Vizio reported smaller profits in the second quarter as usage of its smart TVs grew. 

Net income was $200,000, or 0 cents per share, compared to $1.9 million, or 1 cent a share a year ago.

Net revenue rose 11% to $437.3 million. Costs for selling, research and development were up.

The company is in the process of being acquired by Walmart.

Vizio’s Platform Plus business — advertising and data sales — posted gross profit of $98.6 million, up 15%.

Revenue for the Platform Plus business rose 19% to $169.4 million

The number of SmartCast active accounts rose 7% to 18.8 million. Total Vizio usage hours rose 5% to 9.3 billion and SmartCast hours rose 13% to 5.6 billion hours.

SmartCast average revenue per user (ARPU) rose 16% to $35.39.

Gross profit for Vizio’s device business was $900,000, up from $300,000 Revenue rose 6% to $267.9 million.

Smart TV shipments rose 15% to 1.2 million.

Walmart said it agreed to buy smart TV set maker Vizio for $2.3 billion.

Walmart plans to use Vizio’s SmartCast TV operating system as a way to connect with customers at a time when retail media spending is exploding.

“There is a lot to be excited about with this acquisition,” said Seth Dallaire, executive VP and chief revenue officer, Walmart U.S. 

Also Read: Analyst Says Walmart Buying Vizio Could ‘Disrupt’ Smart TV Market

“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,” Dallaire said. “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.”

Walmart Connect is the retailer’s media business, which offers brands a closed-loop look at how media spending impacts retail sales. 

The combination of Vizio's viewer data and Walmart’s shopping data could create a player in the connected TV market strong enough  to compete with online retailer Amazon and other streaming powerhouses like YouTube and Roku.

Vizio has been barely breaking even on selling TV sets — Walmart is its biggest retailer — but has been growing its data and advertising business.

The Platform Plus business now accounts for a majority of Vizio’s profit.

“We believe this is the ideal next chapter in Vizio’s history,“ Vizio founder and CEO William Wang said. “By bringing our capabilities and resources together, we’ll drive innovation and create even more value for our customers. 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.”

The deal calls for Walmart to pay $11.50 per share in cash for Vizio.

Vizio’s board has approved the deal unanimously. Shareholders holding about 89% of the company’s votes — including Wang — have also approved the transaction.

Because of some transaction-related costs associated with the acquisition, including for talent retention and technology integration, Walmart expects the transaction to be slightly dilutive to earnings per share in the near term.

Following the completion of the transaction, Vizio’s business will be reported as part of the Walmart U.S. segment.

Just a few years ago, pubs like ours were overrun with announcements from streaming app suppliers touting support on various TVOS platforms. 

Just like modern roads, Wi-Fi, and water and power connections, that buildout has been largely completed. It is 2024, after all.

But occasionally, one will catch us by surprise, and that happened Wednesday when Philo announced support for its app on Vizio SmartCast TVs. 

Vizio's TVOS platform is hardly inconsequential, touting 17.9 million users as of the end of September. 

Until now, Philo has somehow managed to get by without it. Perhaps the last of the virtual MVPDs to hold the line on pricing -- Philo lacks live sports but is still only priced at $25 a month -- the service last reported a subscriber count (800,000) several years ago. 

Looking at Philo's device/OS support page, it still has a number of unchecked boxes, including LG's webOS. 

It's a little late for Hallmark's always huge "Movies & Mistletoe" holiday movie onslaught, but starting Thursday, 16.5 million Vizio SmartCast users will have access to the Hallmark Movies Now app.

The SmartCast TVOS is a key piece of device support for Hallmark's $4.99 subscription service, which is also supported by Samsung and LG operating systems, and most other significant connected TV device ecosystems (you can see the service's device support list here).

Also read: Vizio: Only 7% of Viewership on Its Smart TVs Comes Via Third-Party Streaming Devices

Hallmark wants everyone to know that, while the deal with the Irvine, Calif.-based smart TV maker didn't come in time for its most profitable programming event of the year, wedding season is coming up in January with a film slate that includes The Wedding Veil, The Wedding Veil Unveiled, and The Wedding Veil Legacy, as well as The Perfect Pairing, and Girlfriendship.

“We’re proud to make our signature, in-demand brand of original content available to VIZIO Smart TV customers,” said Lauri McGarrigan, senior VP of business development, content distribution for Hallmark Media. “The Hallmark Movies Now platform provides hundreds of hours of feel-good Hallmark content, with new, curated offerings each month that VIZIO Smart TV owners are sure to enjoy.” ■

 Vizio swung to a profit in the third-quarter as gains at its Platform Plus business more than offset a drop in device sales.

Net income was $2 million, or 1 cent a share, compared to a net loss of $18.6 million, or 10 cents a share, a year ago.

Revenue fell 26% to $435 million.

Gross profit from Vizio's Platform Plus business rose 38% to $78.9 million. Platform Plus net revenue — including advertising — rose 49% to $128 million. Average revenue per user rose 39% to $27.69.

Also: Vizio Offers Smart TV User Accounts for Managing Streaming Subscriptions

SmartCast Active accounts rose 15% to 16.6 million and hours viewed rose 17% to 4.2 billion hours.

Device revenue fell 39% to $307 million as smart TV shipments fell 15% to 1.2 million. Gross profit from Vizio's device business fell 95% to $1.2 million.

Vizio said it expects its Platform Plus business to have a gross profit of between $84 million and $87 million in the fourth quarter and net revenue of $138 million to $142 million.

"An important motto for Vizio has always been growth meets discipline," said CEO William Wang. "Our third-quarter results are a continued reflection of this as we grew our platform revenue by 49% and our total company adjusted EBITDA came in at 417 million, all of which surpassed the high end of our guidance ranges." ■

Vizio said it introduced a new feature that enables viewers to list their favorite TV shows and movies from different streaming services and find them in one central location on their Vizio SmartCast TVs.

Vizio SmartTV will be able to find My Watchlist on the SmartCast home screen and can add titles with a "+Watchlist" button on the content detail page for each show or movie.

When a viewer picks a show to watch, they can click the title on the Watchlist and the appropriate streaming service will be launched.

Available streaming services include Apple TV Plus, Discovery Plus, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Starz and WatchFree Plus.

