PHILADELPHIA—Just a few months after spinning off its cable networks into Versant, Comcast has announced new plans to split into two independent publicly traded companies via a tax-free spinoff of NBCUniversal and Sky.

Comcast expects to spin off to be completed in about one year, by mid-2027.

Upon completion of the transaction, current Comcast stockholders will own shares in two separate companies: Comcast, comprising the U.S. cable and connectivity business, and NBCUniversal, holding its media and entertainment assets including NBC, Peacock, Universal Pictures, the Universal theme parks and European pay TV operator Sky.

The deal ends a decades-long attempt at horizontal integration between the broadband/cable businesses and programming and media businesses.

“The transaction we are announcing will unlock a more entrepreneurial management approach and open up a multitude of new opportunities for each business,” Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said. “I very much look forward to helping guide our collective growth for this next chapter.”

Current Comcast co-CEO Mike Cavanagh will be CEO of the standalone NBCUniversal. Michael Angelakis, former Comcast chief financial officer, will become CEO of Comcast following completion of the split, rejoining the company in the interim as strategic adviser. Roberts said he will continue to be actively involved in both companies.

“Comcast will continue to build on its leadership in connectivity, while NBCUniversal, together with Sky, will have the scale, brands, content and financial resources to compete as a premier global media and entertainment company,“ Cavanagh said in a statement. “Each organization will continue to be led by a management team with deep industry experience that will benefit from focused strategic priorities and the ability to pursue opportunities most relevant to their businesses. I’m personally thrilled to continue leading NBCUniversal into the future. With our iconic brands and theme parks, leading franchises and incredible creative talent, we are well-positioned for long-term value creation.”

When completed, Comcast will serve residential and business customers through its broadband, wireless and entertainment platforms, reaching more than 65 million homes and businesses with its intelligent fiber network architecture and global technology platforms.

NBCUniversal will include its growing theme parks division, Universal film and television studios, NBC and Telemundo networks, Peacock, and Bravo. In addition, NBCUniversal’s global portfolio will include Sky, its European media business.

More to come as reaction becomes available.

NEW YORK—Comcast Advertising struck a deal to integrate transaction data from Affinity Solutions into LENS, the AI-powered audience discovery engine that is a key part of its Outcomes+ solution.

Adding the data from Affinity, a provider of consumer purchasing insights and analytics, will help advertisers find untapped audiences, optimize spend toward incremental reach and measure campaign performance based on real consumer purchases, Comcast Advertising said.

“Advertisers increasingly want to plan and buy media based on real consumer purchase behavior, not proxy metrics like clicks,” said Dawn Lee Williamson, chief revenue officer, media solutions at Comcast Advertising. “As the performance engine for TV, Comcast Advertising helps brands apply those insights to identify untapped audiences, uncover incremental opportunities and connect TV exposure across traditional, streaming and addressable TV to real business outcomes. By bringing Affinity’s purchase data into our already rich first-party data environment, we’re making that capability even stronger.”

Combining viewership data from more than 30 million Comcast cable-TV homes with Affinity’s transaction-level dataset of more than 100 million consumers across thousands of brands and categories will let advertisers identify and reach high-value audiences on demand based on real purchase behavior, Comcast said. This ensures campaigns are delivered to the consumers most likely to drive business outcomes, it said.

More specifically, the integration will allow advertisers to:

• By building audiences off verified credit and debit card spending, not modeled behavior or intent signals, brands can target proven category buyers, reach competitor customers, re-engage lapsed purchasers, and reach high-value spenders with greater confidence.
• The partnership also helps advertisers close the loop by measuring the same target audience identified through Affinity’s purchase insights. By linking ad exposure through Comcast’s household data to post-campaign purchase activity in Affinity’s transaction database, brands get direct proof of business impact across in-store and online sales.
• The combined dataset also helps advertisers identify where incremental audiences exist across Comcast’s traditional TV and streaming inventory, so budgets can be directed toward the channels and dayparts that drive genuine reach expansion instead of duplicated exposure.

“This partnership brings our consumer purchase insights directly into premium TV, proving that transaction data is just as powerful in television as it is in digital and retail media,” said Damian Garbaccio, chief commercial and marketing officer at Affinity Solutions. “Together with Comcast Advertising, we’re giving marketers a stronger way to find the right audiences, activate against real purchase behavior and measure the business impact that matters most.”

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast’s Xfinity has announced expansive plans for its FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage that will provide Xfinity X1 TV subscribers with access to RealTime 4K feeds of all 104 games with Dolby Vision and Atmos, along with a host of features like Multiview, Fan View, AI-powered highlights that will make it easier to find, access, interact and watch the games.

In parallel, Xfinity also announced that it is launching Fox One on Xfinity Xumo Stream Box, giving Xfinity Internet customers access to every match in English alongside Peacock’s Spanish-language coverage.

