Stream, priced at $15 monthly, will include HBO and major broadcast networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and PBS. The service will allow for live TV streaming on tablets, smartphones and laptops in the home and will enable features like Comcast’s Cloud DVR.
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Beyond some live cable TV, you will have access to on-demand programming on computers and mobile devices, along with cloud DVR storage and Streampix (Comcast’s movie offering). Sling also lets users watch TV anywhere, while Xfinity internet customers are limited to using Stream on their home Wi-Fi, a restriction that raises questions about net neutrality. On the surface Stream sounds like a great idea: watch TV from any Internet-connected device.
Comcast did not immediately say whether the service eventually would be available nationwide, enabling customers who do not live in Comcast markets the option of subscribing.
Stream will roll out to Boston at the end of the summer, then move to Chicago and Seattle.
Comcast launches a new streaming TV service called “Stream” for just $15 per month.
Despite its potential shortcomings, Stream shows Comcast gets that people don’t want to always be tethered to their TV. The streaming service launched to much fanfare earlier this year and secured 100,000 subscribers during its first month of availability.
Stream will only be available in Comcast service areas, and customers will have to purchase Comcast Internet service in order to buy a Stream subscription. The only requirement is that you need to be a subscriber to Comcast’s Internet service.
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If you do a random survey on the street and ask people where and how they watch their favorite TV shows and movies, chances are you’ll get a high percentage of respondents who will not say that they watch on actual TV sets. And since HBO is now the only cable network that’s available on the service, the platform likely won’t extend its offerings beyond the major networks. It is more like a cable television service delivered over internet protocols than over the top online video. That’s more than 22 million subscribers, giving the country’s largest ISP a new way to compete against Netflix and other online video companies in its own territory.
