Xumo, a company that offers ad-supported video streaming and builds similar experiences for others, has new enterprise deals in place with Sony and Panasonic.
Xumo will build custom video streaming apps that will be integrated with both Sony and Panasonic smart TVs. The company already does something similar with LG Channels, an AVOD streaming service offered on LG smart TVs. With Sony and Panasonic on board, Xumo can offer both content owners and advertisers even wider distribution.
"As the leading free OTT service in the U.S., Xumo is eager to join forces and work toward providing audiences their favorite streaming or local, over-the-air channels through one intuitive TV experience," said Xumo CEO Colin Petrie-Norris in a statement. "It remains our mission to work with global TV manufacturers, content and advertiser partners to deliver a quality experience for end users; one that can easily become a daily routine."
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Xumo said that LG Channels now offers more than 190 channels to U.S. audiences, and that the service has seen a 100% increase in viewership year over year. The company will deliver similar apps for Sony and Panasonic in 2020.
The new enterprise deals for Xumo come as the company is reportedly being targeted for acquisition by Comcast, which is preparing to launch its own ad-supported streaming service, Peacock, in April.
Xumo’s technology and expertise could be beneficial for Comcast with Peacock, its streaming service that will rely heavily on advertising, launching in April.
Comcast is planning to offer Peacock for free to its Comcast and Sky pay TV subscribers along with a subscription tier for consumers that don’t subscribe to Comcast’s pay TV services. But recent reports from CNBC (which is owned by Comcast) suggest that the company will make the service free for everyone to use.