Comcast Preps Skinny Bundle, Compares Itself to Apple Matt Strauss, Comcast's top video executive recently talked with the Chicago Tribune about cord cutting, the rise of so-called "skinny bundles," and Comcast's reputation for customer service. Strauss insists Comcast no longer sees itself as a "cable company" -- but a "communication-entertainment company" that's "much more in the consideration set of Apple and Google than more of the traditional cable and satellite providers." Granted if you compare Comcast's satisfaction ratings with that of Apple, you'll notice most customers don't agree with that assessment.

But Strauss also confirmed the company's previously leaked plans to launch its own skinny bundle. "Later this year, we're going to be launching another product called Xfinity Instant TV. You don't even need a set-top box," said Strauss. "If you take our high-speed data, you'll be able to download the Xfinity Stream app starting at about $15 (per month) and access broadcast (channels) and get a cloud DVR and access to a premium channel. Then if you want to add on top of that, skinny packages like a sports and news pack or kids and family pack or a TV and entertainment pack, you'll have the ability to do that." Strauss downplays cord cutting and consumer complaints about high prices in the article. He's quick to claim that the "power of bundling" is to thank for Comcast managing to add 42,000 pay-TV subscribers in the first quarter, a period when most cable providers lost users. But as we've noted a few times, that has more to do with Comcast's growing monopoly over fixed-line broadband than anything else. Strauss also briefly touched on the company's ongoing customer service issues. "What we're find is that when you're honest with your customers, when you really demonstrate making an effort to make it better and do right by your customers, people will give you another chance," said the exec. "People generally respect that, and I think that level of transparency is something that we are aspiring to do and improve upon." What do you think Comcast customers: do you see Comcast in the same light as Silicon Valley companies like Apple? Do you find that Comcast's "really making an effort to make it better and do right by its customers?" What do you think Comcast customers: do you see Comcast in the same light as Silicon Valley companies like Apple? Do you find that Comcast's "really making an effort to make it better and do right by its customers?"







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Most recommended from 32 comments

wiggum

join:2003-05-05

Seattle, WA 15 recommendations wiggum Member The cable industry... The only industry where $15 isn't $15...it's more like $23.96+ after all the misleading fees. rradina

join:2000-08-08

Chesterfield, MO 8 recommendations rradina Member Is this Innovative? While the idea of downloading a streaming app is a good start, does it require Comcast HSI?



Regardless, what Comcast is doing doesn't seem innovative. It seems like a "me too" offering after a long period of denial.

FureverFurry

RIP Daphne: 3/12/05 - 6/19/12

Premium Member

join:2012-02-20

49xxx Zoom 5341J

ARRIS WBM760

Vonage VDV-21

7 recommendations FureverFurry Premium Member "Doing right by its customers" .... Comcast is (allegedly) "really making an effort to make it better and do right by its customers?" Seriously ???



Comcast is like a little bird, flitting from one branch (new product) to another but not staying on the branch long enough to make things right. Just HOW many times have we been promised: better customer service; more accurate billing; better trained phone CSRs ... yada, yada.



Talk all you want, Comcast, but the proof is in reality and you haven't proven that you are serious about making meaningful and LASTING changes to what is wrong .



Comcast can trot out something new every week and try to see themselves in another light. Customers see you in a very different vein.

ctaranto

join:2011-12-14

MA 6 recommendations ctaranto Member The comparison to Apple... ...makes sense: Pay more. Get less. erickh

join:2015-07-23

Saint Paul, MN 4 recommendations erickh Member Trying to get skinny but Comcast wants to keep you fat. It's quite funny. I tried my hardest to cancel Xfinity TV service this weekend. I called in, canceled, and then went into a store and physically dropped off the box. I wanted to keep my $149 per month Extreme 250 Internet. The service rep at the store was surprised by the price of the stand alone Internet and gave me his card, said he was going to research to find a way to reduce it. I got a call back the next day saying he found a bundle with TV service that would save me ~$30 a month and include a free year of HBO and the same X1 box and channel list I had before. It even comes with DVR service, which I didn't have before. He already took it upon himself to have a box shipped out. I'm glad he was able to find me a deal, but does it really have to come to this?



This just goes to show how ridiculous their pricing structures are. I'm literally trying to get rid of TV but my Internet is CHEAPER as Internet + TV service than just Internet itself (at least for a year). I think they are doing it just to get those quarterly subscriber numbers up, as it seems like it would be logical to just fix the pricing, end this promo BS, and offer every-day low prices and skinny bundles with options.



Hopefully we'll actually head there in the future and maybe this is a sign of that coming. profdleeucc

join:2009-03-07

Union, NJ 3 recommendations profdleeucc Member Well Comcast is not only the worst media cable company/broadband company Comcast has proven time and time again that it thinks its ok to "bait and switch" customers and lock them in after tricking them into two year contracts; heck I challenge anyone to find me the link to cancel Comcast services; it just simply plainly does not exist; however prove me wrong "if you can"; search high and low using multiple internet search engines; one will not find any longer any kind of link for a logged on customer to be able to cancel ones Comcast services; that is pretty sleazy and underhanded indeed; ha and Comcast claims it has tried more times than I can count to improve Comcast Customer Service; I have not only cut the cord but signed up for Verizon's Fios Gigabit Connection Broadband Internet Plan for $70 monthly and am currently getting 945Mbps download speeds along with 902Mbps upload speeds higher than anything that I have been getting for 29 years running; at an unbeatable price with at soft data cap of 10,000Mb not 1,000Mb like Comcast; haste la vista Comcast to your $88 monthly 230Mbps/ 12Mbps internet service; Comcast will not be able to respond since they have not and will not actually respond to actual competition in their own back yard; no thanks to Altice Group buying Cablevision and Suddenlink Cable systems; they are currently in the process of a five year roll out of 10Gbps five year Fiber to the home upgrade project to be completed by 2022 across the twenty states they currently have customers in; its about time Comcast had some real long overdue potential competition for a change; I for one will not be missing Comcast's lack of stellar customer service.

Anon8cf13

@zscaler.com 2 recommendations Anon8cf13 Anon I Already Have a Comcast Skinny Bundle It's called internet only.



Regards,

NO to ESPN

karpodiem

Hail to The Victors

Premium Member

join:2008-05-20

Troy, MI ·WOW Internet and..

·Comcast XFINITY

2 recommendations karpodiem Premium Member Comcast could offer the first skinny bundle without sports "Then if you want to add on top of that, skinny packages like a sports and news pack or kids and family pack or a TV and entertainment pack, you'll have the ability to do that."



If a non-sports package is true, it could be (somewhat) disruptive. wkm001

join:2009-12-14 2 recommendations wkm001 Member It isn't a contest I don't mind paying for internet but I hate paying for TV. Although the Internet can be a huge time waste, television seems like a bigger one. The objective is to pay less for what I watch. If I get to pay a little less and get A LOT less channels, so be it. As long as I get the channels I want.



Comcast is great if you NEVER have to interact with them. My wife and I were doing some digging in the yard last fall. I call to have all of our utility lines marked. Comcast said there were no lines on that side of my house. I stuck a shovel right into our cable line and was unable to get it resolved without the help of executive customer service. Thank goodness I still had an active contact from a previous FCC complaint.



That FCC complaint was when I did my yearly call to get on another promotion. They told me I was on a two year agreement, which I knew was not true. I eventually asked them to show my a signature or play the recorded call where I agreed. Comcast was flat out lying to charge me more for the second year of a two year agreement. I recorded the call with the rep, like I do all calls with Comcast, and included it in my FCC complaint.