BENTONVILLE, Ark. and NEW YORK—In a major bet on the rapidly growing CTV ad business that could have a long-term impact on local broadcasters, Walmart has announced plans to acquire Vibe.co, a self-serve, connected TV (CTV) advertising platform designed to simplify advertising for small and mid-sized businesses (SMB) and mid-market brands.

Financial terms were not disclosed but the Wall Street Journal reported that Walmart is paying $1.4 billion.

The acquisition is part of Walmart’s ongoing strategy of building more accessible, full-funnel advertising solutions through Walmart Connect, its commerce media business.

Those efforts make it a growing competitor for local broadcasters targeting the same small and mid-sized businesses.

By combining Vibe.co’s self-serve CTV platform with Walmart’s commerce audiences, closed-loop measurement and growing media ecosystem, including the streaming platform Vizio, Walmart Connect hopes to work with more advertisers to launch CTV campaigns and better measure their business impact.

“Walmart Connect is focused on making commerce media more accessible, more measurable and easier to activate for advertisers of all sizes,” said Ryan Mayward, GM and senior vice president, Walmart Connect U.S. “Vibe.co has created a purpose-built platform that simplifies streaming TV advertising, and together, we can help more businesses connect with customers across streaming environments while measuring the impact of those campaigns through Walmart’s commerce capabilities.”

Vibe.co’s platform offers self-serve campaign activation, direct supply partner integrations, proprietary advertising technology and performance-driven optimization that helps advertisers access premium connected TV inventory more efficiently.

The combination is expected to support broader adoption of the CTV ad media among advertisers across Walmart Connect, and the broader connected TV ecosystem, particularly among SMB and mid-market advertisers, including Walmart’s third-party marketplace sellers. The platform can deliver easier campaign activation, greater transparency and stronger measurement between media investment and commerce outcomes.

“Vibe.co was built as the self-serve platform for performance and ecommerce marketers to run streaming TV the way they run paid social: measurable, fast to launch, and optimized for better outcomes,” said Arthur Querou, Co-Founder and CEO, Vibe.co. “Joining Walmart gives us the opportunity to accelerate that mission and bring performance TV advertising to one of the most powerful commerce media ecosystems in the market.”

Combined with Walmart’s acquisition of Vizio, Vibe.co strengthens Walmart Connect’s ability to deliver simplified activation, enhanced targeting and measurable outcomes across its growing CTV ecosystem.

Following the close of the transaction, Vibe.co CEO and Co-Founder Arthur Querou, CTO and Co-Founder Franck Tetzlaff, and the broader Vibe.co team are expected to join Walmart Connect.

Walmart expects the transaction to close by the end of fiscal year 2027. Walmart said it does not expect the transaction to have any impact to FY27 sales and operating income growth guidance, as previously provided.

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—NBCUniversal and Walmart said they are bringing new shoppable experiences and measurement capabilities to live sports coverage. Kicking off on Thanksgiving night with NBC’s Miami Dolphins-Green Bay Packers NFL telecast, the effort will allow viewers of both linear TV and streaming feeds to start their holiday shopping from the comfort of home.

The plans to bring live shopping to live sports builds on last year’s announcement that NBCUniversal and Walmart were testing the sales impact of ads in live-streamed sports telecasts. Walmart also served as the launch partner for NBCUniversal’s Must Shop TV.

“The power and reach of NBCUniversal’s sports portfolio is unmatched—bringing game-day action to life for fans and brands in a highly engaging and effective ecosystem,” NBCUniversal president, advertising and partnerships Alison Levin said. “By teaming up with the powerhouse of Walmart and Walmart Connect, we’re differentiating the viewer experience with a first-of-its-kind shoppable activation, while also amplifying real, cross-platform accountability for marketers on one of our biggest stages. This is the next era of advertising—the most compelling content, an innovative viewer experience and real, cross-platform reach and attribution.”

The two companies reported that viewers can easily shop directly on Walmart.com through an on-screen QR code and, for the first time ever, can use NBCUniversal’s new text-to-shop functionality in its Shop the Pod without missing a moment of content.

Beyond holiday deals, fans will also have the opportunity to shop from brands selling at Walmart. These advertisers will be provided with closed-loop measurement to attribute sales across linear and streaming media displayed during programming, through Walmart Connect and NBCUniversal’s data collaboration, the companies said.

