Comcast Ups Live Streaming





No. 1 cabler eyes Xfinity TV Go as OTT video antidote

As the nation’s largest multichannel video program distributor, Comcast Cable is acutely aware of the growing buzz surrounding over-the-top video and its direct-to-consumer appeal. An appeal of Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu Plus, among others, that could undermine the No. 1 cabler’s pay-TV business model.

To combat OTT and subscription streaming, Comcast has redoubled efforts to include streaming functionality to authenticated subscribers via its broadband-based Xfinity TV Go app. By enabling ubiquitous access online, Comcast hopes to minimize cord cutting among its 22.3 million video subscribers.

Bowed originally as a TV Everywhere platform, Xfinity TV Go and its related website (www.xfinity.com/TV) offer streaming access to more than 70 channels, including AMC, BBC America, Fox Deportes, MoviePlex, Showtime, Univision Deportes and The Weather Channel.

More than 30% of Xfinity TV customers are using the app monthly, averaging about 20% growth year-over-year. Moreover, the average viewer consumed more than seven hours monthly on Xfinity TV Go, up nearly 40% from the same time last year. Available for Android and Apple devices, the Xfinity TV Go app has been downloaded more than 11 million times.

“2014 was a banner year for TV Everywhere, highlighted by marquee sporting events,” said Vito Forlenza, senior director of TV Everywhere content and product strategy at Comcast Cable. “We broke records during several events like the Sochi Olympics and the World Cup and continue to build momentum in 2015 as we provide more access to more content across platforms.”

Xfinity TV Go also offers subscribers about 21,000 on-demand movie and TV show choices to stream on mobile devices, as well as nearly 470,000 titles available online. Many of these titles are also available to download (to laptop and tablet) and watch offline later.

