Comcast is looking to entice its internet customers to sign up for a new streaming plan — its streaming plan, in fact.
In a press release, the company announced NOW TV, a new half-cable, half-streaming service that is available to Comcast internet customers. The service includes “40+ live channels from A&E, AMC, Hallmark, and Warner Bros. Discovery, plus 20+ integrated FAST channels from NBC, Sky, and Xumo Play.” It also includes a subscription to Peacock’s premium plan.
Dave Watson, President and CEO of Comcast Cable, said in a statement that “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.”
NOW TV is a great example of how our company brings together its collective video experiences, innovative technology, and superior broadband service to deliver some of the best entertainment into one affordable streaming bundle.”
The company says that the service will be launching “in the coming weeks” and available for customers that pay for its internet service. It will cost $20 per month and Comcast says that customers can sign up and cancel at any time — there’s no contract that it will lock customers into. That’s good since literally, no other streaming service has contracts.
This is an interesting move for Comcast. It seems like it’s taking some of the most popular pieces of cable, bundling it with Peacock (which it owns), and hoping that its internet customers want just a piece of cable and are willing to pay a little bit to get it. Peacock is definitely the carrot they are dangling to entice customers to be like “Oh man, Peacock Premium is included? That’s not much extra money then for some live TV.”
That’s honestly a solid strategy. While I haven’t missed live TV at all, it could get people who miss cable to grab a little bit of it again. It could also be a great way for the company to keep some of that cable money rolling as customers continue to move away from it and towards streaming services. Smart move, Comcast.
The company announced the streaming service on the same day that Warner Bros. Discovery officially launched Max, its HBO Max and Discovery Plus hybrid.
