The next place a guest orders dinner from your restaurant might be the couch, in front of the TV.
On November 3, 2026, SoundHound AI announced a partnership with LG Electronics to bring restaurant and merchant commerce to LG Smart TVs in the U.S. The program starts with roughly 20 million TVs, and restaurants are the first category in line, with retail and other businesses to follow.
Most operators know SoundHound from its voice AI that takes orders at drive-thrus and over the phone. The company says it already works with more than 15,000 U.S. restaurant locations, including Jersey Mike's, Five Guys and White Castle.
What the deal includes
According to SoundHound, the TV channel is built to fit into the way restaurants already operate:
- Reach: About 20 million LG Smart TVs in U.S. homes at launch, aimed at peak dining and viewing windows.
- No new hardware: Participating restaurants do not need to add any equipment in-store.
- Works with your systems: Orders connect directly to the POS and kitchen systems restaurants already use.
- Payments handled: SoundHound's merchant network takes care of order routing and secure checkout.
SoundHound CEO and co-founder Keyvan Mohajer called the TV "a highly untapped opportunity for commerce," pointing out that it is the biggest screen in the most social room of the house. The LG deal builds on a TV commerce channel SoundHound first showed at CES 2025.
Why it matters for operators
Think about when the dinner decision actually happens. The family is watching the game or a show, someone says "what do we want to eat?", and the phone comes out. A TV channel puts your menu on the screen they are already looking at, at the exact moment they are deciding.
That said, this is early. SoundHound describes the partnership as laying the groundwork, and the announcement does not spell out fees, how menus will appear on screen, how guests will find one restaurant versus another, or who owns the guest data. The release names national QSR chains, local restaurant groups and retail brands as targets, but the brands already on SoundHound's platform are likely to get there first.
And every new channel is another menu to keep accurate, another fee structure to watch and another source of tickets hitting the kitchen at rush.
What to do now
You don't need to rush, but it's worth getting ahead of. A few practical steps:
- Ask your POS provider. Since orders route through POS and kitchen systems, find out whether yours connects with SoundHound or plans to.
- Raise your hand if it fits. SoundHound is inviting restaurant brands to express interest in the LG program.
- Get the economics in writing. Before you sign up, ask about commissions or fees, how your brand shows up next to competitors, and whether you keep the guest data.
- Tighten your off-premises basics. Packaging, ticket times and menu accuracy matter more as orders come from more places.
- Watch the early adopters. See how the first chains on the platform promote it and whether guests actually use it.
The living room TV won't replace your website, your phone line or third-party delivery anytime soon. But it is one more sign that guests will keep finding new places to order from, and operators who are ready to plug in early tend to win those guests first.
Source: SoundHound AI and LG Partner to Expand Commerce Opportunities for Merchants on LG Smart TVs, SoundHound AI, November 3, 2026.