Also: Vizio Offers Smart TV User Accounts for Managing Streaming Subscriptions

"The user is at the center of everything we do at Vizio, and we recognize that our users want the ability to easily find the content that matters most to them," said Steve Yum, VP of product management at Vizio. "My Watchlist gives our users the ability to customize their SmartCast experience to their tastes and make it easier to do what they come to Vizio to do: stream their favorite movies and shows."

Vizio said it is also increasing the number of recommendations it provides to viewers. Vizio's recommendations are now based on the applications and genre the user engages with frequently, so the title highlighted will come from the streaming services accessed most.

Also new to the SmartCast home screen is an additional recommendation type, featuring a row dedicated to the genres of content that users like most. For example, if "Crime" is the user's  favorite genre to watch, the user will see a row titled "True Crime" with a list of similar titles. ■

Vizio has adopted SpringServe Tiles to display content on its SmartCast platform and make it easier for viewers to find what they want to watch.

“We are continuously looking for opportunities to improve the experience for engaged audiences through innovative and contextually relevant content and messaging,” said Travis Hockersmith, group VP, Platform Plus at Vizio. “SpringServe’s Tiles helps deliver personalized experiences, and simplify the search and discovery process for millions of users, whether searching for subscription or free content.” 

Publishers can use the flexibility of the tile design to highlight content recommendations or feature display advertising in a less intrusive way. 

Also: Vizio Offers Smart TV User Accounts for Managing Streaming Subscriptions

SpringServe’s ad-serving functionality — including targeting and reporting — are built into the Tiles format. SpringServe was acquired by Magnite last year. 

“We created Tiles to bring the precision of video ad serving to the content discovery experience users see when they turn on their connected TVs,” SpringServe general manager Joe Hirsch said. “This technology, built off the IAB native ads spec, brings new tools to the most important first impression consumers have with their television, the navigation of the home screen. CTV Native Tiles gives TV manufacturers like Vizio additional non-interruptive ad experiences in the form of pause ads and sponsored scene selection.” ■

The major smart TV makers who supply their own operating system will eventually give up and license a third-party OS from either Roku, Amazon or Google, Roku CEO Anthony Wood said. 

Speaking Monday at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, Wood said the streaming OS business would someday resemble the operating platform paradigm for smart phones, where Google's Android and Apple's iOS dominate a narrow field of OS contenders. 

More and more, it's the native OS of the smart TV that drives connected TV viewing, Wood said. And the platforms powering these TVs will consolidate over time.

Also read: Roku Ready To Make Streaming Pitch to In-Person NewFront

"We still have a lot of people using Samsung, LG and Vizio, but over time, they're going to switch to licensing third-party operating systems," Wood said. 

"The economics of monetization, feature sets and the resources just don’t support [an over-abundance] of solutions for streaming OS," he added. 

With more than 60 million active accounts, Roku is the leading supplier of connected TV OS in the U.S., which Wood called "an advanced market." 

As Roku has proliferated to markets like Mexico, it has quickly grown its market share, he added, noting that Roku has gone from zero to 20% market share of connected TVs in Mexico in just a few years. 

Operating systems including Samsung's Tizen and LG's webOS are big in regions like Western Europe, Wood noted, but that's only because Roku is just starting to deploy itself there. "Once Roku enters a market outside the U.S., our share starts to grow," he added. 

Eventually, the ad-supported side of the streaming business may get to a point in which OS providers scale of certain degree that is "big enough to ride the ride." But in the here and now, it seems hard to believe that Samsung, LG and Vizio would just give up. 

Samsung said last year that its Tizen OS is in 1.28 billion devices worldwide. And last week, Vizio said that active accounts for its SmartCast OS grew by 24% in 2021 to reach 15.1 million globally. ■

A+E Networks has made a deal that will make its subscription streaming apps —History Vault, A&E Crime Central and Lifetime Movie Club — available via the Vizio SmartCast platform.

Vizio users can also access some A+E content for free via Vizio’s WatchFree Plus streaming service.

History Vault, at $4.99 a month, offers more than 3,500 hours of content from History Channel, including documentaries from the network‘s library and series including America’s Greatest Feud: The History of the Hatfields and the McCoys, as well as past seasons of popular series like American Restoration and Ice Road Truckers.

A&E Crime Central, for $4.99 per month, has 1,300 hours of content from A&E, History Channel, Lifetime and LMN, including The First 48: Missing Persons, Beyond Scared Straight and Cold Case Files.

Lifetime Movie Club, at $3.99 a month, has more than 300 Lifetime movies including Flowers in the Attic, Death of A Cheerleader and Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret.

“This integration with Vizio SmartCast TVs extends the reach of these popular streaming apps and greatly adds to our connected TV footprint, making it easier than ever for our engaged audiences to access their favorite content when, where, and how they want,” said Mark Garner, executive VP, global content sales and business development, A+E Networks. “We value our relationship with VIZIO and look forward to building new ways for viewers to tune into their favorite library content across our brands.“

Among the free content on Vizio WatchFree Plus are channels based on A+E series: Ax Men, Ice Road Truckers and Modern Marvels.

Additional WatchFree Plus channels based on A+E content include: 

Crime 360 — Step inside the investigation as theories and evidence are brought to life through fantastic CGI visualizations, state-of-the-art 3D laser scanning and 360-degree digital photography.

Lively Place — Programming for home improvement, dating and romance, and outdoor enthusiasts.

Skills + Thrills — The American spirit of grit and adventure with reality, nonfiction and competition programming.

Movie Favorites by Lifetime — Favorite Lifetime movie favorites.

Defy TV — Daring and bold reality TV shows.

TrueReal — Reality shows with big drama.

Tiny House Nation — The hit shows behind the Tiny Home movement all day, every day. Travel he globe in search of unique tiny homes of 500 square feet or less.

“Vizio’s commitment to offer viewers a wide breadth of compelling content and experiences makes expanding A+E on SmartCast a natural fit," said Katherine Pond, VP of business development for Vizio. "With A+E’s entertainment portfolio that tells amazing stories and spans multiple genres, we’re thrilled to be launching these additional A+E apps that are sure to keep the whole family entertained.”

Vizio also provides convenient access to apps like Apple TV Plus, BET Plus, Discovery Plus, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount Plus, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV. ■ 

Discovery said it made a deal making its direct-to-consumer subscription service Discovery Plus available to Vizio SmartCast users.

To promote the launch, the Vizio SmartCast home screen will feature a carousel that spotlights the content available on Discovery Plus, with the slogan “Discover More on Discovery Plus.”

