Half a million TVs will be shipped this year
Telly, founded by Pluto TV co-founder Ilya Pozin, has begun shipping free TVs to its first wave of customers. Recall that a feature of the model was the second screen, which constantly displays ads.
Telly announced in May and plans to ship 500,000 free TVs to customers by the end of 2023 and “millions more” in 2024.
The second screen can be used to display widgets showing sports scores, a news sticker, weather, and more. The TV has a camera with a protective shutter for fitness programs, as well as a set of built-in games.
“The Smartest TV Ever Made” – Free 55″ Telly TVs Delivered to Owners
In addition, Telly announced that it is working with Nielsen to “collect and interpret first-of-its-kind audience and advertising performance data” for advertisers and TV programs. Telly is also working with Microsoft, Magnite and MNTN to advertise on TV. Last year, Microsoft became an advertising partner with Netflix for a new level of ad support.
“We are thrilled to begin delivering to consumers what is by far the smartest TV ever made,” said Ilya Pozin, CEO and founder of Telly. “Our disruptive ad-supported business model makes television absolutely free for consumers, but the most exciting thing about Telly is the technology that allows our dual-screen TV to get better with every update.”
A month after Telly opened pre-orders, there were 250,000 people in line.
