• The Tizen TV Platform Licensing program was launched in 2021 and three new manufacturers have joined.
• The first TVs from the first partners will be available later this year.
• LG, Amazon and Roku have similar programs available for manufacturers who’d rather license a platform.

Samsung’s smart TV platform Tizen is incredibly strong. According to data from Strategy Analytics, in 2020, the platform held 12.7 percent of the connected TV platforms globally. That’s 162.5 million devices.

In 2021 the firm announced its Tizen TV Platform Licensing program whereby non-Samsung TV manufacturers could license the Tizen platform for use in their products.

This week Samsung announced three new companies had joined the program namely Turkey’s Atmaca, Europe’s HKC and Australian TV maker Tempo. In addition, the South Korean electronics giant announced the first TVs from other manufacturers sporting Tizen would become available this year in Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Those TVs will come from brands such as Bauhn, Linsar, Sunny, Vispera and others.

“2022 has been a memorable year for Tizen OS as we celebrate its 10th anniversary and the very first Tizen-powered smart TVs available from other brands,” Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, Yongjae Kim said in a press statement. “Starting with these new Tizen-powered smart TVs, we will continue to expand the licensing program and introduce Tizen OS and its ecosystem to more products and brands around the world.”

It’s worth noting that LG has a similar program in which manufacturers can license its webOS for smart TVs. This was launched back in 2021 as reported by The Verge. Both Roku and Amazon have similar programs in place.

Through Samsung’s program, manufacturers gain access to a number of exclusive features including Samsung TV Plus, Universal Guide and Bixby.

While none of the manufacturers listed above are available in South Africa, the fact that more manufacturers are taking Tizen on board bodes well for the future.