Vizio has long touted the benefits of its smart TV sets as the best way to watch premium and free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) content. Now, viewers who like the sounds of “free” don’t have to buy a Vizio TV set to get access to their free streaming platform.
Starting this week, Vizio has rolled out a version of its FAST service WatchFree Plus that works with Apple iOS and Android-powered phones and tablets, including iPhone, iPad and Samsung Galaxy devices.
The service is available within the Vizio app, which can be downloaded for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It allows Vizio and non-Vizio users alike to watch more than 300 streaming channels offering local and national news, sports, movies, entertainment, lifestyle and knowledge programs.
Katherine Pond, the Group Vice President of Platform Content and Partnerships at Vizio, said Vizio TV users have made WatchFree Plus the “number two most-watched free, ad-supported app on the Vizio platform.” It wasn’t clear what is number one, but it is presumably YouTube, which was the biggest media distributor in July, according to Nielsen.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to make the service available to everyone in the Vizio mobile app, whether they have a Vizio TV or not,” Pond said. “Making great entertainment affordable and accessible to everyone has always been core to our mission, and we are excited to offer even more users access to the amazing content and great experience that WatchFree Plus offers.”
Vizio distributes its 300-plus partner content streams across 24 different genre-based sections. Users can customize the line-up by adding content streams to a favorites list, and receive personalized recommendations on new channels, shows and movies to watch based on their viewership habits.
Free, ad-supported streaming content is becoming a bigger focus for Vizio, as the company best known for its low-cost, feature-filled smart TVs is seeing more growth in its platform business compared to hardware sales. Last quarter, revenue from advertising and subscription sales clocked in at just under $170 million; retail brand Walmart earlier this year agreed to plunk down $2.3 billion for Vizio, largely based on the premise that it can leverage Vizio’s presence in more than 18 million homes to drive its own digital advertising business.
Now, Vizio has sweetened the deal by extending its advertising business to streamers who may prefer to watch TV on a non-Vizio model in their homes, offering them yet another place to watch free streaming video on their phones and tablets and giving Vizio additional pipelines to grow its advertising business
