Edward Lerner, CEO of Hearo, founded the company in 2017 so that people who were in different places could watch TV shows together. The Hear app has around 2.8 million users.

But these days, Lerner is interested in helping the TV industry ditch the cable remote control and use the Hearo app to make your phone or computer look and function a lot like a smart TV. The Hearo app is a personalized browser, where viewers can stream shows from the likes of Netflix and Disney+. And a major benefit is that advertisers can interact with viewers in a familiar, web-based way.

The television industry has long touted the benefits of relaxed experiences, where viewers can stretch out on their couches. But it’s also long downplayed that the TV remote is an antiquated (and annoying) technology.

What is the current alternative to Hearo?

Lerner said advertisers on passive TV pay tiny amounts for clicks per thousand (CPM), while ads on Internet platforms can earn as much as $5 for a single click.

As things stand now, advertisers who want to get users to switch to their phones to make a purchase, download something, or sign up for something, have to contend with all of these steps:

Place a sizable, long-form QR code in their TV ad:

• Spectators must put down the remote
• Take their phone
• Log into their camera app
• Point the camera at the QR code
• Wait for it to resolve to a URL
• Tap the link
• Waiting for the landing page to load again
• All while being distracted by the show

“We think remote controls will disappear in the next 5 to 10 years,” Lerner said. “The first and easiest step is to build or acquire a cross-platform, software-only Smart TV, like Hearo. Once TV is just another app, all advertising platforms across the internet are ready to rumble.“

Lerner wants to use Hearo to enhance the television viewing and advertising experience, without requiring viewers to purchase any new hardware.