A new report from Lowpass paints a fairly embarrassing picture for “free TV” startup Telly.
Telly is a smart TV company that gives people a free television subsidized through advertising and data collection. The device features two screens: a main screen that functions like a standard TV, and a smaller, built-in lower screen that continuously displays ads, even when no content is being watched (unless the TV is fully off). Users can’t block the second screen as doing so can result in the device being taken back.
Telly previously shared big ambitions with the market, claiming it would ship half a million TVs in May 2023, with “millions” to follow. According to Lowpass’ report, citing an investor update letter, Telly had shipped just 35,000 TVs into the field as of Q3 2025. So… off by a bit. Telly declined to comment (unsurprisingly).
Why This Matters:
We won’t pretend we liked Telly when it first launched. Back in 2024, the owner of this site (who can admittedly be mean sometimes) called it the “Quibi of TV hardware.”
That assessment looks directionally right if these numbers are accurate.
That said, after seeing Telly in action through user demos on TikTok, we do see the appeal. It is a free TV, after all. Yes, it’s a slightly dystopian device, and the form factor still feels like it needs refinement, but there’s a real value proposition here.
The problem is that Telly’s marketing strategy is fundamentally misaligned with what will drive adoption. The company often operates with a B2B-style go-to-market motion when this is, at its core, a consumer adoption problem. Every time we see Telly at Cannes Lions, we want to scream about it. Solving this requires massive upfront investment in consumer marketing.
It’s also surprising that Telly hasn’t leaned harder into an AI-driven narrative, especially given the obvious angle around first-party, opt-in, in-home data. That story is sitting right there.
Experts React:
Here’s an interesting take on the situation from adtech and media quality expert Erez Levin, who responded to a post about Telly’s misfortunes from AdTechGod:
Our Take:
After being vocal Telly skeptics, we’ll admit there’s an opportunity here. The core vision is more viable than we originally thought. But realizing it may require a fundamental reset—potentially even a new leadership or operating team—to reposition the product, fix the go-to-market strategy, and actually drive adoption at scale.
The idea isn’t dead. But the execution, so far, hasn’t come close.