Also: Vizio Makes fuboTV Available Via App on SmartCast Platform

“Vizio SmartCast users can now experience the high quality, non-fiction storytelling that Discovery is known for as well as enjoy an extensive slate of exclusive discovery plus originals and shows across a broad range of genres,” said Katherine Pond,VP  of business development at Vizio. “The addition of discovery plus on the SmartCast home screen means audiences can dive into a deep catalogue of content and instantly stream some of the most popular shows on television.”

Vizio users can locate discovery plus in the app row on the SmartCast home screen. Users can access the streaming service for $4.99 per month with a seven-day trial before purchasing, or a commercial-free subscription for $6.99 per month.

Also: BET Plus To Be Available Through Vizio's SmartCast

“We remain committed to offering discovery+ to fans across all platforms and providing them with an unparalleled experience,” said Gabriel Sauerhoff, senior VP, digital distribution and commercial partnerships, at Discovery. “This new partnership with Vizio allows us to expand the reach of all of Discovery's digital properties to even more of our dedicated viewers on SmartCast.” ■ 

Vizio reported a third-quarter loss as gains in its streaming business were overshadowed by increased costs.

Vizio has been adding content and channels to its SmartCast platform, which enables owners of its smart TVs to stream free programming. The Platform Plus business, which includes Vizio’s growing advertising sales and data business, grew rapidly in the quarter, while the company‘s device business saw its revenue and profits shrink.

Also read: Vizio’s Ad Revenue Gains Signal Growth of New Smart TV Ecosystem

Vizio’s Platform Plus gross profit jumped 88% to $57.3 million as revenue grew 134% to $85.9 million in the quarter. SmartCast active accounts climbed 35%, to 14.4 million, and SmartCast hours increased 16% to 3.6 billion.

Average revenue per user grew 91% to $19.89.

Overall, Vizio’s net loss was $18.6 million, or 10 cents a share, compared to net income of $35.1 million, or 19 cents a share, a year ago.

Revenue increased 1% to $588.3 million. 

Operating expenses increased to $97.5 million from $43.4 million a year ago.

Device revenue fell 8%, to $502.5 million. Device profit fell 56%, to $25.6 million.

Also read: Smart TV Owners Have Money, Still Watch AVOD, Study Finds

“I’m proud of the strength of our third-quarter results, as the investments we’ve made in our Platform Plus business continue to bear fruit,” Vizio CEO William Wang said. “Our dual revenue model is a competitive advantage, and it allows us to leverage our Device business to drive rapidly growing, high-margin revenue within our Platform Plus business. Because Vizio delivers the entire entertainment experience — from the hardware and software, to the content and ads — we are able to deliver an attractive value proposition to consumers, advertisers and content partners alike. We are here to define the future of the Smart TV business.”

Also read: Vizio Claims $100 Million in Upfront Ad Commitments

Vizio also announced that Vicky L. Free has been appointed to its board of directors, effective Nov. 4.

Free, senior VP of global marketing with Adidas, replaces SC Huang on the board. Huang is retiring after serving as a director since 2004.

“We are pleased to welcome Vicky to the Vizio board,” Wang said. “Her deep experience in global marketing and her strong brand expertise will be invaluable to Vizio as we continue to grow our business and define the future of the Smart TV industry.”

Before joining Adidas, Free worked with brands including McDonald’s, Turner, BET Networks and The Walt Disney Co.

“Technology inspires, connects and empowers. It is the window through which many can see, and make true, their own possibilities,” Free said. “Vizio’s commitment to making technology accessible to all is why I am so proud to join its board.”

Polaris, a Black-owned media platform, said it will launch its first free ad supported streaming TV channel on Vizio’s SmartCast as part of its WatchFree Plus service.

Polaris expects the channel to have its debut in October.

“Working with Polaris, we are bringing to market a channel that celebrates Black culture and delivers unique entertainment experiences to SmartCast users,” said Steve DeMain, VP, engagement at Vizio. “We are excited to partner with these legendary creators to deliver a channel exclusive to SmartCast audiences.” 

Founded by journalist Rahman J. Dukes, Polaris uncovers and shares stories created by Black, indigenous and other people of color. The channel will be led by media personality Sway Calloway and music historian Shaheem Reid and focus on content that embraces African culture, particularly music.

Also Read: Vizio Makes fuboTV Available Via App on SmartCast Platform

Shows on the Polaris channel will include The Daily Check In with Shaheem Reid on entertainment topics; Bridge Business, a sports show hosted by Sway Calloway, and Method to the Madness, an episodic series tracing the early part of rapper Method Man’s career.

“Partnering with Vizio [to] launch Polaris is a major step in getting the stories of Black and BIPOC storytellers out there in an authentic way,” said Dukes, principal chairman and founder of Polaris. “Polaris aims to be a beacon of inspiration for the culture, and Vizio will allow our curated content to truly be that beacon, and help us deliver authentic programming to millions of households.”

Vizio said it made a deal to make fuboTV’s sports-oriented TV live TV streaming platform available to Vizio set owners via the SmartCast platform.

FuboTV requires a separate subscription. Subscribers get more than 100 channels that stream tens of thousands of live sporting events a year.

Also Read: Fubo Sportsbook Makes Deal with NFL's New York Jets

“Sports continue to be one of the most popular categories of programming on  television, so fuboTV’s offering with an impressive array of live sports programming as well as hundreds of other entertainment options is a welcome addition to the SmartCast lineup,” Katherine Pond, VP of business development at Vizio, said. “We are continuously enhancing the SmartCast platform with new features and content, so users have endless entertainment options from the comfort of their homes.”

Also Read: BET Plus To Be Available Through Vizio's SmartCast

The fuboTV app on Vizio SmartCast lets viewers create up to six user profiles, enabling a personalized experience; create a customized guide; set recording for favorite series and teams and has a Watch Next feature that facilitates binge viewing.

“94% of fuboTV subscribers enjoy watching their favorite sports, news and entertainment on the big screen,” said Len Landi, senior VP, business development, fuboTV. “With today’s launch on Vizio SmartCast TVs, we’re bringing fuboTV’s premium viewing experience to Vizio SmartCast, one of the most popular smart TV platforms on the market. It’s a perfect marriage as we gear up for the fall sports season.”

