Cablefax The Magazine - July 2016 - 7

2016 Top Ops Awards
MSO PRODUCT LAUNCH OF THE YEAR
FAST FACTS
Comcast Stream TV
First came skinny bundles and college service Xfi nity on Campus.
Then came streaming cable service Stream TV, which requires no
additional equipment, no set-top, not even a TV.
Comcast announced its Stream TV service in 2015, but the company
started looking into delivering video over IP and building a cloudbased
infrastructure in 2012, according to Michael Gatzke, VP of
video subscription services at Comcast Cable. The platform aimed
to allow Comcast to deliver a mobile-fi rst TV viewing experience for
customers, among other things.
" We recognized that there's a growing number of mobilefirst
customers, " says Gatzke. With the technology ready and
consumer demand on the rise, Stream was born. The $15 per
month streaming service offers live TV and premium cable
content across platforms. Available channels vary by region, but
all lineups include HBO and local broadcast channels, including
ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC, PBS, Univision and Telemundo. In addition,
as part of customers' Stream TV cable subscription, they
can also watch TV Everywhere programming over any Internet or
mobile connection using the Xfinity TV app or portal, or programmer
apps like HBO Go. The service is delivered over Comcast's
cable system, not over the Internet. That means Stream TV data
usage won't be counted towards subs' Xfinity Internet monthly
data allowance. And that's been a sore point with some consumer
groups, who claim it could hurt other online video options.
Here are some of the most viewed programs (includes
live and on demand viewing) by Stream TV customers
in January. In alphabetical order:
uAFC Championship
uThe Big Bang Theory
uCriminal Minds
uGame of Thrones
uLaw & Order: SVU
uNFC Championship
uToday
uThe X-Files
Comcast has said it's not an issue because the service does not
go over the Internet. So far, consumers seem to be quite curious
about the service.
" The vast majority of interest in the product is from our own
Internet subscribers...It was designed for them, " Gatzke says.
That said, non-Xfinity subscribers will be able to use the service
as long as they have a certified cable modem provisioned by
Comcast (it doesn't have to be a Comcast modem). The company
has already started the process to enable non-customers to access
Stream TV.
The feedback so far suggests that customers want Stream TV to
be available on more devices, with even more programming options.
" We are working on that, " Gatzke says, noting heavy viewing
of sports-especially football programming-among Stream TV
customers. " There's a lot of live viewing " mixed with some VOD
viewing and light DVR usage, he says. PC is the most popular
viewing platform so far. The company is also looking to add more
premium channels and bring
any of the standalone premium
channels Comcast carries to
Stream TV.
In addition, Comcast plans to offer
more packages of channels,
which might include a basic
bundle and expanded tiers. The
strategy is to keep the bundle as
skinny as possible while providing
more options and maximizing
viewing fl exibility so it's easy
to add or remove programming
services. The offering is now
only available in Chicago and
Boston, but Comcast plans to roll
it out across the MSO's footprint
by the end of the year.
Cablefax: The Magazine
July 2016
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Cablefax The Magazine - July 2016

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