“We’ve been on a deliberate journey to reimagine how fans experience sports in the home, rolling out new capabilities that make watching more immersive, intuitive and aligned with how fans engage today,” Comcast Vice President, Sports and Entertainment Vito Forlenza said. “The World Cup is the latest example of how Xfinity combines premium picture quality, low-latency streaming and interactive features to create a truly standout sports viewing experience, powered by our most intelligent and reliable Wi-Fi.”

The launch builds on efforts by Comcast to improve the live viewing experience for recent high profile events like the Olympics, NFL, the Super Bowl and NBC’s NBA coverage where the operator rolled out higher resolution video formats and features like Multiview, Fan View and AI-powered highlights.

It also comes at a time when consumers are increasingly frustrated by the difficulty of finding content, particularly sporting events, that are airing on a variety of different streaming platforms and Comcast is facing growing competition from mobile providers for broadband subs and pay TV subs.

That makes the new features an important test case in the operator’s efforts to convince consumers that its high-capacity networks can offer a host of features—such as low-latency 4K video and seamless access to both streaming and pay TV content without switching apps—that can’t be matched by competitors.

“The coverage shows we have the technical capabilities, we have the devices, we have the network, we have the wherewithal to provide the best sports experience in the market,” Forlenza said in an interview. “Our FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage is really the visual articulation of the value that we're bringing to our customers.”

As part of the coverage, the operator has created World Soccer Hub. Xfinity TV customers can simply say “World Cup” or “Copa Mundial” into the Xfinity Voice Remote to launch the hub, an aggregated, bicultural tournament destination that brings all live and on demand coverage from across networks and streaming services into one simple, seamless experience. The destination also provides quick access to Xfinity’s most advanced sports viewing features.

Comcast described the other notable features available for its World Cup coverage as follows:

• The fastest stream, sharpest picture and best audio with RealTime4K: All 104 matches from Fox and FS1, plus a match of the day from Telemundo will be available in Xfinity’s new RealTime4K technology. Delivered to the home over Xfinity’s superior network just seconds behind the action on the pitch, RealTime4K offers stunning contrasts, brilliant colors and lifelike detail with Dolby Vision and an immersive audio experience with Dolby Atmos.
• Never miss a moment with Create Your Own Multiview: Fans can watch up to four live events at once, selecting from World Cup matches and other simultaneously airing events to build a customized Multiview experience.
• Discover while watching with Fan View: A personalized, interactive companion experience, Fan View gives viewers an easy way to discover and immerse themselves in all the tournament action, without taking their eyes off the big screen. Customers can select their favorite countries to create a tailored viewing experience centered around the action that matters most to them, or browse the latest scores, stats, standings, and odds from across the tournament. Fan View also serves as the launchpad for Xfinity Clips, a new short-form video experience that makes it easy to watch highlights, features and key moments in a format inspired by the simplicity of leading social media platforms.
• Record and catch up quickly with AI Highlights: Available on DVR recordings of Fox’s and Telemundo’s game coverage, AI highlights automatically tag key moments like goals, penalty kicks, and amazing saves so fans can quickly catch up on the biggest action of the day.
• Take the tournament to go with Xfinity Stream and Xfinity Mobile: With the Xfinity Stream app, customers can watch live World Cup matches and coverage wherever they are. And with Xfinity Mobile, they can tap into Xfinity WiFi’s more than 23 million hotspots to get speeds up to 1 Gbps and stay connected to every moment on the go.

The FIFA World Cup also marks the launch of Fox One, the official English-language streaming platform of FIFA World Cup 2026, on Xfinity Xumo Stream Box, expanding how Xfinity Internet customers can watch the tournament.

With Fox One now available, streamers can watch every World Cup match in English alongside Spanish-language coverage via Peacock, bringing the entire tournament together in one streamlined, voice enabled experience.

The company also stressed that this coverage is part of its ongoing push to improve the viewing experience for sports fans that will impact its future coverage of the NFL, NBA and other sports.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 also builds on Xfinity’s broader commitment to the global game. Beyond the tournament, Xfinity serves as a year-round destination for soccer, aggregating top European leagues, Latin American competitions, international tournaments, and domestic club matches into a single viewing experience.

It also offers World Soccer Ticket, a video package custom-built for soccer fans that includes nearly 60 channels and Peacock Premium, customers can enjoy more than 1,500 matches from the world’s top leagues, including Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Major League Soccer, LALIGA, Liga MX, the FIFA World Cup, and more, all in one place.

DENVER—Comcast Technology Solutions today announced a new multi-year agreement with Great American Media to provide channel origination, playout and transmission services using its Comcast MediaOrigination solution, part of its Media360 product portfolio and that it will be discussing the deal and its offerings at during the 2026 NAB Show, April 18-22.