Walmart will also feature a two-minute segment from its new advertisement campaign “Deals of Desire,” showcasing the retailer’s biggest holiday deals.

“Walmart customers love professional football—86% of surveyed customers told us they watch the games,” said Rich Lehrfeld, general manager and senior vice president of Walmart Connect. “The new advertising opportunities we’re introducing, powered by Walmart’s scale and reach, will be a game-changer in helping to solve the linear equation by tying our in-store purchase data to linear audiences.”

This collaboration will extend beyond Thanksgiving, Walmart and NBCU said.

Following leaks earlier this month of Walmart’s plans to launch a new 4K streaming box, Walmart has officially unveiled the Onn. 4K Pro, a hybrid streaming box/smart speaker currently priced at $49.88. 

The Onn. 4K Pro is built on the Google TV platform and offers a cinematic experience with 4K UHD picture quality and enhanced Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Walmart's online shopping site explained.  

Other notable features include hands-free voice control with Google Assistant, find the remote capabilities, and smooth streaming with fast Wi-Fi 6. 

Google TV brings together 700,000+ movies, shows, and more across 10,000+ apps, plus 800+ free live TV channels, organized all in one place, the retailer said.

The launch is part of an ongoing expansion of Walmart’s streaming video aspirations that have included the announcement earlier this year that Walmart reached an agreement to acquire smart TV maker Vizio for about $2.3 billion. 

Other specs for Onn. include: 

• CPU: Quad-core Cortex-A55
• GPU: Mali-G31 MP2
• 3GB RAM with 32GB storage
• WiFi 6: 2.4/5GHz 802.11ax
• USB 3.0 Port
• Ethernet Port
• Input: AC 100-240V, 50/60Hz
• Dolby Vision
• Dolby Atmos
• Google TV OS - easily setup with your Google account
• Google Voice Assistant, hands-free voice control

Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a report in The Verge. 

News about the Onn “Pro” Google TV 4K streaming box was leaked by Youtuber Superdell-TV earlier this week in a livestream. The box would be an upgrade of the Onn streaming box, which is basically Walmart’s brand name of the Google TV box and also supports 4K. The upgrade includes support for 4K, Chromecast and Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.

The yellow box, which looks like a square Google Nest Mini includes 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage and supports Wi-Fi 6. It has one HDMI, one USB 3.0, and an ethernet port. 

The “leak” occurred when Superdell was able to purchase the box for $50, perhaps in error, as Walmart has not announced or made the box available for public sale yet, according to TV Tech sister brand Tech Radar, which has more details.

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. 

Atlanta DTH (ADTH) has announced that the ADTH NextGen TV set-top receiver is now available from Walmart.com for $89.99 with free shipping. 

The news expands the distribution of the small affordable receiver that’s been shipping to customers since this past summer directly from ATDH. 

The announcement comes just ahead of the annual CES in Las Vegas, where the ADTH receiver will be on display at the Advanced Television Systems Committee exhibit booth (Central Hall 19744.) 

“The ADTH receiver is not only the industry’s first receiver certified to utilize the NextGen TV mark from the Consumer Technology Association, it’s also verified for content security and is the most affordable option in the market.  We’re delighted to expand availability of the ADTH receiver beyond the ADTH website to now include Walmart.com, which offers the new product for just $89.99 with free shipping available,” said Ivy Shou, president of ADTH. 

Developed to meet the specifications of broadcasters who are upgrading to NextGen TV aka ATSC 3.0, the ADTH receiver is the first to meet the rigorous requirements of the electronics industry’s self-certification program.  

Since its initial introduction a few months ago, continuous software improvements have enhanced the device’s utility and ease of use, the company said.

With an internet connection, the ADTH receiver purchased today can benefit from continuous improvements – including recent enhancements spurred by user suggestions.  The device’s on-screen display now includes a number pad to make it easier to tune to specific channels, and a bookmarking function has been added to save favorite channels.  

ADTH is also implementing a recording function (now available in “beta” mode), to enhance usability of the receiver.  Other recent updates have sped up channel changing, improved the electronic program guide, and addressed market-specific issues reported by broadcasters.  Future updates will allow users to add specific channels, improve reception sensitivity, and to personalize closed-captioning settings.

