American startup Telly has begun distributing its free televisions, a model built around a second display that runs alongside the main screen to show advertisements continuously. This angle was reported by The Verge in their latest Edition.
The flagship Telly set features a 55 inch 4K main panel paired with a robust soundbar. Beneath the primary screen sits an additional display designed for advertising, while still offering access to traditional television programming and sports news on the secondary panel. The device also includes a built in camera, which the manufacturer says is useful for guided remote workouts with trainers.
By the end of 2023, Telly aimed to ship at least 500,000 units across the United States. The plan for 2024 pointed toward the distribution of millions of devices, signaling a broad rollout. The business model centers on giving the hardware away to users, with revenue generated from advertisers who place messages on the supplementary screens. Major partners already listed include Microsoft, Magnite and MNTN.
Earlier industry notes referenced a different approach from Xiaomi, which introduced a 55 inch 4K television at a price of about 20 thousand rubles, a contrast to Telly’s free device strategy that relies on ad monetization.