Locast has expanded support for its app to Vizio smart TVs running the Vizio SmartCast operating system. 

Vizio was the third biggest supplier of smart TVs in the North America in 2020, according to Statista data. Smart TV-wise, Locast already has support from Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV, covering it for major set suppliers like TCL and Hisense. 

The streaming app still lacks support from No. 1 smart TV supplier Samsung and its Tizen OS, as well as LG and its webOS platform. 

The non-profit streaming service streams local broadcast channels to 35 U.S. markets, touting 2.8 million users as of the beginning of the summer. 

The service asks for a minimum "donation" of $5.50 a month. Those who don't pay that freight are subject to a never-ending series of popup ads that render the platform virtually unwatchable.

Discovery and Vizio said they made a deal that will make the Discovery Plus streaming service available to Vizio SmartCast users by September.

Discovery disclosed the deal during its earnings call Tuesday morning.

“We take great pride in providing our customers with access to a wide variety of programming that is easy to search and discover across a wealth of categories like lifestyle, entertainment, sports and news. We are thrilled to welcome Discovery Plus to SmartCast. With a vast array of content to tune into, there is something for everyone,” said Mike O’Donnell, chief revenue officer, Platform Plus at Vizio.

Vizio has been increasing the number of streaming services available via SmartCast. This week it is adding BET Plus.

Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock and Amazon Prime Video are already available via Smarcast.

Vizio has also been upgrading its SmartCast platform, adding channels and improving its channel guide.

“We remain committed to offering Discovery Plus to fans across all devices and platforms and providing them with an unparalleled consumer experience,” said Gabriel Sauerhoff, senior VP, digital distribution and commercial partnerships at Discovery. “This new partnership with Vizio allows us to expand the reach of all of Discovery's digital properties to even more of our dedicated viewers on SmartCast.”

ViacomCBS and Vizio have reached an agreement that will make the BET Plus streaming service available to users of Vizio’s SmartCast platform.

“We are excited for the launch of BET Plus, which offers SmartCast users access to BET Plus’ original series, specials, and thousands of hours of popular TV shows and exclusive content,” said Katherine Pond, VP of business development at Vizio. “This addition to our line-up of premium apps aligns perfectly with our dedication to deliver content for every audience that can be enjoyed instantly on the big screen.”

Also Read: BET Plus Sets May Date for ‘Favorite Son’ Movie

Vizio users will be able to find BET Plus in the app row of the SmartCast Home screen starting Aug. 4. Vizio users will be able to get a free seven day trial of the service before purchasing a subscription for $9.99 a month.

Also Read: Presiding Over the House of Perry

Vizio has been upgrading its SmartCast platform, adding channels and improving its channel guide. It has also been making more subscription streaming services available.

Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock and Amazon Prime Video are already available via SmartCast.

Also Read: Vizio Smart TVs Add Discovery Plus App

BET Plus features the best of black culture with show including First Wives Club, Tyler Perry’s Ruthless, The Family Business and American Gangster: Trap Queens. 

Future Today’s CoComelon and iFood.tv are being added as new channels on Vizio’s SmartCast TV sets.

The additions give Future Today 13 ad-supported apps and four free, ad-supported TV networks on the Vizio platform.

Also Read: Cable Giants Enlist Dish, Vizio To Fix Addressable Logjam

Viewership of Future Today programming grew 28% in the second quarter, with more than 13 million monthly users streaming over 55 million hours of content in May.

“Future Today is a fantastic partner and we’re very excited to add two more new apps featuring fan-favorite shows,” said Katherine Pond, VP of business development for Vizio. “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.”

Also Read: Vizio’s SmartCast Adds Anime With Funimation

The two new channels added to SmartCast are:

Children’s channel Cocomelon has more than 100 million subscribers on YouTube. It teaches children about taking on activities with a sense of enthusiasm while presenting positive behavior for young viewers to emulate.

Food.tv has a collection of over 50,000 cooking shows and video recipes for everyday cooking that even foodies will devour. All recipes are tried, reviewed and organized by Future Today’s editorial team and community members

“Vizio’s award-winning smart TV operating system, SmartCast, has something for everyone; movies and TV shows, sports, kids and family, news, interests and lifestyle, gaming and more. It has become a dominant force in shaping the TV viewing experience in this burgeoning industry,” said Vikrant Mathur, founder and CEO, Future Today. “Our channels-as-a-service technology platform serves as a turn-key complement for expanding viewing choices for Vizio and all our video partners.” 

Smart TV set maker Vizio Holding Corp., in its first report since its initial public offering, said earnings fell, but that more people were using its SmartCast streaming platform and that its revenue from advertising and data businesses more than doubled.

Like several other home electronics makers, Vizio is looking to take advantage of the fast -growing connected TV and addressable advertising markets. In the first quarter, Vizio’s Platform Plus business grew much faster than its device business.

Vizio’s Platform Plus business, which consists of selling advertising and data, had a gross profit of $38.4 million, more than double the $15.2 million profit it rang up a year ago. Revenues rose 120% to $52.2 million. 

SmartCast active accounts grew 57% to 13.4 million. Time spent streaming SmartCast content rose 70% to more than 3.6 billion. Average revenue per user increased 76% to $14.52. The growth in ARPU was driven by higher advertising revenue, the company said.

Vizio’s device business had a gross profit of $48.2 million, up from $32.5 million. Revenues rose to $453.5 million from $308.9 million.

Overall, Vizio’s reported net income of $3.3 million, or 2 cents a share, down 64% from $9.3 million or 5 cents a share.

Revenues rose  52% to $505.7 million from $308.9 million, but selling and administrative expenses jumped to $67.9 million from $30.1 million.

Also Read: Kids Corner Coming to Vizio Sets From Kidoodle.TV

“Our first quarter results demonstrate the success of our investments in our Device and Platform business," said Vizio founder and CEO William Wang,.  “We see tremendous opportunity ahead as we continue to invest in the quality of our execution, the quality of our products, and most importantly, the quality of our team. The evolution of TV is calling for a revolution, and Viziois here to answer it.”

For the second quarter, Vizio said it expects Platform Plus net revenue to double to between $55 million and $59 million, with gross profit of between $36 million and $40 million. Vizio expect higher advertising revenue on rat increases and expanded ad inventory.

Jack Hanna is the focus of Hearst-owned Litton Entertainment's second free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, The Jack Hanna Channel, launching Wednesday on Vizio SmartCast devices in the U.S., Litton said Wednesday.

