Telly Starts Shipping Free, Ad-Supported 4K TVs, Will Charge Users up to $1,000 if They Violate Terms of Service
Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Telly’s free 55-inch 4K dual-screen TV sets are set to arrive at users’ homes this week — but of course, there’s a catch. The start-up, which plans to ship some 500,000 free, ad-supported TVs in 2023 in the U.S., is calling the initial wave a “public beta program.” The company says the new Telly households represent a diverse cross-section of the U.S. population, although the initial user base overindexes on education level and household income — and also skews toward Gen Zers and millennials. According to Telly, more than 250,000 people have signed up to receive a free TV set, which displays an always-on, rotating ad unit on a 9-inch-high second screen situated below the main 55-inch one. Each unit also includes a free Chromecast with Google TV adapter. The bulk of the half-million TVs will go out in the fourth quarter of 2023, Telly chief strategy officer Dallas Lawrence said: “We think there’s no better Black Friday deal than free.”