• by Wayne Friedman , December 10, 2019

Looking to capitalize on the soaring connected TV advertising market, TV manufacturer/smart TV data company Vizio is launching Vizio Ads, a service that enables advertisers to buy TV inventory.

Inventory can be bought across the Vizio SmartCast platform, including partner OTT apps, and on Vizio’s WatchFree service.

Vizio owns Inscape, which provides smart TV automated content recognition data. Inscape has more than 12 million active and opted-in TV devices.

Vizio’s WatchFree service comes from streaming TV service Pluto TV. It offers news, sports, movies, TV shows, and other content -- without a monthly subscription or transaction fees.

As Vizio Ads launches, the company cites an eMarketer study showing that the connected TV (CTV) advertising market is projected to total $7 billion in 2019

Mike O’Donnell, senior vice president of Vizio’s Platform Business, is overseeing the service. He stated that “a direct-to-TV advertising business” will help brands find new ways to engage with viewers.