After debuting a version of its TVOS for a handful of third-party smart TV and streaming gadget makers last year, LG has upgraded and expanded webOS Hub to more than 200 technology partners. 

The additional brands, which include Seiki, Eko, Stream System, Konka, Aiwa and Hyundai, marks a tenfold increase over the 20 device partners that were announced when the "Hub" version of webOS was first introduced in early 2021. 

LG is one of the biggest suppliers of smart TVs -- and smart TV operating software -- in the world, controlling nearly 20% of the international TVOS market, according to research company Omdia. LG says 120 million devices in 50 countries are powered by webOS.

For the latest iteration of webOS Hub, LG is following an emerging business tech trend, supplying a customizable platform that lets smaller consumer electronics makers establish their own branding on their devices. 

Hub partners can customize and fine-tune the home screen by selecting the color scheme, applying a visual style consistent with their identity or inserting a logo for visibility. 

It's a strategy similar to what Xperi is deploying in Europe with a TiVo-branded TVOS, which it says allows CE makers who can't afford to develop their own OS to keep their brand identity intact, instead of forfeiting it the major connected TV gateway software makers -- Roku, Amazon and Google. 

In the latest webOS Hub, LG is also touting enhanced usability and personalization features, providing users with a curated selection of content to check out based on their tastes and preferences. 

Next Pick1 recommends up to three live programs, from broadcast stations or a connected set-top box, as well as one VOD title or app. 

The new update also supports LG’s Magic Explorer, which displays information relevant to the content being played, such as actor bios and filming locations.

Additionally, webOS Hub provides an improved viewing experience with Clear Voice PRO, a feature that makes onscreen dialogue much easier to hear. 

As with the more traditional webOS, webOS Hub supports major streaming apps including Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video, as well as LG’s free, premium content service, LG Channels. 

The TVOS is adding vMVPD fubo TV, and popular cloud gaming service NVIDIA GeForce Now. 

“We are committed to refining and expanding our webOS Hub ecosystem, which continues to introduce more and more consumers to the unparalleled user experience of LG webOS,” said Park Hyoung-sei, president of the LG Home Entertainment Company, in a statement. 

In the battle for OTT supremacy, controlling the operating system of a smart TV is called “pole position.”

Whether it’s Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung’s Tizen or Android TV, once a buyer takes a new flat panel out of the box, they tend to most often use the OS native to their television, regardless as to whatever connected device is plugged into HDMI 1.

And one of the unintended consequences of the Trump Administration’s trade war with China has been a major shakeup in terms of which OTT ecosystem gets into the most living rooms.

According to a report released over the summer by research firm IHS Markit, 89% of smart TVs sold in the U.S. are smart TVs. And of the smart TVs sold in the U.S. in the first quarter, 37% were powered by Roku, which was up from 23% in the fourth quarter.

Roku surpasses the previous market leader, Tizen, which is the operating system powering Korean consumer electronics brand Samsung, as well as webOS, which belongs to another Korean brand, LG. Roku also surpassed Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.

The Roku OS primarily powers smart TVs made in China, such as TCL. With the Trump Administration upping tariffs on Chinese-made goods like TVs to 15%, effective in the fourth quarter, IHS Chinese manufactures upped their shipments to the U.S. in the first half of the year.

"The boom in Chinese TV sales put Roku at the top of the North American market for the first time since the third quarter of 2017," said Paul Gray, research director, IHS Markit. "Roku outstripped Samsung’s Tizen and LG’s webOS because of the popularity of the low-priced Chinese smart TVs.”

Beyond Trump’s trade war with China, the smart TV market is about to get even more complex. This month, China’s OnePlus—a company widely known in the smart phone market—will release a new smart TV line that, among other premium features, will include eight speakers. The new devices will run on a customized version of Android TV. 

Showtime said it’s the first cable network to launch an app on LG Electronics smart TVs that run webOS.

The launch, which includes access on LG’s new 2018 OLED TVs and Super UHD TVs with AI ThinQ built-in, spans both Showtime’s standalone OTT service (called SHOWTIME and sold for $10.99 per month) as well as Showtime Anytime, its authenticated TV Everywhere service that is part of a pay TV subscription.

Showtime said its standalone OTT service, launched in July 2015, has well over 2 million subscribers.

The app launch on LG smart TVs expands on Showtime’s streaming reach on other platforms that include Samsung smart TVs, Roku, Apple and Amazon devices, and the Xbox One console. Showtime is also distributed by vMVPDs and digital partners such as Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue, fuboTV and Amazon Channels.

LG said its webOS-powered 2017 OLED Super UHD smart TV models have stitched in support for Sling TV, Dish Network’s OTT TV service.

Those 2017 models are powered by webOS 3.5, the latest version of LG’s smart TV platform.

LG made Sling TV available on its 2016 smart TV models earlier this year. Sling TV also supports Apple TV (4th generation), Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Amazon Fire TV devices, the Chromecast streaming adapter, AirTV Player, Channel Master DVRs, the Xbox One, Web browsers, and iOS and Android mobile devices.

RELATED: LG Buys HP's WebOS for Smart TVs

LG also announced that its Channel Plus app has surpassed 100 OTT-delivered channels. That lineup includes Bloomberg Politics, Funny or Die, Baeble Music, PBS Digital Studios, Family Feud, the People/Entertainment Weekly Network, Cheddar and Tastemade, among others.

Channels Plus, a free, ad-supported service powered by Xumo, is offered on 2016 and 2017 LG models running webOS 3.0 and 3.5. In addition to SVOD streaming, Channels Plus also allows users to integrate and present over-the-air broadcast channels.

RELATED: LG Tunes In 'Channels Plus'