The channel will debut in April on Samsung TV Plus in both the U.S. and Canada.

“For more than 40 years, Jack has educated, entertained, and introduced viewers to new worlds,” Andrew Tew, Litton Entertainment VP of licensing and distribution and general manager of global channels, said in a statement. “A channel dedicated to the decades-long adventures of Jack Hanna, his global travels, and his wildlife and conservation efforts will give millions of fans across generations a new programming destination to find their favorite American icon.”

Also Read: IMDb TV, Roku and Tubi Plunge into Originals - Recapping the FASTs' Big Moves So Far

Hanna -- who got his start as a zoologist at the Columbus, Ohio city zoo in 1978 -- is the star of several wildlife-focused TV shows, including Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild, Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown and Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures. Hanna also has been a frequent guest on late-night shows since the ‘80s, appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman and more recently on The Late Late Show with James Corden. 

Last November, Litton launched its first FAST channel, Xplore, which includes programming on travel, lifestyle, natural sciences, technology and others and stars such personalities as Mo Rocca, Miranda Cosgrove and Dylan Dreyer. Xplore is currently available in the U.S. on Vizio SmartCast, Samsung TV Plus, the Roku Channel and Plex and will soon launch on Xumo. It’s slated to launch on Samsung TV Plus in the UK and Canada next month.

Vizio, starting the roadshow for its initial public offering, revealed how fast the streaming business built on its smart TV’s is growing.

Vizio  said it plans to sell 15.1 million shares at between $21 and $23 per share.

The financial data the company provided to potential investors shows that its platform business--selling advertising and data based on its base of streaming viewers--is growing faster than its device business.

“The success of our Device business has created a massive growth opportunity for us. Our Smart TVs provide us with the opportunity to add consumers that are actively engaged with our SmartCast operating system, which in turn, expands our Platform Plus  monetization opportunities,” the company said in its filing.

“While we generate the significant majority of our total net revenue from sales of our Smart TVs and sound bars, our Platform Plus net revenue has grown 304.4% from $36.4 million in 2018 to $147.2 million in 2020. We believe that Platform Plus will be the key driver of our future margin growth and financial performance.”

Revenue for Platform Plus, which includes SmartCast streaming and Vizio’s Inscape data unit, grew to $147.2 million from $63.2 million in 2020. Device revenue increased to $1.9 billion from $1.7 billion.

Gross profits for Platform Plus rose to $111.9 million from $40.1 million, while device profits increased to $184.5 million from $125 million.

Vizio said that in 2020, it shipped 71 million smart TV's and added 4.6 million active SmartCast accounts--a 65% conversion rate. 

Vizio has 12.2 million active accounts at the end of the year making it a big player in the streaming ecosystem.

Hours spent watching SmartCast rose 156% to 11.596 billion, or about 45% per account. 

Average revenue per user (ARPU) increased 78% to $12.99 from $7.31 

A letter included in the filing from Vizio founder and CEO William Wang spells out his plans for the company.

"At Vizio, we find value in the home. There is something so universally comforting about being in your own space. Yet something I’ve noticed is that, at home, we still crave ways to connect ourselves to a larger community. The TV industry has not been focused on this connection,” Wang said.

“We want Vizio be that connection, to be the portal connecting the home to the outside world. We envision the VizioSmart TV as the center of the connected home—where families play games together, where friends watch movies together, where work and learning happen and where all things in between take place,” he said. Given our large customer base, we have the perfect opportunity to make the VIZIO vision for the future a reality."

Digital Media Rights said it launched three digital linear channel on Vizio TV’s SmartCast platform.

The channels are RetroCrush, Midnight Pulp and Coroco.

“The DMR team is excited to be working with and launching three of our channels on VIZIO SmartCast, one of the nation’s leading TV streaming platforms,” said John Stack, director of digital distribution and content strategy at DMR. “By adding RetroCrush offering the best of classic Japanese anime, Cocoro providing premium content for families on the go, and Midnight Pulp streaming all things strange, VIZIO SmartCast audiences will have even more compelling content to consider for their viewing pleasure.”

DMR owns and operates seven OTT channels and has a catalog of more than 7,500 titles from TV networks, studios, producers and sales agents that it distributes via Amazon, Hulu Netflix cable VOD, iTunes, Tubi, Pluto TV and other platforms.

Vizio is a leading smart TV maker, It’s SmartCast offers a growing roster of free-ad supported channels to viewers.

Vizio said that Fox. Corp.’s Fox Now and Fox Nation apps are available on the Vizio SmartCast platform.

“We take great pride in providing our customers with access to a wide variety of programming that is easy to search and discover across a wealth of categories like lifestyle, entertainment, sports and news. We are thrilled to welcome the Fox Now and Fox Nation streaming apps to SmartCast. With a vast array of content to tune into, there is something for everyone,” said Katherine Pond, VP of Business Development for Vizio.

Fox Now offers live and on-demand episodes of Fox shows, Fox Sports and news from Fox’s TV stations and cable networks. The app is free, with addition programming available to pay-TV subscribers. 

“We are pleased that millions of Vizio SmartCast users can now enjoy live and on-demand access to thousands of hours of programming available on Fox Now and Fox Nation. From The Masked Singer, the number one show on television, to news impacting their communities and the nation, to the biggest sports on television, these apps have something to engage and entertain every viewer,” said BJ Elias, executive VP, Distribution Advanced Services, Fox Corp.

The CW said its new streaming app has launched on the Vizio SmartCast, the programming platform on the company’s smart TV sets.

SmartCast viewers will be able to stream full seasons of Batwoman, Nancy Drew and DC’s Stargirl and catch up on the latest episodes of All American and Riverdale.

Also Read: AMC Networks Launches Five Vizio SmartCast Channels

Viewers using SmartCast will also be able to watch every episode of the “modern classics" on CW’s Seed, Including 90210, Nikita and Schitt’s Creek.

“We want to provide fans of The CW’s programming a choice of how and where they consume our content,” said Hiram Norman, executive VP, digital at The CW. “Vizio is a great partner that will help provide our audience the viewing experience they’ve come to expect from The CW.”

Read Also: Vizio SmartCast Launches Cinedigm’s Bob Ross Channel

The CW on Thursday premiered its new series Walker and season three of Legacies.

