LG Electronics announced on the 22nd that it has integrated 'LG Radio Plus,' an audio content service allowing users to watch and listen to radio and podcasts, into its proprietary smart TV platform 'webOS.'
LG Radio Plus is a service for viewing ads and listening to audio content for free, and LG Electronics aims to enhance its competitive edge in the content and advertising business within the smart TV platform market.
Recently, LG Electronics partnered with global audio content provider 'Radioline' to launch the LG Radio Plus service in South Korea and the United States. In South Korea, it offers over 440 channels, including popular podcast broadcasts such as 'Shuka World' and 'Escape from Two o'clock Cultwo Show,' as well as various real-time radio and music broadcasts. In the United States, it provides more than 14,500 channels that are popular locally, including 'The Joe Rogan Experience' and 'CNN Radio.'
LG Radio Plus can be downloaded and used by anyone on TVs equipped with webOS 6.0 or higher. Users can easily access LG Radio Plus through the webOS home screen or the remote control's voice function. Upon first launch, it automatically plays the most popular channels, and afterward, it immediately plays the last heard channel. The user interface (UI) is designed to be intuitive, placing only the essential buttons for convenient use by all users.
LG Electronics plans to expand the service through the smart home platform 'LG ThinQ' app, providing LG Radio Plus on 'LG XBOOM' audio products as well. Users can enjoy audio content for free without separate downloads, membership sign-ups, or subscription procedures if they link their LG XBOOM products with the LG ThinQ app.
The webOS platform, which began to be integrated into LG smart TVs in 2014, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The number of smart TVs equipped with webOS has reached 220 million worldwide, and the number of brands choosing webOS as their smart TV platform has risen to over 400. This year, webOS platform revenue is projected to exceed 1 trillion won, quadrupling compared to 2021, and is expected to enter the ranks of next-generation unicorn businesses.
Jung Seong-hyun, head of the webOS content service business at LG Electronics, noted, 'We will strengthen webOS platform competitiveness by expanding the range of diverse content formats that consider user preferences and lifestyles.'