Startup giving away 500,000 free 4K TVs — but there’s a catch

Telly — the brainchild of Pluto TV co-founder Ilya Pozin — wants to ship 500,000 free 4K TVs bundled with a free Google TV-enabled Chromecast, Variety reports.

However, there is a catch: the TVs have a 9-inch-high second screen attached below the main display that features a dedicated space for advertising.

The adverts aren’t skippable and will run the whole time, even when you’re not watching TV.

“Telly is giving away the device completely free,” said Pozin.

“The business will be entirely supported by advertising and affiliate revenue.”

Pozin said omnipresent ads on the company’s TVs make them more valuable than traditional video advertising.

“We’re not just running 15-second prerolls,” he added.

The rest of the 9-inch screen will display things like weather, live sports scores, or stocks.

Regarding the TVs, the main display measures 55 inches and features three HDMI inputs, an over-the-air tuner, and an integrated soundbar.

Telly launched its reservation system on Monday, 15 May 2023, and promises to start shipping its first 500,000 TVs to qualifying US customers during their summer — between June and August.

Sign-up involves providing information such as demographic, TV viewing, and lifestyle preferences. This information is used to target households with specific ads.

The TVs also have a built-in sensor that can detect the number of people watching at any particular time.

Now read: Cheapest big-screen TVs in South Africa

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Startup giving away 500,000 free 4K TVs — but there’s a catch