After smartphones, Glance content now available on Airtel Xstream devices
Glance, a subsidiary of global consumer technology firm InMobi, is expanding its lock-screen content to over a million Airtel Xstream devices. The firm started offering lock-screen content on smartphones in 2019 and has now branched out into television sets. "We are today in about a million plus devices, and it's planned to scale by June 2025 to about four million devices of Airtel," said Manish Gupta, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Glance.
AI-powered lock-screen content
What makes Glance TV unique is the way it displays lock-screen savers - 10-15 images that loop when a TV set is paused. You can also follow live events like cricket matches or World Chess Championship games on Glance TV. The service is powered by artificial intelligence (AI), which plays a key role in updating and generating the content.
AI generates 60% of Glance TV's content
Gupta revealed that Glance TV publishes some 150 to 200 pieces of lock-screen content every day, with nearly 60% of it being AI-generated. He said, "We pick from various categories, sports, news, entertainment, fashion... Everything which is relevant for the consumer is what we put on these glances." The company employs generative AI to curate and summarize relevant information for consumers.
Rapid content delivery and language capabilities
Gupta emphasized the speed at which Glance TV delivers content, saying it can take as little as eight seconds from the time information is available online to when it appears on Glance. He gave the example of daily stock market updates, which are published within a minute of market opening or closing times. Gupta also stressed that Glance can support any language with its AI-driven content generation.
Targeting India's growing smart TV market
Gupta sees a lot of potential in India considering the growing sales of smart TVs. He pointed out that there were just seven to eight million smart TVs a few years back, but today, there are some 40-45 million connected TVs among the 200 million television sets in Indian homes. "So, that's our target market. Our mission is to replace every single screensaver not just in India but any place where the screensaver is not providing value," Gupta said.
Glance TV's user engagement
Gupta shared that sports is the most popular category on Glance TV, with some 20% of users daily using their remotes to scroll through the sports content. He also noted that while 60% of all users are in top six metro cities, they are seeing traction from smaller locations like Jalandhar. Gupta said, "Our objective is not just to remain in India but also do this globally."
