Yahoo Movies Comcast And Charter Name Their Streaming Joint Venture Xumo, Set Related Rebrand Of Flex And XClass TV & Outline Plans For Timing Of Launch
Charter and Comcast have named their streaming joint venture Xumo, expanding the scope of the free, ad-supported platform Comcast acquired in 2020.
The companies also said Flex, the 4K streaming device licensed by Comcast to the joint venture will become Xumo Stream Box and XClass TV will become Xumo TV.
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The forthcoming Xumo offering, which was first announced last April, is expected to reach the market in 2023 via Walmart stores as well as Comcast and Charter retail channels, with additional distribution planned. It is envisioned as an “entire entertainment ecosystem inclusive of streaming devices, content, and a platform for partners to reach audiences at scale,” a press release said.
Comcast and Charter are rivals in the pay-TV and broadband services sector but share an interest in leveraging their scale to attract customers who might otherwise view video through Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or other gateways. By redeploying the Xumo name for the new venture, the owners answered a question looming over the 2020 acquisition by Comcast, which puzzled many in the industry given the company’s investment in Peacock and the growth of Flex.
“Since 2011, the Xumo brand has connected with millions of customers across the country, establishing itself as a leader in the free ad-supported TV industry for the innovative ways it delivers content to its users,” Xumo president Marcien Jenckes said. “The new Xumo will bring industry leading streaming and aggregation technology nationwide through its expanding content, product line-up, and retailer relationships.”
Flex and XClass TV will continue to rely on Comcast’s global technology platform and feature an entertainment experience designed to make it easy for consumers to find and enjoy their favorite streaming content through a world-class user interface and voice search. Xumo will go-to-market with its first branded devices in late 2023, distributed by Comcast, Charter and Walmart, with additional distributors to be announced in the future.
Xumo’s FAST service, which has hundreds of linear channels and on-demand options from various networks and suppliers, will be rebranded Xumo Play. It will anchor the free content offering on Xumo devices and continue to be available as an app on other streaming platforms.
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