Comcast rolls out a $20 streaming bundle, with a catch

By Phil Nickinson May 23, 2023

Because the state of streaming video isn’t confusing enough, Comcast today announced Now TV, a streaming bundle that includes more than 40 channels from the likes of A&E, AMC, Hallmark, and Warner Bros. Discovery (as in the parent company of the new revamped Max streaming service), as well as more than 20 free ad-supported channels from NBC (which is owned by Comcast), Sky, and Xumo Play. And they’re throwing in a subscription to Peacock Premium (that’s the streaming service from NBCUniversal), just because.

That’s actually a decent amount of streaming video for a decent price of $20 a month.

A promo image for Comcast's Now TV. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

“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,” Dave Watson, president and CEO of Comcast Cable, said in a press release. “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 only real catch here is that you have to be an Xfinity customer to get the bundle, at least at launch. You’ll sign up and cancel through the Xfinity website (there’s no sign of that though at the time we’re publishing this, though), and the whole smash will be available through the Xfinity Stream app, which is available on the Xfinity Flex system, as well as on Amazon Fire TV, iOS and Android devices, and through casting via Apple’s AirPlay or Google’s Chromecast.

So it’s sort of a standalone streaming service, so long as you already have an existing Xfinity service. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Section Editor, Audio/Video

Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…

Audio / Video

The 10 most popular streaming services, ranked by subscriber count

The Netflix home screen.

Let's start this with a caveat or two: If you're going to compare streaming services merely by the number of subscribers they have, it's not exactly a fair fight. Not all services are available in the same places. Nor does the number of subscribers really address the "worth" of a streaming service. Or whether it's easy to use, or if the apps are any good. Or, for that matter, if a given streaming service has what you want to watch, which really is the only measure necessary.

Still, it's interesting to keep up with how things are doing from a global perspective, especially when you have relatively young upstarts like Apple TV+ gaining so many accolades in an industry dominated by Netflix.

Audio / Video

Disney+, Hulu, and Max coming as a streaming bundle this summer

The Disney Plus, Hulu and Max icons on Apple TV.

Disney+, Hulu, and Max will be available as a streaming bundle in summer 2024. Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

Just when you thought there weren't enough permutations of the Disney streaming bundle, we get this: Disney+, Hulu, and Max will be available together later this summer.

Audio / Video

What Fubo and others get wrong in their fight against new sports streamer

Fubo splash screen on a TV.

Representatives from a number of media companies — led by Fubo, Dish Network, DirecTV, and others — have sent a “final coalition letter” to congressional committees that calls for hearings to be held over the upcoming sports-focused streaming service that combines the rights held by Disney (which includes ABC and ESPN), Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), and Fox. The letter cites issues that “raise serious competition concerns that call for Congress’ immediate oversight.”

The letter was sent to Sens. Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz of the Senate Commerce Committee, Sens. Dick Durbin and Lindsey Graham of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Frank Pallone of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Jim Jordan and Jerry Nadler of the House Judiciary Committee. It was signed by FuboTV Inc., DirecTV, Dish Network, Newsmax, Inc., American Economic Liberties Project, Open Markets Institute, Sports Fan Coalition, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.