CTS will provide Great American Family with fully managed broadcast services for its linear channels, including Great American Family East, Great American Family West, and Great American Faith and Living. The deal will help Great American Family streamline its operations and support distribution to MVPD and virtual MVPD partners around the United States.

“Comcast Media360 allows us to simplify our broadcast operations and ensure our programming reaches our TV distribution partners and viewers nationwide with the reliability and quality they expect,” said Great American Media president Bill Abbott.

Comcast Media360 is a managed service for the media and entertainment industry. It offers an integrated suite of technologies for global video delivery, distribution and monetization across linear and on-demand platforms.

Comcast MediaOrigination, a part of the Comcast Media360 product portfolio, provides the capabilities needed to acquire, prepare, create, package and deliver linear channels and video content across devices. Content is acquired either as live video or file-based acquisition via satellite, fiber or secure IP.

Channels are then prepared with CTS' rendering operations, cloud-based content supply chain implementation, media asset management and traffic and metadata services. They are then created with capabilities such as channel automation playout, master control and VideoAI. Channels are next prepared with the necessary encoding, encryption and linear rights management (LRM) and then delivered to MVPDs.

“Broadcasters and programmers are looking for ways to operate their linear channels more efficiently while continuing to scale distribution. With Comcast MediaOrigination, part of the Comcast Media360 portfolio, we provide a managed infrastructure for channel origination, playout, and transmission that simplifies linear distribution across today’s MVPD ecosystem, all backed by the 24/7 reliability of CTS,” said Bart Spriester, senior vice president and general manager of streaming, broadcast and advertising at Comcast Technology Solutions.

During the 2026 NAB Show, CTS will showcase its solutions for streaming, broadcast, entertainment, and connectivity experiences at the Encore Tower Suites.

More information is available on the company’s website.

In the latest retransmission consent battle, 40 stations owned by E.W. Scripps were dropped from Comcast’s Xfinity pay TV service after the two sides were unable to reach a new retransmission consent agreement on March 31.

In a statement on its website, the pay TV operator said that “Comcast pays programmers to bring customers the entertainment, information, and sports they want. Comcast works to negotiate fair terms in order to ensure the greatest value for customers, given all the ways content can be accessed today. A number of reasonable offers have been made that E. W. Scripps hasn’t accepted. Comcast continues to work towards making this programming available again with fair pricing and terms for our customers.”

Comcast said that E. W. Scripps owns and operates 40 broadcast stations nationwide in the Comcast footprint, including, 19 Big Four stations (e.g., ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC), and 21 non-Big Four stations (e.g., Independent).

In a statement, Scripps said that “"Scripps has been negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that reflects this value and is fair for both parties and viewers. We hope Comcast recognizes the critical value we play for our communities and restores our stations' signals so we can continue to serve their customers. Until then, Xfinity customers can still find our local news and sports programming for free over-the-air, on our station websites, streaming apps and on other locally available cable and satellite providers."

Comcast’s ad platform and ad tech company FreeWheel has announced the launch of its new AI agent infrastructure, powered by FreeWheel’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and a suite of intelligence tools.

The updates embed AI directly into the core of premium video transactions, enabling buyers and sellers to automate workflows, optimize performance in real time, and operate with greater speed and confidence.

FreeWheel also announced that global independent platform company PMG is among the first partners to pilot these capabilities for its clients to use directly in Alli, PMG’s marketing operating system.

FreeWheel’s MCP Server provides a secure foundation that allows AI agents to talk directly to FreeWheel’s platform and take action. Built on this infrastructure, FreeWheel’s Intelligence tools continuously monitor deal performance, analyze spend and inventory quality, track commitments, and automate routine decision-making. Together, these capabilities transform traditionally manual, fragmented processes into intelligent, always-on execution.

“FreeWheel’s mission is to modernize how premium video is transacted, and that means embedding AI directly into the systems our clients rely on every day,” said Mark McKee, General Manager, FreeWheel. “With our MCP Server and Intelligence tools, we are creating a new foundation where AI can help buyers and sellers operate more efficiently, make smarter decisions, and unlock greater value from premium inventory. Partners like PMG are helping lead this transformation by putting these capabilities into action.”

PMG is piloting these new capabilities within Alli, enabling its teams and clients to monitor and analyze deal performance, identify opportunities, and optimize global streaming campaigns faster and more efficiently. Integrating directly with FreeWheel’s AI infrastructure allows Alli to query and act on streaming data with minimal latency.

With this deep technical bridge, PMG is advancing its ability to deliver more intelligent, automated media buying strategies.

