The year 2023 fulfills our prediction that there would be a streaming earthquake this year. We’ve already seen HBO Max change its name to MAX, Netflix cracked down on password sharing, and Roku dropped support for its original Roku 4K streamer. Now it looks like Comcast will be following suit with an interesting announcement of its own.
TV NOW
Comcast has introduced a new streaming offering called NOW TV, available as an add-on for $20 per month for those who subscribe to Comcast’s Xfinity Internet service.
For $20 per month, NOW TV includes 40+ live channels from A+E, AMC, Hallmark and Warner/Discovery, plus 20+ built-in Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) channels from NBC, Sky and Xumo Play.
In addition, the streaming service Peacock Premium is included at no additional cost.
Tip: No new equipment is required and users have the option to opt-in and opt-out at any time.
From Dave Watson, President and CEO of Comcast Cable: “With content and connectivity at the core of our business, we are uniquely positioned to develop and deliver streaming entertainment offerings that are unmatched. NOW TV is a great example of how our company brings together its collective video experiences, innovative technology and best-in-class broadband service to deliver world-class entertainment in an affordable streaming package.”
NOW TV is Comcast’s latest video offering leveraging its global technology platform. Comcast claims NOW TV is the first streaming offering to combine a live TV streaming service, free ad-supported streaming TV channels (FAST) and a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service.
Tip: NOW TV for Xfinity Internet subscribers should not be confused with NOW TV in the UK.
What NOW TV includes
NOW TV Live: 40 popular channels are available. Channels include A+E, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BBC News, Discovery Life, Food Network, Game Show Network, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, The HISTORY Channel, IFC, Lifetime, Magnolia Network, OWN, Science Channel, Sundance TV, TLC, Travel Channel, The Weather Channel and more…
Tip: TV is now accessible through the Xfinity Stream app and includes a 20-hour DVR and access to three simultaneous streams.
FAST Channels: 20+ free ad-supported streaming TV channels (FAST) alongside NOW TV Live, including NBC News NOW, Sky News and the following Xumo Play genre-based channels: Action Movies, Black Cinema, Bollywood & Indian Cinema, Comedy Movies, Comedy TV, Crime TV, Documentaries, Drama & Action TV, Family Movies, Food TV, Movies, Game Shows, Your Movies, Horror & Thriller, Children’s TV, Reality TV, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movies, Travel – and lifestyle TV and westerns.
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Peacock Premium: As mentioned earlier, through the Peacock app, NOW TV customers get a Peacock Premium subscription at no additional cost on all devices where the streaming service is available. Peacock Premium includes original series, 5,000+ hours of live sports, hit movies straight out of theaters, next-day access to all new shows from NBC and Bravo, library content fan-favorites, and live daily news.
How to access NOW TV
As mentioned, the first requirement to access NOW TV is that you need to subscribe to Xfinity’s internet service.
Qualifying customers may subscribe and unsubscribe to NOW TV at any time through Xfinity.com. At launch, NOW TV Live and Xfinity Stream’s FAST channels will be accessible through the Xfinity Stream app on supported devices. Including Xfinity Flex, Fire TV, iOS and Android devices, and streaming via Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast.
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