TuneIn has formed a major new partnership in incorporating radio back into the home. The streamer has signed a deal with Vizio to build the audio platform into the app row on all Vizio Smart TVs, providing TuneIn’s library of radio stations, podcasts, and audiobooks.
In 2022, Vizio shipped 5.2 million Smart TV units and added 2.3 million accounts to its SmartCast streaming platform.
While originally serving as a hub for services like YouTube and Netflix, Smart TVs are becoming a go-to for home audio. In 2016, the percentage of Americans aged 13 and older using Internet-connected TVs was 2%. In November 2023, Edison Research revealed that audience share has increased to 6.9%. Most of that growth has come in the wake of the pandemic.
Vizio Senior Director of Business Development and Partnerships Seta Goldstein said, “As the TV is the focal point of the home, Vizio users can continue to enhance their streaming experience by accessing music, sports, news, podcasts and more through services like TuneIn. We are excited to offer our users an expanded range of 90,000+ radio stations quickly and easily from their Vizio TVs.”
TuneIn CEO Rich Stern added, “Vizio has built a true entertainment center for consumers with a tremendous user experience that makes it easy to navigate and access content. This new integration puts TuneIn in the homes of millions of Vizio owners to explore the full breadth of our offerings. We are constantly elevating our programming to bring listeners the latest and most popular content from stars like Garth Brooks and Tom Hanks to their local radio stations, so there is no shortage of entertainment to choose from.”
