Telly, a company that accepts advertising data instead of cash for its TVs, has reportedly had a hard time getting its “free” TVs into people’s homes.

Telly debuted in May 2023. Its dual-screen design can show ads, even when people aren’t watching. Although the smaller, secondary screen can be used for more helpful applications, like showing the weather or sports scores, its primary purpose is to serve as a billboard south of the 55-inch primary display. Owners cannot disable tracking or cover up the secondary screen (or they have to pay for the TV, which Telly claims is worth $1,000), and they must fill out a lengthy, detailed survey to get one.

When it debuted its TV, Telly said it expected to ship 500,000 devices that summer. In June 2023, the startup said 250,000 people signed up to get a Telly. In a 2024 press release, Telly said that it planned to ship “millions more in 2024.”

But a report from Lowpass this week, citing a “Q3 update sent to investors in November 2025,” said the startup had 35,000 TVs in people’s homes at that time. In Q2 2025, there were 28,000 Telly TVs in use, the note said, according to Lowpass.

The publication reported that the investor note suggests Telly will order 100,000 TVs from supplier Foxconn and increase deliveries soon.

Telly declined to comment to Lowpass and didn’t respond to Ars Technica’s requests for comment.

Shipping problems

So what gives? Based on early registration numbers, it seems Telly has generated enough interest to ship more than 35,000 TVs.

One issue seems to be poor shipping. Per the investor note that Lowpass reviewed, Telly claimed that FedEx delivered 10 percent of its shipments of Telly TVs broken. Since moving to a different company—seemingly Samsung partner RXO, based on Reddit posts—fewer Tellys are arriving broken, the company reportedly said.

As Lowpass noted, dozens of online complaints claim that the free TVs, which ship directly from Telly, were broken upon arrival. The Verge also reported receiving a broken unit in September.