Comcast’s NOW TV Streams 60 Channels, Peacock Premium

Comcast announced NOW TV this week, a new streaming solution that includes more than 40+ live channels, 20+ integrated FAST channels and a subscription to Peacock Premium, priced at $20 per month for Comcast’s Xfinity Internet customers. NOW TV is designed for “the value-conscious consumer who wants an entertainment product that is simple and convenient with quality programming movies, top shows, live sports, and news,” the company explains. Launching in the coming weeks, NOW’s live cable offerings feature A+E Networks, AMC Networks, Hallmark and Warner Bros. Discovery, among others.

The package includes FAST services from NBC, Sky and Comcast/Charter’s Xumo Play, but no local broadcast TV or cable sports channels. NOW TV Live, as well as Xfinity Stream’s FAST channels will initially be available through the Xfinity Stream app on Xfinity Flex, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and iOS and Android mobile devices. It will also cast via Apple AirPlay.

Compared to NOW’s $20 per month bill, “Xfinity TV’s Popular TV package, with 125-plus channels (including local channels and sports networks) costs about $50-$60/month depending on market,” writes Variety, noting that unlike the costlier package, “NOW TV does not require an additional set-top box and lets customers sign up or cancel at any time.”

“Comcast, the largest pay-TV provider in the U.S., dropped 614,000 video customers in Q1 — the most of any single company — to stand at 15.53 million at the end of the period,” Variety reports, adding that when asked about the “dwindling video business” on the company’s earnings call, Comcast Cable CEO David Watson “acknowledged the reality of cord-cutting and said the operator’s approach is ‘to not subsidize unprofitable video relationships.’”

“With content and connectivity at the core of our company, we are uniquely positioned to build and deliver streaming entertainment offerings unlike anything else out there today,” Watson said in a NOW announcement that details channel offerings.

Deadline describes NOW as “unique in that it combines linear TV, FAST and subscription VOD,” adding that “in the pay-TV marketplace, it most closely resembles Philo.”

Related:
Comcast Rolls Out a $20 Streaming Bundle, with a Catch, Digital Trends, 5/23/23
Comcast Launches $20 Live TV Streaming Service with 60 Channels, Engadget, 5/23/23
Comcast Reveals Now TV, a Cable-Lite Streaming Package for $20 a Month, The Verge, 5/23/23

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