Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Crackle is making its way to Vidaa’s platform on Hisense smart TVs – complete with a branded remote control button.
The Crackle AVOD app is now available on Vidaa, as part of a partnership between Vidaa and Chicken Soup for the Soul. Vidaa also plans to roll out Crackle and Chicken Soup for the Soul’s free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels in the coming weeks.
Viewers can access the FAST channels via Vidaa’s channel guide, which allows them to seamlessly switch between apps.
Hisense is giving Crackle further audience exposure by adding a Crackle-branded remote control button, which will let users instantly access the AVOD service on devices powered by Vidaa’s OS. Hisense’s updated remote will be available on the market starting early next year.
Crackle previously announced it’s expanded to 85 touchpoints across the U.S. Chicken Soup for the Soul stated today Crackle Plus and the recently-acquired Redbox streaming services are currently distributed throughout 140 touchpoints in the country.
"The addition of the Crackle app on the Vidaa TV operating system and the remote button will help bring a whole new audience to our service,” stated Adam Mosam, chief digital officer at Chicken Soup for the Soul. “We have a wide range of amazing content which I know their consumers will enjoy.”
Vidaa, established in 2019, runs a Linux-based smart TV OS that’s available worldwide on various smart TV brands, including Hisense, Toshiba, Loewe and others.
Vidaa hosts a collection of on-demand streaming services and linear channels. It recently partnered with Amagi to gain access to over 500 FAST channels, with Vidaa leveraging Amagi’s cloud streaming technology to advance its content distribution.
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Vidaa introduced FIFA+ – FIFA’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service – to Hisense devices.
“The partnership with Crackle is a great addition to our already large lineup of free VOD content as well as FAST channels," stated Nick Ruczaj, VP of content at Vidaa USA. "We've also made the content easy to discover in our platform's search engine and will be placing the streaming channels right alongside the broadcast TV networks in the programming guide.”
Hisense’s inclusion of a Crackle shortcut button is indicative of AVOD providers going head-to-head with SVOD in the streaming space. This Hisense remote for Android smart TVs, for instance, has remote control buttons for the major platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and YouTube, while also including shortcuts for emerging AVOD services Tubi and Peacock.
As streaming services come and go, smart TV OEMs sometimes can’t keep up with updating their remote control buttons, as Fierce Video reported earlier this year.
Branded buttons are a way for streamers to promote their apps, while helping users easily access the services. Voice control is another way of simplifying the process. Amazon recently unveiled the Alexa Voice Remote Pro for Fire TV. Users can issue a voice command to channel surf, or they can customize the remote’s buttons to instantly access a particular app.