“Often AI in our industry today is just a wrapper around generic models. What we have built with FreeWheel is true technical interoperability,” said Mike Treon, Head of CTV & Video Strategy at PMG. “By connecting Alli to FreeWheel in real-time, we have given our customers an agentic AI solution that goes beyond reporting and actually understands the streaming ecosystem. We are moving past manual setup to an era where teams use our industry-leading marketing operating system to optimize complex global deals instantly.”

This launch represents a major milestone in FreeWheel’s broader innovation strategy to embed AI across its platform, making it easier for buyers and sellers to transact, integrate, and optimize across premium video. By providing a secure, open foundation for AI-driven automation, FreeWheel is enabling partners to build differentiated capabilities while advancing the infrastructure that powers the streaming advertising ecosystem.

The announcement builds on FreeWheel’s recent milestone at CES, where the company introduced cross-platform agentic AI media buying for the first time alongside other industry leaders.

FreeWheel also reported that it will continue introducing new AI-powered capabilities throughout 2026.

STAMFORD, Conn. & DENVER, Colo.—NBC Sports has announced that it is using Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) to provide multiscreen video management and delivery for its production of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

NBC Sports will utilize Comcast Sports360 from Comcast Technology Solutions, which includes CTS’ Cloud Video Platform, to manage on-demand content and metadata, and publish video across devices, sites, and apps for its production of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

CTS is helping NBC Sports route the excitement in Italy back to viewers watching coverage of the Games in the United States, through engaging fan experiences, including Olympic video highlights and comprehensive event coverage.

“The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics will be one of the most expansive productions in our history, with viewers expecting seamless access to every event and key moment across the screens of their choice,” said Darryl Jefferson, senior vice president of engineering and technology, NBC Sports and Olympics. “Comcast Sports360 from Comcast Technology Solutions enables us to deliver the speed, quality, and reliability that Olympic coverage demands, supporting seamless, multi-format delivery across a wide range of platforms.”

Comcast Technology Solutions has worked with NBC Sports for more than a decade, assisting its production efforts at previous Olympics and other major international sports events.

“We are proud to provide NBC Sports with the back-end video management capabilities needed to support their massive viewing audience, supported by Comcast Sports360 to enhance fan engagement with precision and efficiency at scale,” said Bart Spriester, senior vice president and general manager of streaming, broadcast, and advertising for Comcast Technology Solutions.

For additional information about Comcast Technology Solutions, visit: www.comcasttechnologysolutions.com.

Click here for more on NBCUniversal’s Milan Cortina 2026 programming.

TV Tech’s overall coverage of NBC Sports' overall tech plans for the 2026 Winter Games can be found here, here and here.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast’s cable operating brand Xfinity has detailed its plans to use a variety of new technologies and experiences to deliver what it is billing as NBCUniveral’s “most dynamic viewing experience” of the Olympic Winter Games.

The experiences are designed to showcase capabilities of the operator’s cable and broadband platform that greatly improve streaming, image quality, personalization and discovery in ways that its competitors can’t match.

“The Olympic Games capture the attention of the nation like no other sporting event, making them a perfect stage to showcase what Xfinity does best when it comes to live sports,” said Vito Forlenza, vice president of sports entertainment, connectivity and platforms, Comcast, which owns NBCU. “By uniting our most exciting features and advanced technologies on top of our superior network, we’re creating the ultimate viewing experience that lets fans choose how they want to engage with all the excitement coming out of Milan Cortina.”

During the games, Fan View, Multiview, and RealTime4K new technologies will be making their Olympic debuts.

With thousands of hours of coverage across NBC, USA Network, CNBC and Peacock, Xfinity’s Fan View is the easiest way to find and watch the action, no matter where it’s airing. The on-screen companion brings the most advanced features together, allowing fans to personalize, navigate, and control how they watch without ever taking their eyes off the big screen.

Fan View allows customers to:

• • Select their favorite Olympic sports, automatically creating a customized viewing experience based on those selections.
• • Find live programming, highlights, the latest medal counts, scores, competition stats, and the daily schedule – all in one place.
• • Launch flyover tours of the key sporting venues in and around Milan- – including ski slopes, snowboarding halfpipes, and the bobsled track – to immerse themselves in the beauty and spectacle of the host country.

Another major new feature is Multiview. Fans can watch up to four channels of NBCUniversal’s coverage at the same time with Xfinity Multiview - no flipping required.

Plus, with the new “Create Your Own Multiview,” fans can customize their multiview experience by choosing the channels they want to watch - whether that is all four channels airing Olympics coverage, two channels airing their favorite events, or a mix with other live sports.

In terms of 4K coverage, Xfinity customers can enjoy USA Network’s coverage of the Winter Olympics with its new RealTime4K technology. Delivered to the home over Xfinity’s network just seconds behind the action in Milan Cortina, RealTime4K offers stunning contrast, brilliant colors and lifelike detail with Dolby Vision and an immersive audio experience with Dolby Atmos.

