Redbox Entertainment has further expanded availability of its streaming app, signing a deal to have it natively integrated into the app store of smart TVs and other devices powered by Vewd.
The Redbox app will now be natively embedded into Vewd-powered smart TVs and set-tops sold in the U.S. Vewd, which was sold to New York-based holding company Moore Frères several years ago and rebranded from "Opera TV," says its OS and app store ships on "almost 40 million connected TVs, set-top boxes, game consoles and cars each year," with OEM partners including Sony, Hisense, Vestel, Vodafone and Swisscom.
It's unclear as to how many of those are shipped in the U.S. But it's one more piece of niche distribution for the Redbox app, which combines a transactional video service with FAST and AVOD platforms.
Redbox, which in addition to operating its legacy business--a national network of disc-rental kiosks--is also in the process of expanding its film acquisition operation. The company is planning an IPO via special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) and is seeking to build a streaming business based on a base of kiosk users it says numbers around 40 million.
“Vewd has a powerful platform that is used by millions of customers every day to access their favorite streaming content,” said Jason Kwong, chief strategy and digital offficer for Redbox, in a statement. “Partnering with a company like Vewd gives our consumers another easy way to access our library of both blockbuster new release movies along with a fantastic catalog of free movies and streaming channels.”
