As part of our ongoing effort to build premium entertainment experiences for millions of VIZIO viewers, we recently launched several new initiatives to integrate the creative expertise of the developer community into the VIZIO Platform+ Smart TV ecosystem.
This recently included hosting our inaugural Developer Conference, a virtual streaming event held on July 14. More than 250 app developers, media networks, content studios, and tech partners representing over 65 companies tuned in to hear key members of VIZIO’s product, software, innovation and engineering teams provide in-depth demonstrations of the VIZIO platform and capabilities.
Preferred Developer Program
During the event, we introduced the VIZIO Preferred Developer Program. This new initiative was created to optimize and accelerate the onboarding process for new content partners by providing a list of preferred developers who specialize in building solutions for the VIZIO platform. The program is available nationwide for certified developers and content distributors to collaborate and build apps and experiences for VIZIO Smart TVs.
Also announced at the event was VIZIO Account, VIZIO’s new end-to-end payment and subscription management solution. VIZIO Account offers streaming app partners and developers a way to streamline the monetization of subscriptions and accelerate consumer adoption through a complete suite of APIs and documentation available on VIZIO’s Developer Portal. With VIZIO Account, developers can quickly accelerate the adoption of subscription apps and services available on SmartCast TVs.
In addition to these announcements, attendees had the opportunity to explore the foundations of the VIZIO smart TV platform, including:
The VIZIO User Experience and WatchFree+ — A showcase of both VIZIO’s award-winning, integrated operating system and our unique owned and operated free streaming service, WatchFree+. Both are built upon VIZIO’s data-informed approach of surfacing the most relevant and timely content for millions of viewers every time they turn on the TV.
Integrated Hardware & Software Product Updates — VIZIO’s integrated hardware and software offering allows us to work with content partners and developers to create custom integrations across VIZIO’s wide range of TVs and sound bar offerings.
VIZIO Voice — Innovations that simplify the search and discovery process across SmartCast and interoperability with mobile devices which support Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in, as well as integrations for major Smart Home ecosystems such as Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.
Developer Tech Stack — App requirements, platform integrations and detailed mechanics for how to optimize app performance, app testing and certification best practices across the VIZIO platform and VIZIO mobile.
Metadata Feed Integration — VIZIO’s metadata feed integration across both text and voice can help optimize app performance and increase user engagement, helping drive promotion within the VIZIO operating system across home screen hero, discovery and carousel placements.
New Ad Integration — VIZIO’s latest advancements in its direct-to-device advertising business, with ad integrations make it possible for partners to facilitate contextually relevant content with capabilities including diagnostics reports, detailed logs of ad requests, volume forecasting, delivery trends over time, and overall performance.