC receiver chips. The Vizio spokesman said the company does not share component costs. Television display expert Pete Putman said it would save Vizio roughly $10 per set to leave out the tuners, or about 1 percent on the low-end P-Series 50-inch display, MSRP listed at $999.99. A 55-inch goes for $1,299.99; 65-inch for $1,999.99; and a 75-inch P-Series Ultra HD HDR display is MSRP’d at $3,799.99.

The FCC has been known to fine manufacturers for selling TV sets without tuners. Between May of 2007 and July of 2012, a total of 17 DTV tuner enforcement actions were taken, according to FCC records.

The commission fined Regent USA $63,650 in 2007 for non-compliant receivers. Tempe, Ariz.-based Syntax-Brillian Corp. was fined $1,277,100 in 2008 for importing tuner-free TVs. The most recent action was against Hanspree, a U.S. subsidiary for Taipai-based HannStar Display Corp. Hanspree was fined $11,800 in 2012 for DTV tuner requirement violations.

The FCC’s DTV tuner mandate also requires that receivers have the capability to fix on virtual as well as actual channels, which came into question last fall when viewers looking for WJLP-TV of Middletown Township, N.J. on Ch. 33 consistently ended up looking at WCBS-TV out of New York. CBS asked the FCC to look into the issue. (See “CBS Alerts FCC to TV Tuning Failure.”)

According to an FCC spokesman, the commission can initiate its own action regarding tuner enforcement, or an affected party can file a complaint.

Also see…
Oct. 9, 2014
“4KTVs: A Conversation with Vizio’s Carlos Angulo”
Vizio's latest connected platform is equipped with support for the HEVC H.265 codec and 802.11ac dual-band WiFi for a better streaming experience that is up to three times faster. 

October 7, 2015
“Vizio Launches $130,000 HDR 4KTV Set”
Vizio and Dolby Laboratories have announced the pricing and availability of the new Vizio Reference Series HDTVs, with a 120-inch version going for a starting price of $129,999.99; the 65-inch model starts at $5,999.99.

July 3, 2012
“Vizio Launches First 21:9 HDTV in U.S.”
Vizio has announced the availability of its XVT Series Cinemawide LED Smart TV with Theater 3D, the first 21:9 ultra-widescreen TV available in the United States.

Sept. 1, 2010
“Vizio to Introduce 9-inch Mobile DTV Receiver in January”
The device would be Vizio’s first ATSC-M/H compliant receiver. LG, Samsung and Dell have the only Mobile DTV receivers currently in use.