Walmart in talks to buy smart TV maker Vizio for more than $2 bln: Report

Walmart is in talks to buy smart-television manufacturer Vizio for more than $2 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, a move that could bolster its advertising business and give it control of more than a fifth of the U.S. television market.

Vizio shares closed up 24.6% on Tuesday. They briefly surged 36% to their highest since November 2022. Walmart’s shares fell about 1%. The reported offer price is nearly 30% higher than Vizio’s $1.54 billion market cap at close on Monday.

The talks come at a time Walmart is increasingly monetizing its reach and troves of shopper data to sell ads on its properties including its website and store assets such as digital diplays, connected TVs and radio.