InMobi’s Glance, which provides lockscreen content on mobile phones, has partnered with Bharti Airtel to extend the offering to television, specifically connected TVs (CTVs), the companies said on Wednesday.
The offering, much like the mobile screen predecessor, turns idle TV screens into AI-powered smart surfaces, by pushing content with bite-sized text and accompanying graphics.
The feature has been launched in India first through Airtel’s Xstream devices, powered by Android TV OS.
“We have the largest consumer base for Glance in the country and decided to launch the TV offering here first, given we understand content consumption patterns in this market better,” Manish Gupta, senior vice-president and general manager, Glance TV, said.
Glance has around 235 million users in the country, forming the bulk of its global user base.
Using Glance TV, consumers can see relevant content on scrolling tiles that change every 15 seconds, instead of stock images or screen-saver loops, when their CTV goes into idle or sleep mode. The tiles contain widgets for specific interest areas such as sports and weather which can be customised as per the live events and location.
Estimates put the number of CTV households in India at between 40 million and 45 million by the end of 2024. As television sets become more affordable and home broadband penetrates deeper, the segment is expected to double in the next two years.
In the first phase of its deployment, Glance TV has been rolled out on over one million Airtel Xstream devices since October this year. The company claims that users engage with the Glance TV screen for an average of 200 minutes across three sessions per day.
Gupta said that while currently there is no revenue model for the TV offering, it will look at areas to monetise the service once the user base reaches a certain threshold.
“Customers are increasingly moving away from traditional entertainment, seeking platforms that offer more value. Our strategic partnership with Glance will elevate customer experience by delivering interactive features that enables access to advanced AI technology directly through their TVs,” Siddharth Sharma, chief executive officer – Airtel Digital TV, Bharti Airtel, said.
The company aims to make the platform available in four million devices in India by June 2025, with plans to expand into select global markets in the near future.
With content sourced from a large network of publishers, Glance TV offers live content, across multiple categories such as news, entertainment, sports, business, financial, automobiles, and technology, the company said. It is currently available in English.
“Glance TV elevates TVs from mere entertainment devices to dynamic surfaces that engage, connect, and inspire users, creating a seamless blend of content and interaction,” Piyush Shah, co-founder at InMobi, and president and chief operating officer, Glance, said.
