Xumo expands retail scope with Target deal

Xumo has bulked up its retail ambitions ahead of the holidays with word that the Comcast-Charter streaming joint venture has inked a deal to sell smart TVs at Target.com and at nearly 2,000 Target stores nationwide.

Under the agreement, Target initially will sell a pair of Hisense-made, 4K-capable Xumo TVs – a 55-inch model for $249.99 and a 65-inch model for $359.99.

The Xumo TV models run Comcast's EntertainmentOS platform. A Xumo official confirmed the JV's new retail partnership with Target does not include the Xumo Stream Box, a streaming media player being sold directly via Xumo.com for $59.99 each.

Xumo also sells smart TVs from Element Electronics and Pioneer, which has tapped TCL to manufacture Xumo TVs exclusively at Best Buy. Those connected TVs have integrated several major streaming applications, including Netflix, Peacock, Disney+, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, and come with a voice-powered remote.

Xumo estimates that its smart TVs are now available in nearly 8,000 US retail locations. The JV's other retail partners include Best Buy, BJs, Meijer, Walmart and Aaron's, which offers rent-to-own options.

The Comcast-Charter JV's new deal with Target enters the picture as Xumo prepares to bulk up retail sales during the 2024 holidays. Xumo competes in the market with major smart TV makers and streaming platform providers, including Samsung, LG Electronics, Vizio, Roku, Amazon and Google. Following an initial smart TV foray into Europe, Xperi plans to begin marketing smart TVs outfitted with the TiVo operating system in the US next spring.

It's not clear how well Xumo is faring in the connected TV market as the JV has yet to release any sales or shipment figures for its smart TVs.

Retail is one component of Xumo's business model. The JV is also distributing the Xumo Stream Box to a handful of service operator partners, including Comcast, Charter, Mediacom Communications and, most recently, Cox Communications.