Built to bring the benefits of NextGen TV to existing TV receivers with an HDMI connection, the ADTH receiver can provide a better viewing experience (depending on available broadcasts), with better audio and video quality, High Dynamic Range (HDR) video, and immersive Dolby audio.

The ADTH receiver can support a maximum resolution of 2160p (or 4K-quality), along with HDR, Dolby AC-4 Audio, and A3SA content protection.  The device includes a dual-band Wi-Fi receiver, Bluetooth 5.0, a remote control and power adapter.

NEW YORK & BENTONVILLE, Ark.—As advertisers put more pressure on media companies to show that ads can have a profitable impact on sales, NBCUniversal and Walmart have announced that they will be running a test to see how ads in live streaming sports impact retail sales. 

To assess the impact of the live streaming ads, NBCU will be joining Walmart Connect Partner Lab, a testing ground to improve and innovate new opportunities for omnichannel connections across social media, live streaming and more. 

Measuring the impact of ads on retail sales is one of the hottest areas in advertising today. Roku, TalkShopLive and TikTok have already been working with the Walmart Connect Partner Lab to assess the impact of ads on retail sales. 

In a blog post, Sylvia Yam, senior director of strategy and business development, Walmart Connect explained that “[t]his will mark the first time NBCUniversal’s live sports streaming inventory will be available through a retail media network – just in time for this autumn’s prime sports seasons and holiday campaigns. Brands will be able to use Walmart Connect’s unparalleled targeting and measurement to reach streaming viewers during live sports programs.”

“At NBCUniversal, we know that partnerships fuel progress – and we’re delighted to partner with Walmart Connect to bring brands and sports fans closer together through the content and shopping experiences that keep them on the edge of their seats,” said Joe Cady, the executive vice president of advanced advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal. “Sports enthusiasts are an unmatched audience, and with the power and scale of NBCUniversal’s digital advertising capabilities, combined in a privacy-minded way, with Walmart Connect’s shopper data, we’re able to add even more value for advertisers. It’s a win-win across the board.”

In addition to testing live sports streaming ads, Walmart also announced that NBCUniversal’s premium inventory will be available in its premium CTV bundle – which helps brands reach Walmart customers across top streaming platforms.

Walmart also announced the results of some tests with other partners and an expanded relationship with Roku. 

Last year, Walmart announced a first-to-market partnership with Roku to make TV streaming the next e-commerce shopping destination with shoppable ads. That test enabled streamers to purchase featured products fulfilled by Walmart directly on Roku. The new experience allowed Roku users to discovery products and then buy them with a Roku remote, allowing purchase directly at the time of inspiration, Walmart reported. 

Since launching the effort, Walmart said that 57% of Roku streamers have paused an ad to shop the product online.

“We believe a frictionless omnichannel shopping experience is where the industry is going and should go,” said Jeff Metzner, vice president of Walmart Team marketing and communications at Procter & Gamble in the Walmart blog post. “The ability to purchase a product directly from a connected TV ad has potential to reduce that friction for the consumer, so we’d like to see these capabilities continue to develop.”

During the Roku pilot, which ran from November 2022 to February 2023, Walmart said those shoppable ads demonstrated strong performance from both an awareness generation and engagement standpoint. These shoppable ads received at least three times higher clickthrough rates than average video campaigns powered by the Walmart DSP.

Based on those results, Walmart and Roku are now expanding the partnership to include their premium inventory within our CTV offering now available on the Walmart DSP. 

“The overwhelming success of our pilot with Walmart reinforces our shared belief that the ease and convenience of TV streaming makes it the next great destination for e-commerce,” explained Lindsay Pullins, director of ad revenue partnerships at Roku. “As America’s #1 TV streaming platform, partnering with Walmart marks a significant moment for the future of shoppable ads, as it opens up the opportunity for more advertisers to leverage the unparalleled benefits offered by the industry leaders in streaming and retail.”

More results from the Lab are available here.  

BENTONVILLE, Ark.—Walmart is working to expand the popularity of its Walmart+ membership offering by adding the Paramount+ streaming service at no additional cost. 

The move marks the first time Walmart+ has added the ability to stream premium entertainment as part of its membership, a strategy that has proven extremely successful for its rival Amazon. 

Starting in September, Walmart+ members, who pay $98 a year or $12.95 a month, will get the $4.99 a month Paramount+ Essential Plan with limited ads at no additional cost. 

