Tencent has taken a 16.7% stake in TCL smart television subsidiary Shenzhen Thunderbird Network Technology and will pre-load content on to its TVs.
Internet group Tencent had paid RMB450m ($66.2m) for a 16.67% stake in Shenzhen Thunderbird Network Technology, the smart TV spinout of China-based television manufacturer TCL, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
TCL sold about 20 million TVs in 2016, about half of which were smart TVs, according to Reuters, which cited figures compiled by research institute IHS Technology.
As part of the deal, Tencent will pre-load entertainment content on to Thunderbird Network’s connected televisions, in a partnership that will enable the former…
