Redbox Testing Ad-Supported TV Service
February 11, 2020
Redbox has begun testing an ad-supported live TV service to select users, with plans to roll out the platform nationwide.
The national kiosk disc rental chain in 2017 launched a digital rental and sellthough platform. The new ad-supported service is aimed at complementing the company’s digital and packaged-media strategies.
“Redbox offers Free Live TV with no sign in required,” the service wrote on a landing page. “You can watch dozens of popular channels like TMZ, USA Today and FailArmy — including our very own Redbox channels featuring hand-picked collections of our personal favorites. With so much variety, there’s something for everyone.”
The ad-supported platform joins a burgeoning cottage industry of over-the-top video services looking to remain competitive without resorting to subscription-based business model similar to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.
The AVOD market now includes The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, IMDb TV, Crackle Plus, Tubi, Plex and Xumo TV, among others.
Indeed, the Redbox live TV platform is supported by Xumo technology.
“The offering complements our new-release kiosk and on-demand offering with ad-supported catalog content, driving new entertainment occasions, while also providing new ways for Redbox to promote the brand outside of our network,” a Redbox spokesperson told Protocol, which first reported the move.
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