Walmart buys smart TV manufacturer Vizio for $2.3 billion – Kommersant

Walmart, the largest retail chain in the United States and around the world, announced on the purchase of the American smart TV manufacturer Vizio for $2.3 billion. Vizio was founded in 2002 in California by William Wang, a native of Taiwan. The company’s annual sales are about $2 billion. Since 2016, Vizio has launched its own SmartCast operating system for TVs, which supports popular services such as Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, etc. In 2020, the company became one of the leaders in sales of smart TVs in the United States , and the number of active SmartCast users exceeded 12 million people. The company also produces smart speakers, with sales of about 11 million units.

Interviewed The Wall Street Journal experts believe that the purchase of Vizio by retail giant Walmart will not only increase sales of Vizio products, but will also give the retail chain a good opportunity to advertise its products and services through smart TVs. Analysts also believe that Walmart’s large customer base will allow it to profit from streaming services provided by Vizio devices, which is a good way for Walmart to diversify its business.

Evgeny Khvostik