What better way to demonstrate the journey from Content to Commerce than with a deep conversation with people actually working in media and entertainment, the core link between those two C’s?
VIZIO’s Head of Media, Entertainment, and Advertising Sean Booker sat down with industry leaders from NBCUniversal, Universal Pictures and Walmart Connect for a conversation about how the living room now acts more as a front door thanks to the VIZIO OS, transforming how studios release films, grow streaming platforms, and connect with fans.
Film marketing hasn’t been this difficult since the dawn of mass media. Audiences are scattered across devices and dozens of apps, so when you’re looking to sell out screenings of Wicked or Jurassic World, any opportunity to reach a large number of potential fans at the same time can’t be passed up.
“Our mission has always been to build the biggest awareness,” says Suzanne Cole, EVP, Media at Universal Pictures. “And as people are starting to go into more streaming platforms that are ad free, the VIZIO platform allows us to actually get them before they go there.”
Pointing to the example of a Jurassic World home screen takeover, Cole adds, “It showcases the big screen experience, and it also gives us the opportunity for people to dig in further with additional content. So it really is a terrific addition to the ecosystem we're living in."
Congratulations, your marketing worked: The film is a huge hit! Boffo box office! …Now what?
Lindsay Vogelman, SVP of Strategic Partnerships & Partner Marketing at NBCUniversal, explains that media companies can no longer view theatrical and streaming as separate pieces, but rather as parts of a continuous content lifecycle.
“Our goal is to keep the momentum going,” Vogelman says. "VIZIO’s platform is so powerful because people are already there to watch something. So we're able to get them to engage more."
Cole notes that Universal now looks for partners who understand the "bigger picture" —managing theatrical, streaming, and franchises simultaneously. "We're looking at ways to manage the journey for a consumer from first going to a movie theater; hopefully you'll want to see it again in one of our subsequent windows, or continue to be a subscriber of Peacock,” she says.
The Modern Partnership Model
The group agrees that the old "campaign-by-campaign" model is dead. Today’s landscape requires a unified approach.
"We've been very strategic in how we look at third party partnerships,” says Vogelman. “Walmart Plus was an excellent relationship that we entered into this past year. This is really another way to meet consumers where they're at. You know, members of Walmart Plus now have an option to sign up for Peacock through this and get access to our content. So it's been great for our business.”
For Sean Booker and the VIZIO team, the takeaway is clear: The VIZIO OS is no longer just a way to launch an app—it is a strategic engine that drives the entire entertainment ecosystem. By unifying theatrical, streaming, and retail data, VIZIO and Walmart are providing the "proof and scale" that modern studios demand.
It all starts on the Home Screen.