Content consumption has changed drastically in the last decade. The best streaming services have now eclipsed cable TV, DVD video, and other forms of broadcast media. Ads have been a constant throughout, though, even as recently as with Netflix’s ad-supported streaming tier. However, the co-founder of Pluto TV believes ads should take up more time in our content enjoyment experience — all of it.
Pluto TV co-founder Ilya Pozin is now pioneering a new concept called the Telly, where you get the TV and soundbar hardware for free, but you pay for it with your time and attention. Specifically, you’ll be forced to stare at constant advertising on the Telly’s second screen, Janko Roettgers reports in his Lowpass newsletter (via The Verge).
Although details are sparse, this secondary screen is reportedly as tall as a smartphone and as wide as the bigger screen above it. Besides ads, it could display additional information like widgets for the weather, news headlines, and major league games like NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. However, the focus for Pozin’s new firm called Teevee Corporation is squarely on monetization through advertising. The cost of the Telly will be recovered by selling brands a spot on your secondary screen, much like a billboard in your living room.
Pozin’s idea is quite impressive from a business standpoint — combining a low-margin onetime hardware sale into the long-term recurring sale of advertising slots. Provided Tellys stay switched on and last long enough, the company could recover hardware costs through brand deals in no time.
While we are tempted to suggest you ready the rolls of duct tape to save yourself from this form of ad-supported streaming, Teevee’s first TV may not have mass appeal to begin with. The report mentions the company’s debut TV will use existing streaming services and dongles, offering nothing unique in terms of content. It is also challenging to confirm these details or dig up more, because a product website suspected to belong to the company only has one image on it, and no content.
The Teevee Corporation could be the first company to introduce a digital billboard into your living room, but the idea is doing the rounds in the industry right now. However, a Telly could be a good option with a low entry cost for people looking to watch content easily, for free, on decent hardware. Teevee’s website optimistically states something is coming later this year, hopefully the wait won’t be too long.