Telly (company)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Founder | Ilya Pozin |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Ilya Pozin (CEO) |
| Products | Smart Display |
| Website | telly |
Telly is a Los Angeles-based TV set manufacturing company. The Telly television set became available to the public in 2023 and is distributed for free to users in the United States.[1][2] Telly was founded by Ilya Pozin in 2021. The TV set contains a secondary screen that displays soundless, unobtrusive advertisements. The large amount of commercials are reported to be in place to pay for the expenses of the free product.[3]
History
Telly was founded in May 2021 by Ilya Pozin who previously co-founded Pluto TV.[4][5][6]
In May 2023, Telly initiated a waitlist and began distributing its ad-supported TVs to initial users in July.[7][8]
Telly's investors include Rich Greenfield, a general partner at LightShed Ventures, and Gary Vaynerchuk's VaynerMedia.[8]
Features
Telly is a TV set that includes a 55-inch primary display, a secondary display called Smart Display that continuously shows ads, regardless of the main screen's content, and a soundbar located between the primary and secondary display.[9][10] Smart Display also displays widgets such as sports scores, news tickers, weather updates, and prices of company shares.[10][11]
Telly has a camera for video calls, a voice assistant, and built-in games.[1][12] It also contains a sensor that measures viewer engagement, three HDMI inputs, two USB inputs, and a tuner for over-the-air broadcasts.[9][10]
Telly runs on its own operating system, TellyOS, but is also compatible with other streaming devices like Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and Apple TV.[10][13]
Telly ads are actionable, and a user can buy products or services directly from the television.[13]
Controversy
Telly has faced scrutiny over privacy issues, as the secondary screen collects data on viewing habits and interactions with ads as well as number of people watching.[14] Critics have argued that Telly's business model relies heavily on data collection, which may raise concerns about consumer privacy.[15] In response, Telly has stated that it takes user privacy seriously and that all data collected is anonymized and used solely for improving the ad experience.[16]
References
- ^ a b Pierce, David (October 10, 2023). "Telly has a plan to build the best TV ever — and give it away for free". The Verge.
- ^ Weprin, Alex (May 15, 2023). "A Startup From the Co-Founder of Pluto TV Thinks America Is Ready for Free TVs". Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ DeMuro, Rich (31 January 2024). "You can get this 4K TV for free, but there's a catch". KTLA. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Adams, Matt (May 15, 2023). "New company thinks it's time for free TVs–here's how to get one". WXIN.
- ^ Newman, Jared (15 May 2023). "Telly's wild idea: Free TVs with inescapable ads". Fast Company.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (May 15, 2023). "Startup Telly Plans to Give Away 500,000 Free 4K TVs This Year. The Catch? The Sets Have a Second Screen That Constantly Shows You Ads". Variety.
- ^ Roth, Emma (July 13, 2023). "Telly starts shipping its free ad-supported 55-inch TVs". The Verge.
- ^ a b Spangler, Todd (May 18, 2023). "More Than 100,000 People Registered for Telly's Free 4K TV in First 36 Hours, Startup Claims". Variety.
- ^ a b Wallenstein, Andrew (December 20, 2023). "Telly Founder Ilya Pozin Previews 2024's First New Features". Variety.
- ^ a b c d Roth, Emma (May 15, 2023). "This free TV comes with two screens". The Verge.
- ^ Roth, Emma (May 4, 2023). "Forget ad-supported streaming — here come the ad-supported TVs". The Verge.
- ^ Forristal, Lauren (May 15, 2023). "Hardware startup Telly launches a free smart TV entirely supported by ads". TechCrunch.
- ^ a b Welch, Chris (June 2, 2023). "Telly dual-screen TV first look: it's free and may be the future". The Verge.
- ^ Hoover, Amanda. "The True Cost of a Free Telly TV". Wired.
- ^ Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report (March 24, 2024). "Would you trade your privacy for a free TV?". Fox News.
- ^ Whittaker, Zack (May 16, 2023). "Telly, the 'free' smart TV with ads, has privacy policy red flags".