Xfinity is also launching a dedicated Peacock 4K channel on Super Bowl Sunday, so customers can lean back and enjoy NBCUniversal’s coverage of two of the biggest sporting events of the year, the Milan Olympics and the Super Bowl LX, with RealTime4K technology, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Available within the channel guide on Xfinity X1 and the Xfinity Stream app, the channel will air live Olympics coverage in the morning before shifting to Super Bowl LX programming - including the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows - and then returning to Milan Cortina for special Primetime and late-night coverage on NBC and Peacock.

During the games, viewers will also be able to catchup with AI-powered highlights.

Available on DVR recordings of NBC’s daytime and primetime coverage, AI Highlights automatically tags key moments like competitions, interviews, studio analysis, and medal ceremonies so fans can quickly catch up on the biggest action of the day without sifting through the entire recording.

Highlights Zone offers a curated collection of short-form video playlists featuring top highlights, features, interviews, and trending clips from all 16 Olympic sports so customers can relive every top moment of the Games. Customers who personalize their viewing experience with their favorite sports will also find a special playlist curated just for them, focusing on the sports they care about most.

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics promises to be momentous both on screen and behind the scenes, in terms of new technologies and the consumer viewing experience. As Team USA heads to Milan with high hopes for its strongest performance in decades, NBC, Peacock and Comcast are readying a host of new technology and viewing experiences that they hope will strengthen, if not reverse, challenges to their business models that have been years in the making.

Addressing those challenges is particularly important for Comcast NBCUniversal, which spent some $7.75 billion for the U.S. rights to the Olympics between 2022 and 2032 and another $3 billion to extend those rights through 2036.

“The Olympics in Paris proved the Olympics are back and remain an unrivaled media property,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said at a press event, where he noted that NBCUniversal had already sold out its ad inventory for the Winter Games. “We expect Milan…to carry on that legacy…[by] mimicking and building on” NBC’s successful strategy for the Paris Olympics, he said.

Stemming the Decline
How well Comcast and NBCUniversal deliver on that promise will have a major impact on both its traditional and newer streaming and digital businesses.

For its part, NBC is hoping to kick-start the celebration of its 100th anniversary this year by reversing recent Winter Olympics viewing declines. Average total audience hit a record low in 2022 of 11.4 million for the Beijing Winter Olympics, down from the average audience of 19.8 million that viewed the Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018 and only a quarter of the 45.6 million who watched the opening ceremony of the Salt Lake City Games in 2002.

The Games will also be crucial for Versant, owner of NBCU’s recently spun-off cable networks. Both USA Network, which will focus on Team USA with “Enhanced 4K” Dolby Vision and Atmos feeds, and CNBC will carry Olympics programming.

Similarly, Peacock, which will stream every event of the Games—around 3,000 hours of Olympics coverage—will look to solidify its stature as a major source of sports programming while the streamer’s owner, Comcast, will use the Games to lure back pay TV subscribers and fend off increased competition from 5G wireless carriers by highlighting the cross-platform capabilities of its video platform and its fast, low-latency broadband network.

“We know that the customers who still have a pay TV service are, by and large, huge sports fans,” Vito Forlenza, vice president of sports and entertainment at Comcast, said. “So, we are really focusing on sports to showcase the technology we have. When you can blend linear TV and streaming together into a seamless experience, you’re offering something that is really hard to replicate on a streaming box or a fixed wireless connection.”

Building on Paris
With NBC offering primetime coverage hosted by high-profile on-air talent, Peacock streaming all the events from 16 sports over 17 days, USA Network focusing on Team USA with 4K visuals and enhanced audio, and massive amounts of additional content available on CNBC, NBCSN and various digital offerings, one of the key issues facing the NBC Sports is finding ways to engage and not overwhelm viewers.

A major part of that consumer experience will be new production technologies. “Our mantra has been to make the best seat in the house even better,” Molly Solomon, executive producer and president, NBC Olympics Production, said. “This is going to be the most technologically advanced Olympics we’ve ever presented.”

That will include more extensive use of data analytics, live drones and mics on many athletes. “We will have mics on the U.S. men’s and women’s hockey players for the first time, and on freestyle, freestyle skiers and snowboarders,” Solomon said. “If you are a fan of snowboarding, you will hear Maddie Mastro give herself a pep talk at the top of the pipe.”

Less obvious will be improvements to the successful comprehensive cross-platform programming and tech strategy that was used during the Paris Olympics to provide viewers with many ways to interact and personalize their viewing experiences on TV, mobile and desktop.

