The next step after ad-supported streaming services is apparently ad-supported TVs. The co-founder of Pluto TV has a new company with plans to launch a free TV later this year.
The news was reported by Janko Roettgers in his newsletter Lowpass based on multiple sources familiar with startup company Teevee Corporation's plans. The stealthy startup was founded in april 2021 by Pluto TV co-founder Ilya Pozin.
- "Teevee Corporation, as Pozin’s new company is called, has been building a new kind of TV set that includes a persistent second screen for advertising as well as informational widgets. The goal of the company is to give the TV away for free, and monetize it through ads on that second screen. Teevee has been operating in stealth, and its plans haven’t been previously reported," reports Lowpass.
In case you are not familiar with Pluto TV, it is one of the largest FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) service. Like Amazon Freevee and the Roku Channel, Pluto TV offers free access to content with ads.
Free ad-supported TV hardware?
Could a similar model work for TV hardware? It is not as far as out it may sound. Existing streaming dongles such as Roku, Chromecast and Fire TV are already close to free because you are the product.
Apparently, Teevee is developing "an all-in-one device, combining a decently-sized TV, a soundbar and a second screen in a single chassis". The second screen will show ads, widgets, weather, sports scores, news, and more. The actual TV will "rely on bundling an existing streaming dongle to add apps for streaming services to the device", wrote Lowpass.
Tagline on the company's main website. Screenshot: FlatpanelsHD
Watching you watch TV
How will the second screen then know what is playing on the TV? Most likely through ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) that uses machine learning to always check what is playing on your TV screen, regardless of source. Like Smart TVs, it will be watching you watch TV.
The product will apparently be launched as "Telly" later this year, according to the report and the company's websites teevee.com and freetelly.com.
- Source: Lowpass
