Telly

Emerging disruptor in ad-supported hardware and CTV advertising

Telly is an innovative advertising technology company that disrupts the traditional TV hardware market by offering free 55-inch dual-screen smart TVs to consumers. The primary screen displays content while a secondary screen below shows persistent advertising, creating guaranteed ad exposure. Founded by Pluto TV co-founder Ilya Pozin, Telly collects detailed viewership data and demographic information to provide advertisers with precise targeting and measurement capabilities. The company's business model centers on monetizing the advertising inventory on the secondary screen, which remains active whenever the TV is in use. Telly requires users to agree to watch ads and provide demographic data in exchange for the free hardware. The platform includes built-in cameras and sensors to verify viewership and gather engagement metrics, offering advertisers a level of accountability rarely seen in traditional TV advertising. Telly represents a significant experiment in ad-supported hardware, attempting to prove that consumers will accept persistent advertising in exchange for premium free devices. The company has raised substantial venture capital and positions itself as a next-generation advertising platform that bridges connected TV (CTV) advertising with guaranteed viewership and advanced measurement capabilities.