“Customers have told us directly, ‘I love the Olympics, but there is so much of it I get overwhelmed,’” Forlenza explained. “There are customers who want to watch just about anything and some that want to watch specific events. All of them want us to make it as easy for me to get to an event I want to watch as quickly as possible…It doesn’t matter if you are streaming 3,000 hours on Peacock, if they can’t find the minute or two that they really want to watch right now.”

On a high level, that imperative is reflected in a cross-platform programming and tech strategy that worked so well in Paris. As with the Summer Games, all events will be streamed on Peacock and USA’s 4K feeds will focus on Team USA, while the high-profile primetime and late-night programming on NBC will dive into the day’s biggest stories and events.

Alternative Angles
Tying this wide array of programming together will be several new and returning digital tools that will help viewers find content, interact with stories of interest and personalize their experience.

One notable new experience will be “Rinkside Live on Peacock,” where users of the streaming service can access new camera angles for live coverage and behind-the-scenes shots of ice hockey and figure skating via a coach’s cam, a bench cam and other features, said Solomon.

Another notable digital tool is OLI, the AI-powered Olympic Guide that debuted in Paris and has been significantly upgraded for the Milan-Cortina Games. “This AI concierge will make following the games easier and more personalized than ever,” Jenny Storms, chief marketing officer, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said. “It’s like having a friendly Olympics expert on call across 19 NBCUniversal websites and apps.”

The clearest expression of this cross-platform strategy of melding programming and tech to greatly improve viewer engagement will be found on the Comcast Xfinity platform.

As part of that effort, Xfinity will bring back and improve popular interactive features from the Paris Games like AI-powered highlights, as well as newer tools like Fan View, which brings together stats, personalized playlists, live scores, athlete profiles, advanced DVR capabilities and betting odds, and Multiview, which lets viewers watch up to four different feeds at the same time.

“We are able to blur the lines between traditional TV and streaming to the point where it doesn’t matter if your favorite event is on broadcast or streaming on Peacock,” Forlenza said. “We’ll have a full and seamless integration of Peacock into our Olympic experience and wrap it all together with tons of interactivity.”

“The core of our business is coupling video, broadband and mobile,” he concluded. “We will be bringing all of that together to provide an unsurpassed experience that others can’t offer and fixed wireless can’t support.”

As it faces growing competition in its cable businesses, Comcast reported that paid subscribers for its streaming service Peacock increased 22% Year-over-Year to 44 Million as revenue grew 23% to $1.6 billion in Q4 and 10% to $5.4 Billion for the full year.

But the launch of NBA coverage increased costs, pushing adjusted earnings before interest depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to a $552 million loss, up from $372 million Q4 2024.

The earnings for Q4 also highlighted ongoing competitive pressures in Comcast’s cable businesses as pay TV subs declined by 245,000 and broadband subs fell by 181,000. Wireless subs increased, however, by 364,000 in Q4.

The report was the last before Comcast’s cable networks were spun off into a separate company Versant in early January and as such provided some insight into the ad market those networks are facing.

Domestic ad revenue for its media sector increased by 1.5% to $2.68 billion in Q4, 2025 due to increased advertising at its streaming service Peacock while its networks saw declining revenue. The increase in advertising revenue included the positive impact from the launch of the NBA in Q4, the company reported.

Full results available here.

NEW YORK—Comcast has completed the spinoff of various cable networks with the Jan. 5 debut of Versant as a public company on the Nasdaq stock market.

Based on intraday trading, Yahoo reported that the company had a market cap of about $6.72 billion but the stock, which trades under the ticker symbol VSNT, dipped from its opening price of $45.17 and was down about 14% as of 2:30 p.m. ET on its first day of trading as a public company.

The company owns networks and digital assets for such brands as CNBC, MS NOW (the former MSNBC), USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, Syfy, Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine.

“Today marks a defining moment as Versant becomes an independent, publicly traded media company,” said Mark Lazarus, Versant’s CEO. “As a standalone company, we enter the market with the scale, strategy and leadership to grow and evolve our business model.”

The spin-off was completed through a pro rata distribution of 100% of the outstanding shares of Versant Class A and Class B common stock to holders of Comcast Class A and Class B common stock, respectively, at a ratio of one share of Versant common stock for every 25 shares of Comcast common stock held as of the Dec. 16, 2025 record date, with distribution completed after the close of trading on Jan. 2.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast's Xfinity operating brand has announced the launch of new national video plans with all-in pricing that the operator said will provide customers with better value and transparency.

Available to new and existing customers, all packages come with an included X1 4K TV box and voice remote, and features like like Multiview, Enhanced 4K, Fan View and StreamStore.

The changes are part of a push to simplify pricing and offerings. Earlier this year, Xfinity launched all-in pricing and a five-year price guarantee for its Internet packages, all of which now include unlimited data and an advanced Xfinity WiFi gateway at no extra cost.

