More Than 100,000 People Registered for Telly’s Free 4K TV in First 36 Hours, Startup Claims

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Proving that people can’t resist the offer of getting something for nothing, startup Telly said more than 100,000 people registered to get a free 4K TV set that displays a continuous rotation of ads on a second screen within the first 36 hours of launch.

Telly CEO and founder Ilya Pozin, who previously co-founded free-streaming company Pluto TV, said the interest in the offer surpassed “even our most optimistic expectations.” The 100,000-plus signups, averaging nearly one per second, came without Telly having to spend “a single dollar on marketing,” he continued, “and we’re just getting started!” Two thirds of those signing up for a Telly are Gen Z and millennial households, according to Pozin, “and are eager to have a TV in the living room that matches their lifestyle.” Telly says it expects to ship out the first of 500,000 free TVs in the U.S.

starting this summer. The 55-inch TV sets would cost more than $1,000 at retail, according Pozin. The L.A.-based company launched its signup portal on Monday (May 15) after more than than two years in development.

The tradeoff: Telly users must submit detailed demographic info (such as age and address), as well as purchasing behaviors and viewing habits.