“The CW app is a fantastic addition to the SmartCast line-up,” said Katherine Pond, VP of business development for Vizio. “As a popular broadcast network, The CW app provides SmartCast audiences with on-demand access to fan-favorite series, modern classics and highly anticipated series premieres.”

Vizio’s SmartCast launched Cinedigm’s Bob Ross Channel on Vizio smart TV sets.

The channel is free and ad supported. It features the entire catalog of 380 episodes of Bob Ross’ television series The Joy of Painting. Viewers can also use Bob Ross paintings as screen savers. 

Also Read: Cinedigm Launches Streaming Channels on Vizio SmartCast

The channel is available as an app that runs on Cinedigm's Matchpoint Blueprint platform.

"Due to the continued success of The Bob Ross Channel, we remain focused on extending its reach and meeting the strong consumer demand for his iconic television series," said Tony Huidor, Cinedigm’s general manager of digital networks. “Vizio reaches millions of American homes, offering us a valuable opportunity to showcase the capabilities of our Matchpoint Blueprint applications, including The Bob Ross Channel app, across a long list of Vizio’s SmartCast television models.”

Also Read: Cinedigm Networks Launched on Cox Contour Platforms

Ross died in 1995 but viewers continue to watch. The Joy of Painting generated nearly one million hours of viewing on Hulu and a special on YouTube attracted more than 2.5 million viewers. 

SmartCast comes with every Vizio smart TV and offers an array of entertainment offerings.

AMC Networks said it launched five free ad-supported channels on Vizio’s SmartCast streaming platform.

Like other programmers, AMC Networks is increasingly emphasizing streaming as consumers cut the cord with cable, cutting into distribution and linear advertising revenues.

Also Read: AMC Launching Streaming Channels With Samsung

The new SmartCast channels feature mainly programming that has appeared on AMC’s cable networks.

AMC will sell ads on the channels through its AMC Digital ad sales operation. AMC also has ad supported streaming channels on Pluto TV, Sling TV, Amazon’s IMDb TV and Samsung platform.

Also Read:  AMC Plus Launches on Roku Channel

“We are thrilled to make these free, ad-supported channels available to millions of Vizio viewers on the SmartCast platform,” said Evan Adlman, senior VP of advanced advertising and digital ad sales for AMC Networks. “We set a goal last year of making our popular and critically acclaimed content as widely available as possible on emerging ad-supported platforms, which is great for the fans of our shows and for the advertising partners who reach fans through our AMCN Digital ad sales offering.”

The new channels on SmartCast are AMC Presents, with scripted and unscripted shows including The Walking Dead, Halt and Catch Fire, Rectify and Into the Badlands; Rush by AMC featuring action and thriller movies; Slightly Off by IFC with comedies including Comedy Bang Bang, Portlandia and Brockmire; Absolute Reality by WE TV with Bridezillas, Kendra on Top, LA Hair and Platinum Weddings and IFC Films Picks with movies for film buffs.

“Vizio is excited to offer AMC Networks’ award-winning series and films free to our millions of viewers,” said Katherine Pond, VP of business development at Vizio. “The addition of these channels provides SmartCast viewers even more variety as they tune into their favorite movies and shows on their Vizio Smart TVs.”

Vizio said viewing on Smartcast TVs rose to 1.1 trillion minutes in 2020, up 20% from the previous year.

Cinedigm said it launched two streaming channels on Vizio’s SmartCast platform.

The two channels are ConTV Anime and MyTime Movie Network. 

“As one of the leading television brands in the country, Vizio has played an important role in bringing our channels directly into living rooms across America,” said Tony Huidor, Cinedigm’s general manager of Digital Networks. “The future of video is streaming and Vizio helps us effectively reach a growing audience of consumers who are seeking high-quality entertainment. We are excited to bring two of our newest channels to Vizio’s growing base of SmartCast viewers.” 

MyTime Movie Network focuses on content catering to women of all ages with hundreds of made-for-TV films.

ConTV Anime offers anime series and movies, including cyberpunk, supernatural and fantasy content.

Vizio’s SmartCast is built into Vizio smart TVs and offers an array of free content 24 hours a day from the SmartCast home screen.

The National Football league is launching its streaming NFL Channel on the Vizio SmartCast platform, available free to users of Vizio smart TVs.

“Vizio is pleased to offer our millions of viewers free access to NFL content and programming on the NFL Channel,” said Katherine Pond, VP of business development, Vizio. “This addition to Vizio’s extensive channel lineup allows SmartCast viewers access to some of the best moments in NFL history.”

The NFL Channel features content from NFL Films and NFL Media, featuring highlights from some of the league’s most memorable games It also includes series dedicated to celebrating the NFL’s 100th season in 2019 such as NFL’s 100 Greatest, NFL 100 All-Time Team and NFL 100 Generations. 

The channel also has past seasons of the Emmy award-winning series Hard Knocks plus NFL Game Replay, NFL Mic'd Up, NFL Top 10, The Top 100 Players of 2019 and Around the NFL.

“We are thrilled to provide fans more exciting NFL content from their favorite teams and players year-round through the NFL Channel on Vizi,” said Jesse Wallace, NFL VP of affiliate sales and distribution. “We know our fans will enjoy rediscovering award-winning shows and reliving some of the greatest games and moments that make the NFL special.”

In an increasingly complicated media environment, Nielsen officially announced it will be adding data from 55 million set-top boxes and smart TVs to its national TV currency, allowing it to measure addressable advertising.

The move is one of several Nielsen told customers it would be making at its national client meeting last month.

Also Read: Nielsen Sheds Unit as It Gears Up for Big Data

The addition of big data to Nielsen's national TV measurement will enable critical elements of its advanced TV strategy, which also includes measurement of connected TV (CTV) apps and devices. Nielsen intends to deliver holistic, cross-media metrics across all premium video.

Nielsen will also be expanding its streaming ratings to provide daily data on a bigger group of services, including ViacomCBS’s Pluto TV and Fox’s Tubi. And it will be rolling out reports to give advertisers more information about the diversity of programming they might be sponsoring.

Also Read: Comscore Nears Deal with Anchor Investor

More advertisers are looking to use data to target ads at specific consumers and technology is allowing distributors to address ads to individual households and devices. In order for the addressable advertising business to scale, industry executives have been looking for more granular measurement than the panel of 40,000 Nielsen families can provide.

