As media conglomerate Comcast continues to try to evolve from its cable roots, Protocol reports industry insiders have indicated that the company has recently been in talks to acquire buying multiple different companies in an effort to strengthen its smart TV platform, one of the companies in question being Vizio. Comcast is reportedly also kicking the tires on digital entertainment company TP Vision, most notable for being the owners of the Phillips brand in Europe.
These talks began last year and have continued into 2022, but so far there has been no confirmation if any deal is still on the table.
Those discussions most likely would have been happening at the same time as Comcast was working on launching a joint streaming platform with Charter Communications — which it announced in April of this year. Owning Vizio, or another major smart TV hardware company, would serve as an effective means to grow the burgeoning platform.
By acquiring Vizio, Comcast can stay ahead of the digital curve by having its own manufacturer of smart TVs, which has become the primary device for streaming in many households in recent years. Considering that Comcast's own recent report on the rise of free streaming channels, it comes as no surprise that the cable titan is doubling down on streaming.
Comcast’s venture into the world of smart TVs began last year with the release of the XClass TV, made in collaboration with the TV-maker company Hisense and launched in September 2021. Both a 43 and 50-inch version of the Hisense smart TV are currently available in Walmart stores.
Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and the streaming service Peacock.