If you’re a Comcast Xfinity subscriber who also loves to stream all of the best new content on Amazon Prime Video, you’re in luck: Starting today, you can stream Amazon Prime Video on your X1 TV box, thanks to a partnership between the two massive companies.
The partnership between Amazon and Comcast was first announced this past August, and signals that the cable and internet conglomerate is well aware of the popularity of streaming video, and wants provide subscribers with less of a reason to purchase a video streaming device like an Amazon streaming stick or Roku to watch their favorite internet-based videos.
Interestingly, the “give your audience what they want” approach goes both ways in this instance. This is the first time that Amazon Prime Video has been available on any cable streaming platform, and simply puts Amazon Prime Video — which has long been competing with Netflix — on a huge number of TV screens in one fell swoop.
The Amazon Prime Video channel is very easy for X1 users to access. Simply go to the apps section of the device and select Prime Video, then enter your login information. Comcast has even extended X1 functionality like voice search (via the company’s X1 voice remote) to Amazon Prime Video. That means you can simply ask the remote to find you the latest episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and it will bring the title up on screen.
The Amazon Video app for X1 also includes the ability to add premium cable channels like Showtime and Starz (but not typically Prime-ready channels like HBO and Cinemax), which means X1 subscribers have the ability to actually choose whether they want to subscribe through Comcast or Amazon. That’s a weird quirk that points to the fact that we’re at an interesting time for premium cable providers. Some, like HBO, have their own streaming services, while others retain the more typical third-party subscription model.
If you’re an X1 subscriber looking for some shows to watch on Amazon Prime, be sure to check out our list of the best shows and the best films on Amazon.