X

Samsung buys connected-TVs gaming startup MOVL

Investors in the smart-TV app developer include Mark Cuban. The startup's team is moving to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Donna Tam Staff Writer / News
Donna Tam covers Amazon and other fun stuff for CNET News. She is a San Francisco native who enjoys feasting, merrymaking, checking her Gmail and reading her Kindle.
See full bio
Donna Tam
Joe Stinziano, executive vice president of Samsung's U.S. consumer electronics business, talks about the company's smart-TV features during an event at New York City's Museum of American Finance. Shara Tibken/CNET

Samsung has acquired the team behind MOVL, a company that makes entertainment applications for smart TVs, GigaOm reported Monday.

The 2-year-old Atlanta-based company provides apps for TVs by connecting mobile devices with the TVs, often referred to as the "second screen" experience. These include gaming apps Poker Fun and WeDraw, fitness app SmartFitTV, and social video app WeTeli. Its investors include Mark Cuban, Bert Ellis, and Kris Pinto.

Samsung made the deal official last month, but no terms were disclosed, according to GigaOm. The nine-member team is moving to the San Francisco Bay Area.

This purchase lets Samsung beef up its mobile chops for connected TVs. Its smart-TV marketplace already has hundreds of apps, including gaming apps like Angry Birds and video-streaming apps like Amazon Prime Instant Video, but MOVL could help build up the second-screen experience.

Mobile Guides

Phones
Foldable Phones
Headphones
Mobile Accessories
Smartwatches
Wireless Plans
Mobile coupons