“We know Walmart+ is providing members real value in their every day – from grocery shopping to filling up their tank and more,” said Chris Cracchiolo, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart+. “With the addition of Paramount+, we are demonstrating our unique ability to help members save even more and live better by delivering entertainment for less, too. Eighty-five percent of U.S. households use streaming services1 and Paramount+ has the premium content and broad appeal that our members are looking for – like Walmart, they have something for everyone. We’re excited about the launch and what comes next for Walmart+.”

“Paramount has enjoyed a close relationship with Walmart for years, and Walmart customers connect with Paramount's beloved brands, content, and characters every day through a range of consumer products available throughout Walmart stores," added Jeff Shultz, chief strategy officer and chief business development officer, Paramount Streaming. “Now, pairing Walmart’s expansive reach across the country with Paramount+'s broad and popular content that offers something for everyone is a unique opportunity to expand our partnership. Together we will bring Walmart+ members the full breadth of Paramount+ programming.”

BENTONVILLE, Ark. & SAN JOSE, Calif.— Walmart and Roku have announced a major partnership that hopes to make connected TVs the next big e-commerce shopping destination. 

As part of the effort, consumers will be able to purchase featured products from shoppable ads on Roku’s streaming platform and have them fulfilled by Walmart. 

To buy goods, Roku users would simply press “OK” with the remote on a shoppable ad and proceed to checkout with their payment details easily pre-populated from Roku Pay, Roku’s payments platform. 

From there, tapping “OK” on the Walmart checkout page places the order. A Walmart purchase confirmation is then emailed with shipping, return, and support information. 

While companies have long been interested in turning TV into a shopping platform, such t-commerce efforts have not successfully challenged the dominance of online retailers like Amazon, in part because it is much easier to navigate through websites on a PC or a mobile phone. 

The two companies hope that their new partnership will push TV shopping beyond QR code and change the way customers shop and interact with video content by making it easy to discover products and by providing a seamless checkout experience that enables purchases directly at the time of inspiration. 

The effort could help Roku and Walmart, which is already a major ecommerce player, get a leg up on Amazon, Google, Facebook and Pinterest in their connected TV and ecommerce offerings. 

It also poses additional competition to companies like NBCUniversal that have been expanding their own shoppable TV experiences. 

“We’re working to connect with customers where they are already spending time, shortening the distance from discovery and inspiration to purchase,” said William White, chief marketing officer, Walmart. “No one has cracked the code around video shoppability. By working with Roku, we’re the first to market retailer to bring customers a new shoppable experience and seamless checkout on the largest screen in their homes – their TV.” 

The partnership draws on Walmart’s expertise in evaluating customer behaviors and then ramping up those commerce offerings to customers where and how they want to shop, including during moments of entertainment. 

In addition, Roku’s purpose-built advertising tech stack will bring all the benefits of streaming TV advertising – targeting, optimization, and measurement – to the commerce partnership, the companies said. 

“We’re making shopping on TV as easy as it is on social,” said Peter Hamilton, head of TV commerce, Roku. “For years, streamers have purchased new Roku devices and signed up for millions of subscriptions with their Roku remote. Streaming commerce brings that same ease and convenience to marketers and shoppers.” 

OneView, Roku’s ad-buying platform for TV streaming, will have the exclusive capability to activate and measure these shoppable ads. Additionally, marketers will be able to use Roku Brand Studio to design custom creative and branded content built for TV streaming and shopping.  

Hisense has begun shipping the next iteration of its four-year-old TV collaboration with Roku.

The R6E, a smart 4K Ultra HD set with HDR10, is more sharply priced than its predecessor, the R7, with a suggested opening retail step of $298 for the 43-inch model.

Other screen sizes, and corresponding MSRPs are:

• $328 for the 50 inch;

• $398 for the 55 inch;

• $498 for the 60 inch; and

• $648 for the 65 inch.

That compares to a suggested $799 retail for the 65-inch R7.

Like the R7, the R6E features a 120Hz refresh rate, up to 30 watts of sound, and access to half a million movies and TV shows that can be streamed from more than 5,000 channels, thanks to its onboard Roku OS.

[Read: Is 8K Gaining Traction?]

Peter Erdman, marketing and business development VP at Hisense USA, said the latest Roku addition was prompted by “a positive response from consumers about the R7.”

The R6E will start hitting retail shelves and websites this month, beginning with Walmart.

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