As previously reported, it has also launched Xfinity StreamSaver, a streaming bundle of Netflix, Apple TV+ and Peacock, that can save customers over 40% on some of the most popular streaming services, Comcast said.

When the new video plans are combined with Xfinity’s recently launched national internet plans, Comcast said, it can offer customers savings of over $70 per month for a year when compared to AT&T and Verizon.

“Like we did with Xfinity Internet, we’ve simplified and reimagined our video packages, making it easy and hassle-free for our customers to enjoy great content on the best and most innovative entertainment experience,” said Steve Croney, chief operating officer and incoming CEO, Connectivity & Platforms, Comcast. “When combined with Internet and mobile, our new video packages offer unmatched value, plus there’s even more opportunity for savings with bundles like Xfinity StreamSaver.”

Comcast said that each plan offers one simple, all-in price with major fees included and no contracts or commitments required. Customers can save $10 every month when they bundle their video package with Xfinity Internet. The most popular video plans now include 300 hours of DVR storage. With the Xfinity Stream app, customers can watch their channels at home or on-the-go via supported third party platforms like Apple TV, Fire TV, iOS, Android, Roku, Xumo TV, and more.

Monthly pricing for the new plans is as follows:

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company to make a voluntary payment of $1.5 million fine for vendor data breach that exposed the personal information of some 237,000 customers.

The decree resolves the Enforcement Bureau’s investigation into whether Comcast Cable Communications, LLC violated sections of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 in connection with a breach by a now-defunct debt-collection agency that compromised the personal information of Comcast cable subscribers.

Under the consent decree, Comcast agreed to pay a $1.5 million “voluntary contribution” and implement a compliance plan that includes, among other things, improved vendor oversight practices related to customer privacy and information protection.

In a statement sent to TV Tech, Comcast said:  "Comcast was not responsible for and has not conceded any wrongdoing in connection with this incident. The matter involved a former vendor, FBCS, which has not provided services to Comcast since 2022. No Comcast systems were compromised, and FBCS was required to comply with our comprehensive vendor security requirements. We remain committed to continually strengthening our cybersecurity policies and protections to safeguard customer data.”

The case involved a now-bankrupt company, Financial Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS), which provided debt-collection services to Comcast between from 2010 to 2022. Those services gave FBCS access to some customer information.

Comcast notified FBCS in 2020 that it was terminating the parties’ agreement and stopped referring new accounts to FBCS for debt-collection services. FBCS ceased all work for Comcast in 2022, when the cable operator recalled the final accounts.

The consent decree notes that between Feb. 14 and Feb. 26, 2024, hackers illegally accessed the FBCS network without authorization, exposing the private information of 237,702 current and former Comcast customers. That information included first names or first initial and last names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, Comcast account numbers, internal Comcast ID numbers, and internal FBCS ID numbers.

FBCS first informed Comcast of the breach on July 15, 2024. FBCS filed for bankruptcy before notifying state authorities that the FBCS breach impacted the cable operator’s current and former customers. Comcast notified customers and state authorities of the problem.

As part of the consent decree, Comcast agreed to hire a compliance officer to implement a compliance plan and procedures to improve security.

More information and the complete Consent Decree is available here.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast has expanded NOW TV Latino, its Spanish-language live TV and streaming offering, adding five more channels from Univision, ViX Premium with Ads and over 100 more streaming channels.

“As we continue to deepen our commitment to Hispanic audiences, the expanded NOW TV Latino delivers even more of the content our customers love — from blockbuster movies and hit novelas to live fútbol and trusted news — all at an unbeatable price,” said Javier Garcia, senior vice president of multicultural strategy. “With seamless access via our 4K Streaming Box and Xfinity Stream app, it’s never been easier to enjoy the best in Spanish and English-language entertainment.”

With these additions, NOW TV Latino delivers more than 200 live streaming channels and 45 Spanish-language channels to Xfinity customers, including Univision and its hit novelas, reality shows, news, sports and music programs. Plus, customers get ViX Premium with Ads (a $5.99-per-month value) and Peacock Premium (a $10.99-per-month value) included at no extra cost, Comcast reported.

Together, these leading streaming services offer thousands of hours of movies, original series, live events, and sports, including over 1,000 live soccer matches from Liga MX, UEFA, CONCACAF, the Premier League and more.

Customers can also access 20-hour DVR service and access all their favorites effortlessly with the Xumo Stream Box and voice remote, both included at no additional cost.​

Comcast said NOW TV Latino is available for $10 per month, with no contracts or hidden fees, through Nov. 11. Beginning Nov. 12, the price will increase to $15/month to reflect the expanded content and value.

Customers can also bundle NOW TV Latino with other Xfinity streaming packages—such as StreamSaver, offering more than 45% savings on top streaming apps, or NOW StreamSaver, which adds even more English-language channels and savings.

