Walmart is planning to acquire TV maker Vizio

Walmart, the American retail giant, has announced that it will be acquiring TV maker Vizio to further its ad business. The $2.3 billion deal comes months after Vizio gave a major overhaul to its software to deliver a better user experience.

As per the official press release issued by Walmart, the retail corporation is looking to boost its advertising business through the company's SmartCast OS. Vizio’s operating system supports free ad-supported content and has over 500 direct advertiser partnerships, which might unlock a whole new set of audiences for Walmart along with valuable viewership data.

Walmart already has an in-house TV brand, ‘ONN,’ that produces affordable TVs. Compared to ONN, Vizio’s TVs can be considered ranging from lower-end to mid-range TVs. For example, the Vizio 65-inch 4K smart TV (curr. $443.00 on Amazon) usually retails for $519.99. In 2023, ONN paired with Innovid to deliver more customized ads. The retailer had also partnered with Roku to display ads that help the TV audience buy products from Walmart.

At the time of writing, the proposed acquisition is yet to get regulatory clearance. Further, if Vizio receives a better offer within 45 days, then this proposed deal with Walmart could be squashed.