With the additional data, Nielsen will be measuring addressable campaigns being delivered by AT&T’s DirecTV, Dish and Nielsen Advanced Advertising, plus campaigns on Vizio sets using the open addressable standard developed by the Project OAR consortium.

Nielsen expects to make preview data available in the first half of 2021. The data will show how many people in the target audience saw an ad addressed specifically to them. It will also count the remaining viewers during that commercial slot who saw a different ad delivered as part of the traditional linear feed. 

For now, Nielsen will continue to use C3 and C7, which measure the average of the commercial minutes within a program. But it has told clients it is working on delivering exact commercial ratings for each individual spot.

“As TV continues to become more digital in nature, there is greater demand for comprehensive independent measurement of reach and frequency that’s scaled across linear and advanced TV,” said Scott Brown, GM of audience measurement at Nielsen. “Addressable TV advertising can only scale if media buyers and sellers can monetize those impressions. By marrying big data with Nielsen’s high-quality panels, we can ensure all metrics are representative, accurate and trusted. This is a critical first step to help scale addressability and lay the foundation for a holistic cross media measurement system.”  

Nielsen said the new measurement system will provide more demographic and exposure measurement by incorporating the new data sources and calibrating them against its panels to correct for bias and provide more granular person level insights.

Also Read: Cable Adds a Playbook to Addressable Ad Push

DirecTV and Dish have been offering addressable advertising for some time.

“This expansion of our relationship could not come at a more important time for the industry,” said Rick Welday, executive VP and general manager, AT&T Broadband and Video. “The combination of our expertise and leadership in addressable advertising with Nielsen’s decades of experience as the backbone of TV measurement will unlock the power of National Addressable TV. It is a win for national TV networks, a win for integrity in measurement, and most importantly, a win for advertisers.”

“Nielsen has been a strategic partner of Dish Network for several years and we’re excited to expand this relationship to give advertisers and programmers the option to reliably measure addressable campaigns that leverage our data and tech stack,” said Kemal Bokhari, Dish Media general manager of data & analytics. “We continue to advocate for innovation and collaboration across the industry, and this is a great step toward that vision.”

Also Read: iSpot Measures Addressable Ads Under Project OAR Specs

Vizio and other smart TV makers have been both selling data about viewing behavior as well as selling advertising to marketers looking to reach the growing number of over-the-top streaming viewers. Vizio led the formation of Project OAR, which aims to develop open standard for addressable advertising. 

“The goal from the outset of OAR has been to help the industry rapidly evolve the technology and infrastructure to make linear advertising more responsive and relevant to the interests of the viewer while giving inventory owners and brands a better value proposition for TV on the whole,” said Adam Gaynor, VP of network partnerships and head of addressable at Vizio. “We are encouraged that Nielsen is making the investment to measure addressable advertising at scale as it will accelerate industry adoption and ultimately provide a better experience to viewers at home.”

Tastemade said that Tastemade en Español, its first Spanish language streaming channel, launched on the Roku Channel.

Tastemade en Español will also be coming to Vizio SmartCast and Xumo in the coming weeks.

After launch the U.S. Tastemade en Español will roll out to markets in Latin America later this year.

"We are beyond excited to bring rich and inclusive Spanish-language lifestyle programming to U.S. viewers for the first time through the Tastemade en Español streaming TV channel,” said Celia Kakitani, head of LATAM, sales & brand partnerships at Tastemade. 

“As the premiere destination for inspiring lifestyle series and documentaries, Tastemade is delighted to serve our Spanish-speaking audience in the U.S. with premium programming in their local language,” Kakitani said. “We have received an overwhelming response from our partners about the launch, and look forward to working with them to bring high-quality content to viewers at home.”

Tastemade en Español features hundreds of hours of lifestyle programming, including: ArgenMex, Basta de Delivery, BFF, Colombiajeros, Comida Picante, Cook & Laucha 2X1, De Gira, Feli de Primera, Mini Cocina, Mora y Bondi, Nash en India, Nómade, Patagonia Viva, Play With Your Food, Recreo Dulce, Sofi en Buenos Aires, Sofi en España, Tefi en Casa, and Vegánico, plus the Bandalos Chinos, Berlina and Fuego, 

“At Roku, choice, value, and simplicity are at our core and we strive to deliver a great streaming experience to as many people as possible,” said Ashley Hovey, director of AVOD growth, at Roku. “We know there is a healthy consumer appetite for free, ad-supported Spanish-language entertainment. We’re very excited to be working with Tastemade en Español, bringing its vast library to The Roku Channel and delivering a streaming experience our users want and love.”

Sony Pictures Television is launching three free ad-supported streaming television channels on Roku’s free streaming service, The Roku Channel, starting Tuesday, SPT said.

The new Sony Canal Novelas, which will air telenovelas, joins Sony Canal Comedias, which airs comedies, and Sony Canal Competencias, which airs reality competition shows. The Roku Channel reaches more than 40 million viewers and is available on Roku-enabled smart TVs and devices. Potential viewers can also access the programming via the Plex app, and it’s also available via Vizio SmartCast. 

Related: SPT Launching Free Ad-Supported Streaming Channels

The three channels are packed with programming produced by Sony Pictures Television International Production and target the U.S. Hispanic market, which offers a potential audience of more than 60 million viewers. 

Related: Plex Launches Spanish-Language Channels

“Sony Pictures Television has a compelling portfolio of Spanish-language entertainment that appeals to The Roku Channel’s engaged audience,” said Ashley Hovey, director of AVOD growth, Roku, in a statement. “At Roku, we’re laser-focused on delivering the best streaming experience to our customers. We know that the US Hispanic audience is rapidly growing and we’re very excited to partner with SPT to bring their vast library to The Roku Channel.”

Smart TV maker Vizio said it launched 10 new free channels of Spanish-language programming to its SmartCast streaming platform.

Vizio also launched the Vix app on SmartCast, which is one of the top downloads on Android devices in Mexico.

“From multicultural original productions to popular shows dubbed in Spanish, today Vizio is making thousands of hours of Spanish-driven content available to all SmartCast users,” said Katherine Pond, VP of business development for Vizio. “We’re thrilled to offer a 24/7 line-up of some of the best entertainment and programming options designed specifically for Spanish-speaking audiences.”

