“We tried it out together, and not only was it wildly successful on WatchFree+, but they also ended up distributing it to a couple of our competitors in the market as well because it was doing so well.”

And services continue to add new channels. Last week, Vizio announced the addition of more channels, bringing the number it provides in WatchFree+ to “more than 275.” (Apparently, even they aren’t quite sure of the number!) Unfortunately, many FAST linear services rely on the simple grid guide – invented in the 1980s – as the primary navigation and discovery tool.

Most of the profit comes from advertising for Vizio (and other providers like Roku.) And the company is looking to boost the opportunities to advertise in its SmartCast TV OS. According to Michael O’Donnell, Vizio’s Chief Revenue and Strategic Growth Officer, there was a 53% increase in time spent with the SmartCast home screen between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 as users spent more time hunting for something to watch.