This week’s biggest media/tech story is Walmart’s intent to acquire VIZIO for $2.3 billion. The combination of retail media (targeted advertising), advanced television technology and bundled content is at the heart of the deal.
This blockbuster announcement reminded me of a panel I moderated at CES last month that included VIZIO’s Katherine Pond titled “Monetizing the TV/Streaming, Programming Platforms.”
Katherine offered a look at why VIZIO, which has been around for 22 years, has remained so relevant in 2024.
The big difference between the bundling concept now and the days when there was only linear TV, the combinations are all about adding what Katherine called “non-content” aspects to TV deals, like e-commerce and shoppable ads into programming environments.
She pointed to Paramount ’s 2022 deal that gave Walmart ’s e-commerce loyalty program members free access to that streaming network’s content.
These alliances are driven because every brand wants a direct relationship with the consumer, Katherine said.
That’s why VIZIO has its own billing and payment platform that connects consumers and their data to VIZIO’s partners. That’s why VIZIO's Inscape ACR data, which captures viewing insights from millions of connected TV devices (including cable box, set top box , DVR, etc.) and streaming environments, makes it more than just a maker of connected TVs.
The layers of consumer and advertiser connections VIZIO can bring to Walmart are enormous.
What are your thoughts? Do you see this as net-positive, neutral or negative for Walmart?
And how will companies such as Best Buy, Target and Roku respond?
#walmart #vizio #brandmarketing #acquisitions #retailmedia #advertisingtech #CMOs