The battle over the streaming TV market is heating up, with connected TVs a “top priority” at Google.
Streaming TV is quickly gaining ground and threatening traditional cable and satellite TV. Connected TVs are seen as the gateway to the market. Once a company gets their TV operating system installed as the default, they have a tremendous amount of power over what other apps can be installed, and often get a cut of revenue from the various streaming platforms the customer ends up using.
According to The Information, via Forbes, Google has recently increased the amount of money it’s willing to spend to gain that coveted foothold. Whereas industry leader Roku pays manufacturers $7 to $8 per TV to be installed by default, Google has upped its payout to $10 to $15.
The change in focus comes directly from Pichai and, according to The Information, is an attempt to change the perception of Google being “half-hearted” in its efforts in the TV industry, thanks largely to Chromecast and Android TV.