FloSports is expanding its streaming service with a new native app for Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, a move aimed at better serving its existing audience on the platform where they already watch most, as reported by StreamTV Insider. An app for LG TVs is set to follow later this year.
Catching up to the crowd: The move seems overdue, as two-thirds of the service's live viewership already happens on CTVs, according to StreamTV Insider. For a platform with over 1 million subscribers, the company is clearly playing catch-up to its own audience's viewing habits.
Frictionless sign-ups: The new apps, developed in partnership with Accedo, let customers subscribe directly through their TV using Samsung's and Vizio's own payment systems, removing a key barrier for new user adoption.
More than just apps: The app rollouts are just one part of its push for more eyeballs. The streamer also plans to launch a new, free ad-supported (FAST) channel for its popular FloHockey vertical this fall, giving potential subscribers a free taste of its content.
FloSports is making a pragmatic shift to meet its fans where they are, using a two-pronged strategy of improving its core paid service while using free channels as a customer acquisition funnel.
The expansion follows a major Series D funding round of over $100 million, giving the company the war chest for these strategic moves. The smart TV push isn't a recent development, as FloSports first announced its plan to tap Accedo for the expansion back in April. For a taste of the niche content driving this growth, the platform recently streamed a championship weekend of dirt and short track racing.
