VIDAA, a Linux-based smart TV operating system, said that Disney+ will finally become available on Hisense and Toshiba TVs running its software.
For VIDAA, the launch adds a key streaming service to its platform, which also supports Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Pluto TV, Tubi, Xumo, YouTube TV, fuboTV and other third-party services. For Disney, it adds another distribution point for Disney+, which is chasing a forecast of between 230 million and 260 million subscribers by 2024.
VIDAA USA was established as an independent company by Hisense in 2019, and in 2020, it introduced a revamped user interface named 4.0. As of May 2021, the company’s most up-to-date version is VIDAA U5, which added Google Assistant capabilities, its own voice service, the new VIDAA remote control smartphone application, and advertising and billing services in some markets.
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"Our cooperation with The Walt Disney Company is a major milestone for our organization, "said Guy Edri, executive vice president of VIDAA USA, in a statement. "Bringing Disney+ to the VIDAA platform globally is just the first step. We're looking forward to working with Disney on ways to expand our collaboration and opportunities to bring their full suite of streaming services to our customers in the future. Today marks not only the launch of an amazing service on a state-of-the-art platform, but a start of a long-term relationship between two companies, each a leader in its industry."
VIDAA competes in a crowded smart TV OS marketplace where Roku, Amazon, LG, Google, Comcast and others compete for third-party manufacturers licenses while Samsung, Vizio and others work on building out their own smart TV platforms.
According to recent research released by Strategy Analytics, there are 162.3 million Samsung Tizen devices installed worldwide, accounting for 12.7% of the global connected TV device installed base. The firm said Samsung was followed by LG’s webOS with 7.3%, Amazon Fire OS with 6.4%, Roku TV OS with 6.4% and Android TV with 5.9%.