The new channels include Pongalo NovelaClub, Moviemex, Sony Canal Novelas, Sony Canal Comedias, Sony Canal Competencias, Top Cine HD, Tu Cine HD, Cine Real HD, Flash HD, MMC HD and Cine Sureno HD.

“The launch of the Vix app on Vizio’s SmartCast platform builds upon the successful launch earlier this year of Vix’s linear channels on Vizio’s WatchFree,” said Richard Hull, head of streaming platforms & chief strategy officer at Vix. “Having just surpassed 20,000 hours of content in our offering, we’re excited to be able to launch this additional partnership for our audiences.”

The new channels can be found in the Vizio Free Channels section of the SmartCast home screen. 

Smart TV maker Vizio said it has added 12 free linear kids and family channels to its SmartCast platform.

Vizio said it has seen a hike of about 35% more in engagement for kids and family content because of the stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 compared to the average SmartCast app.

“Today Vizio is making thousands of hours of free children's programming available to our SmartCast users, as people increasingly make streaming part of their daily routines,” said Katherine Pond, VP of business development for Vizio. “With the uncertainty of the upcoming school year, parents will be looking for alternate ways to entertain and educate their children from inside the home. Vizio is pleased to make these programs available to ensure high quality content for children and peace of mind for parents.”

Related: Vizio Helps Advertisers Figure Incremental Reach

The channels added to SmartCast are:

● Ameba: a children's video streaming service full of engaging kids TV shows, family movies and kids music videos designed to spark children’s curiosity and empower them to explore. 

● Brat TV: a fan-favorite for Gen Z audiences, Brat TV features teen stars like Dixie D’Amelio and Annie LeBlanc in live-action original series.

● Giggle Mug: collections of videos that kids and the entire family can enjoy featuring fan favorite TV shows like Tara Duncan, Robot Trains, YooHoo & Friends, Besty’s Kindergarten Adventures and Miniforce. 

● HappyKids Junior: a destination dedicated to educating and entertaining preschoolers with popular shows such as Cat in the Hat, Thomas & Friends, Care Bears, Super Simple Songs, Blippi and Mofy. 

● HappyKids.tv: programming that educates and entertains kids 6 and up with popular and safe shows, music and movies including Sonic, Hot Wheels, Barbie, Bakugan and Winx Club.

● Kid Gamer TV: witness popular gamers as they create engaging experiences in the fantastical universes of Minecraft and Roblox.

● Kidoodle.TV: a Safe Streaming platform with content hand-picked by parents including popular shows like PAW Patrol, Lego City, Abdallah Smash, Talking Tom, True and the Rainbow Kingdom, Little Baby Bum, Pocoyo and Oddbods,

● The Official Lego Channel: a channel dedicated to inspiring and developing the builders of tomorrow where kids can watch their favorite Minifigure characters.

● SQAD: eSports, sports and gaming content targets teens, tweens and video game lovers of all ages. SQAD brings together the best from gaming culture, and straight up weird shows. 

● Tankee Gaming: a safe channel where kids and families can watch gaming content featuring Minecraft, Roblox, Nintendo hits and more by their favorite gamers. 

● Toon Goggles: Toon Goggles has favorite kids shows for free including Angry Birds, Talking Tom, Om Nom, Gummy Bears, Sonic and Yu-Gi-Oh! and many more! 

● WowNow Kids: the home of original animated adventures, educational series, and sing-alongs. WowNow delivers popular, Dove-approved movies and TV for families and children of all ages. 

“We are excited for the HappyKids launch as part of Vizio SmartCast’s kid programming, which is so timely. We will be bringing our expansive library of premium shows, movies and educational content to millions of Vizio SmartCast families all delivered in a kids-safe environment,” said Vikrant Mathur, co-founder of Future Today. 

The new channels can be found under the Free Channels section from the SmartCast Home screen and will complement Vizio’s WatchFree service. SmartCast viewers have access to over 200+ free linear TV channels of news, TV shows, movies and sports.

"Kidoodle.TV's inclusion on Vizio SmartCast is a great way to support millions of families with our Safe Streaming service and we couldn't be happier to work with a world-class platform,” said Neil Gruniniger, president and chief product officer of Kidoodle.

"We're excited to officially launch our Giggle Mug kids channel on Vizio SmartCast. The growing platform has a wonderful lineup of kids channels available and we're proud to be included," added Jesse Janson, executive VP of acquisitions & business development for Janson Media. 

Sony Pictures Television is launching Sony Canal, a new free, ad-supported television destination for U.S. Spanish-language audiences, the company said Wednesday.

SPT is kicking off the offering with two new U.S. Spanish-language channels  -- Sony Canal Comedias and Sony Canal Competencias -- that are making their debut as apps on Vizio’s SmartCast Smart TV platform.

“The US Hispanic audience is one of the most rapidly growing segments in the country. With these channels, whether it’s comedies or game shows, we are excited to have a new home for Sony Pictures Television’s diverse content offerings that appeal to multi-faceted, Spanish-speaking viewers,” TC Schultz, EVP, networks operations, programming and strategy, Sony Pictures Television, said in a statement.

Sony Canal Comedias will feature Spanish-language comedies from the library of SPT International Production, while Sony Canal Competencias will include reality competition series and game shows. Sony Canal Comedias will offer local Latin American productions of such classic sitcoms as La Niñera (The Nanny), Quién Manda a Quien (Who’s the Boss) and Casados Con Hijos (Married… with Children) and Sony Channel’s Los Caballeros Las Prefieren Brutas. Sony Canal Competencias will debut with Escape Perfecto, the Mexican adaptation of the SPT game format Raid the Cage, which features couples completing both trivia and physical challenges to buy time to haul prizes from a gigantic cage before the doors slam shut. 

Sony Canal is expected to launch additional ad-supported channels later this year.

AVOD service Tubi is now available on smart TV maker Vizio’s SmartCast operating platform.

Irvine, California-based Vizio is one of the biggest manufacturers of smart TVs in the world, generating around $3.5 billion in annual sales.

It’s one more key distribution point for San Francisco-based start-up Tubi, which was already available on Samsung smart TVs.

In all, Tubi said it’s app is now supported by more than 25 platforms, including all the major OTT ecosystems Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, Xbox One, Sony Playstation 4. The free-to-consumer service, which boasts a library of 15,000 movie and TV show titles, is also natively available on Comcast’s X1 platform, as well as Cox’s licensed version of X1, Contour. Mobile Tubi apps for iOS and Android are also available.