Comcast Talks Xfinity Instant TV, Which May Appear Later in 2017
During a call with investors, executives with telco Comcast offered a few more details on Xfinity Instant TV, the streaming service it's now creating. Instant TV might launch in the second half of this year for around $15 per month (previous reports have said). It's aimed at young mobile-first viewers, and doesn't depend on having a connected TV or set-top box. It seems to be a revamp of the Comcast Stream service the company sells in some part of the U.S., and may be limited to Comcast internet customers who don't subscribe to cable.
With that price and goal, Instant TV is more a rival for Fullscreen than Sling TV. It sounds more YouTube Red than YouTube TV. The content lineup hasn't been announced, but reports have said it will offer local broadcast channels and premium channels, and include a cloud DVR.
While the service wouldn't match the revenue Comcast is losing from pay TV customers cutting or trimming their bills, it would provide an entry path for young consumers who are willing to pay for innovative services.
Asked about Comcast's over-the-top (OTT) offerings and their value to the company, NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke said, "[They] are doing about as we expected they would do, and that is they are not all that material to our business," noted The Hollywood Reporter. “It is a very tough business, and we, as before, we are skeptical it will be a very large business or profitable business, and they are off to a relatively slow start."
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