The continued push to have all the native apps on all the native smart TV operating systems continues, with FuboTV now natively available on Vizio’s SmartCast platform. Or, in other words, you’ll no longer need to plug in some other hardware — like the new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max or a Roku Streaming Stick — or resort to Chromecast or AirPlay 2 to get your FuboTV on.
That’s good news for FuboTV, the smallest of the major live TV streaming services in the United States, with some 681,721 paid subscribers at last count. The addition of Vizio, a major player in the TV industry, means that another barrier to entry has been removed for Fubo, making it that much easier for new subscribers to get going.
It’s also good news for Vizio itself. SmartCast boasts some 14 million active accounts as of June 30, 2021, up 43% year-over-year. Each of those accounts represents revenue for the company ($16.76 per user, up 90% year-over-year). And the more folks who use SmartCast instead of relying on external hardware, then the more insight Vizio has into viewing habits, the more advertising it can sell, and the more money it gets to bring in. To bring that point home, Vizio reported $65.5 million in revenue from its “Platform+” segment during the second quarter of 2021, up 146% year-over-year. And that’s before you get to gross profit, which landed at $47.5 million, up a whopping 167% year-over-year.
And it’s good news for those who are just trying to stream all the things they want to stream — and especially good news for sports fans, as FuboTV specializes in that.
In a press release, Len Landi, senior vice president of Business Development of FuboTV, said that “94% of FuboTV subscribers enjoy watching their favorite sports, news, and entertainment on the big screen. With today’s launch on Vizio SmartCast TVs, we’re bringing FuboTV’s premium viewing experience to Vizio SmartCast, one of the most popular smart TV platforms on the market. It’s a perfect marriage as we gear up for the fall sports season.”
The FuboTV app on SmartCast will allow for up to six users on a single account. Profiles will let everyone have their own set of recordings, personalized recommendations, and customizable program guide. They’ll also be able to record full series, or keep up with specific teams.
“Sports continue to be one of the most popular categories of programming on television, so FuboTV’s offering with an impressive array of live sports programming, as well as hundreds of other entertainment options, is a welcome addition to the SmartCast lineup,” Katherine Pond, vice president of business development at Vizio, said in a press release. “We are continuously enhancing the SmartCast platform with new features and content, so users have endless entertainment options from the comfort of their homes.”
FuboTV starts at $65 a month for its “Starter” plan, which gets you 108 channels, 250 hours of cloud-based DVR, and the ability to watch on three devices at once. It tops out with its “Elite” plan at $80 a month and includes nearly 200 channels, 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and has the ability to watch on as many as 10 screens at once at home.
