NextRadio has an agreement with unlocked smartphone maker Blu to include NextRadio as its native FM tuner app in its phones this year.
The Pure XL model is due to be released this quarter.
Speaking to RBR+TVBR from CES, NextRadio President Paul Brenner said Blu sells directly to consumers; they buy a SIM card for the phone and choose then carrier. Blu wanted an FM tuner on their phone, finding it was one of the most popular features.
The “champagne gold” Pure XL releases in about 45 days; Blu expects to sell approximately 9 million of the phones with NextRadio this year, according to Brenner, speaking to us before a Blu event. Blue also recently announced Vivo 5 and Vivo XL.
He echoes Smuylan’s comments about generating ad revenue from NextRadio, saying his team is working with Katz and the RAB. “We need to approach some brands that are running radio ads and show them results of enhanced ads.”
NextRadio also has a demo in the Ford booth at CES. Its Livio division is writing software for Ford to allow smartphones and 3rd-party apps to interface with the car through Ford Sync AppLink. There’s a in-vehicle demo of the NextRadio app in the Ford booth. Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td5cUdh3oas
