“[The series] captures important criteria as we evaluate what to put in front of our audiences: relevance, timeliness, and premium storytelling,” Steve DeMain, VP of branded content & sponsorships at Vizio, said in a statement.

The content was produced by food and lifestyle veterans Turn Card Content. 3 Pointers is available on the VIZIO home screen and on demand on WatchFree+.

The new Vizio AutoUpdate and redesigned Vizio Mobile app allow TV owners faster access to to favorite apps, movies and free streaming options.

Vizio’s first announced AutoUpdate of 2023 provides shortcuts for select Vizio TV owners with a new Quick Menu, WatchFree+ Mini Guide, and Recent Apps row.

With the SXM App, Vizio Smart TV users can stream Howard Stern’s two exclusive channels; the new original comedy channel Team Coco Radio, executive produced by Conan O’Brien; more than 330 channels of ad-free music; podcasts; live sports and sports talk; entertainment; news; comedy and more.

Kudos to honorees Paul Colichman of Here TV, Cameron Douglas of Fandango/Vudu, Danny Fisher of FilmRise, Adam Lewinson of Tubi, Gene Pao of Shout! Factory, Katherine Pond of Vizio, and Stefan Van Engen of Xumo who were on hand for the fun

“With Vidgo’s app available on connected TV and streaming devices, including Roku, Vizio, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, as well as Android and iOS mobile devices, our subscribers now have unlimited access to their favorite shows, sports and news at home and on the go,” CEO Derek Mattsson said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Vizio’s decision to launch an ad-supported streaming platform continues to pay dividends. The platform surpassed 16.6 million active accounts in the quarter, generating $128 million in ad revenue — up 49% from revenue of $85.5 million last year.

Total Vizio user hours increased 11% to 8.12 million hours from 7.3 million. SmartCast hours increased 17% to 4.2 million from 3.6 million. More importantly, average revenue per user increased 39% to $27.7 from $19.9.

Vizio’s home screen Nov. 12-13 will feature a “sports blitz” section highlighting live college football and NFL games via Fox Sports. The app is the home for streaming live and on-demand sports from Fox, FS1, FS2, and Fox Deportes. Every Live Fox Sports game and studio show is available to TV subscribers, making NFL, MLB, NASCAR, college football, college basketball, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championships, CONCACAF Soccer, MLS, WWE, USFL, and Liga MX, as well as on-demand highlights of top moments from TV shows and sports leagues.

MyTime Movie Network is also creating original programming. The network is behind the lifestyle TV series “@Home with Tori.” Season 1 of the 10-part series premiered on Vizio last June, and season 2 is in pre-production by MyTime.

The recipients of the 2022 OTT.X Hero Award were:
Greg Barnard, director of content acquisition, Vizio
Liz Buhn, senior director of content and partner marketing, Vizio

Key gatekeepers are platforms such as Vizio, speakers noted. Katherine Pond, group VP, platform, content and partnerships at Vizio, said the company collects useful data that it can share with content partners.

“We have the ability to see what consumers are watching,” she said. For instance, if Vizio data shows a spike in viewership, she can say, “Let’s go talk to that network about making a FAST channel about this.”

Vizio Aug. 31 announced it has added four free channels from The E.W. Scripps Company, including ION, ION Mystery, Bounce XL and Grit Xtra to its ad-supported streaming service WatchFree+.

ION features a collection of television re-run dramas, including “NCIS,” “Chicago Fire,” “Law & Order: SVU,” and original holiday movies.

“Vizio appreciates DistroTV’s dedication to building personalized experiences for today’s streaming audience,” said Chris Tanquary, senior director of business development at Vizio, in a statement. “Vizio strives to be a place where viewers have endless entertainment options across all categories and genres, so, there is something for everyone.”

SmartCast hours increased 22% to 4.3 billion hours from 3.5 billion hours last year, with the average revenue per user up 54% to $25.87 from $16.79.

“Vizio has always been focused on great design, great user experiences, but just as importantly, a culture of discipline and efficiency. I am very proud of our strong and seasoned management team that has endured many business cycles and proven to be resilient.” said

“Our second quarter results show the success of the dual revenue model we’ve built.,” CEO William Wang said in a statement.

Vizio Aug. 8 announced that the Starz app is now available on Vizio Smart TVs. Subscribers can now access original series and a library of on-demand movies, including drama, comedy, western, and family, sci-fi, action, and documentaries, among others. Starz original series “Power,” “Outlander” and “P-Valley,” as well as box office hits Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and Thor: The Dark World, among others.