Walmart is Officially Making Original TV Series

Get ready, Netflix: there’s a new competitor on the block. On Sunday, Walmart announced that it has started producing original content with MGM through its video on demand service, Vudu. We totally get it — more original content and a new streaming service? Make it stop, already! But here’s the great news: Walmart’s series will be totally, one-hundred percent free. Every show produced by MGM and Walmart will be available on Movies On Us, Vudu’s free, ad-supported service, so fans will be able to binge-watch the retailer’s new content without paying a single dime.

Under the deal, MGM/Walmart’s original series will be licensed exclusively to Vudu, and the platform has plans to license and commission original shows from other studios, as well. However, Vudu VP of product and ad-supported VOD Scott Blanksteen insists that this is where similarities with Netflix end. “We are not going to be a studio. We are not going to have 300 or 400 originals,” Blanksteen told Variety. Vudu’s original series will also be considerably tamer than Netflix’s titles, which is no surprise considering that this is Walmart we’re talking about. “We feel it will be a great source of family-friendly, advertiser-friendly content – which won’t be viewable anywhere else,” said Blankesteen.

As of now, the plan is to release all original programming on Movies On Us, but that could change as Vudu’s library develops. When asked about the possibility of developing a subscription VOD service, Blanksteen said, “I wouldn’t rule that out for the future, but there are no concrete plans or discussions for that now.”

The first Walmart-MGM collaboration is expected to debut in early 2019. When it premieres — Walmart and Vudu execs are keeping details about the series close to the vest — it will join Movies On Us’ already-stacked library, which features 3,125 ad-supported films and 262 full series, including Batman and Batman Returns, Jerry Maguire, and classic sitcoms like Cybill and 3rd Rock From the Sun.

In the meantime, Vudu will be rolling out a “shoppable” video ad format on Movies On Us that will allow users to buy items directly on Walmart.com. The interactive ads will enable views to request more information about a product via email or add an item directly to their Walmart cart without interrupting their viewing experience. “We think we’ve finally figured out a way to do shoppable ads in a way that works for advertisers and customers,” said Blanksteen.