Whenever you visit your local Walmart, you could discover a Comcast X1-powered TV among the endless variety of sets from LG, Samsung and TCL. As indicated by The Wall Street Journal, the telecommunications organization is in early talks with Walmart about a potential agreement that could see the retailer sell TV sets that run Comcast software, like its Flex set-top box. As part of the deal, Walmart would allegedly get a slice of repeating income from Comcast, and the TVs they make could end up bearing the retailer’s onn. branding — however a third-party would probably produce the TVs for the two organizations.
“We’re constantly having conversations with current and new suppliers about innovation and new products we can bring to our customers, and we don’t share details of those discussions,” a Walmart spokesperson told WSJ when asked about the talks. Comcast didn’t comment on the report, but it has signaled in the past that this is something it’s interested in exploring. According to Light Reading, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in a recent earnings call that “We’re early days, but we’re looking at smart TVs on a global basis, and we’re wondering — can we bring our same tech stack for certain capabilities in aggregation to consumers who are relying more and more on smart TVs?.”
On the off chance that the discussions lead to a partnership, it would place Comcast in a crowded marketplace overwhelmed by players like Amazon, Apple and Roku where it’s late to join the fight — yet that probably won’t be an issue. It could permit the organization to broaden the range of X1 and platforms like Flex outside of the regional markets where it offers cable TV. All the more critically, it would be another route for Comcast to develop Peacock’s streaming subscriber base without depending on manages organizations like Roku for help.
For Walmart, then, the deal would mean more value-priced TVs to put on shelves, with Comcast offering help and software. It additionally wouldn’t be the first time Walmart has gone into an agreement of this sort; Walmart and Roku have something of a comparable deal set up with a few Onn-branded TVs and soundbars that run Roku OS.