Walmart's acquisition of Vizio is transforming the TV brand into a retail ad platform. Starting this week, new Vizio TVs require Walmart accounts to access smart features like streaming apps and voice assistants. This move deepens Walmart's integration with Vizio OS, which has long relied on ads and user tracking to monetize its hardware.

In Vizio's final quarter as an independent company, its ad business generated $115.8 million in gross profit while its hardware division lost $6.7 million. Walmart CFO John David Rainey highlighted triple-digit advertising growth during the period. The new login requirement creates a seamless connection between viewing habits and retail interactions, potentially making TVs more effective at steering users toward Walmart products.