More information is available at Xfinity.com.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast’s Xfinity has unveiled a suite of new features, including Create Your Own Multiview, for last night’s start of the NBA season that transform how fans find, follow and watch every game.

Create Your Own Multiview, allows fans to select four games of their choice. Another new feature, Fan View, provides a dynamic on-screen sports companion. The new features are accessible within NBA Zone, a personalized league hub that brings more than 1,300 NBA Games together at one seamless destination, making it effortless for customers to find games regardless of where they are airing, Comcast said.

“In today’s fragmented sports landscape, fans have to navigate a growing mix of networks and apps just to follow their favorite teams. Our goal is to make this easy,” said Fraser Stirling, global chief product officer at Comcast. “Nobody does basketball better than we do, and by bringing everything together into one simple, feature-packed experience, we’re removing complexity so our customers can simply sit back and enjoy everything the season has to offer.”

The new Create Your Own Multiview enables Xfinity customers to create their own personal sports viewing experience by choosing from select channels to watch up to four games at once, whether NBA games or other sports. Viewers can enlarge any of the games on screen and cycle through the audio of other games, it said.

The new all-in-one Fan View feature places scores, stats, standings, betting odds and team insights next to live action. It also helps fans discover and watch games across network channels and streaming services without having to take their eyes off the screen, it said.

Comcast Xfinity’s newly enhanced NBA Zone brings more than 1,300 NBA games into one destination regardless of whether they are airing on broadcast, cable streaming apps or FAST channels to make it easier for fans to find and watch games. Fans can personalize the destination with their favorite teams to find the live coverage, stats, news and highlights most important to them.

More information is available on the company’s website.

STAMFORD, Conn. —Charter Communications’ Spectrum News has reached a deal with Comcast to expand distribution of its local news channels to Xfinity TV customers in Connecticut, Northern New Jersey and Orlando and Tampa, Fla.

Spectrum News had previously launched in California in response to the Los Angeles wildfires and, under the deal, will remain available to Xfinity TV customers throughout the state, with local news for viewers in Sacramento and San Francisco.

The launches will create more local news competition for broadcasters in those markets. The Xfinity launch is part of an ongoing effort to expand the reach of the local and regional versions of Spectrum News, which were originally available only in certain markets serviced by Charter's Spectrum footprint.

“We are always looking for ways to bring our community-driven reporting to even more people, and this is an exciting opportunity to reach new viewers in some of the country's largest markets,” said Mike Bair, executive vice president of Spectrum Networks. “Unbiased local journalism is a key pillar of our society and, while local news coverage across the country is shrinking, Spectrum News is expanding to provide more access when people need it most.”

In the coming weeks, various local versions of Spectrum News will become available in these Xfinity markets:

• Spectrum News NY1 will be made available to Xfinity TV customers in northern New Jersey and Connecticut.
• Spectrum News 13 will launch to Xfinity TV customers in Orlando.
• Spectrum Bay News 9 will be seen by Xfinity TV customers in Tampa.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast Corp. today announced that Michael J. Cavanagh has been named co-CEO of the company, effective January 2026. He will serve alongside Brian L. Roberts, who will continue as chairman and co-CEO. Cavanagh will also be named to the Comcast board of directors at that time.

Cavanagh is the first CEO of Comcast who is not a member of the Roberts family, which was founded by Brian Roberts’ father, Ralph J. Roberts, in 1963.

“Since joining Comcast a decade ago, Mike has proven himself to be a trusted and collaborative leader,” said Roberts. “He is the ideal person to help lead Comcast as we manage the pivot we are making to drive growth across the company. Mike and I work seamlessly together, and I am thrilled to be partnering with him as Co-CEO and with the rest of our talented management team, for years to come.”

“Comcast is a special company with exceptional businesses and an incredible team. It is an honor to work with Brian and the entire Comcast NBCUniversal leadership team during this exciting and transformative time in our industry,” said Cavanagh.

Cavanagh joined Comcast in 2015 as chief financial officer and currently serves as president. He previously spent more than two decades in financial services, including as Co-CEO of JPMorgan Chase’s Corporate & Investment Bank, one of the largest global financial institutions. He also served as JPMorgan Chase’s CFO for six years.

WASHINGTON—After months of attacking broadcast networks for “bias” in their news coverage and the way they handle relationships with affiliates, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr has sent a letter to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts saying, “I have asked the FCC’s Media Bureau to examine Comcast’s relationships with its local broadcast TV affiliates—both owned and operated and independent stations—to ensure compliance with FCC regulations as well as the public interest standard.”

As part of that effort, Carr said he had asked the Media Bureau to obtain the company's contracts with NBC and Telemundo affiliates. NBC and Telemundo are owned by Comcast’s NBCUniversal media subsidiary.

Carr framed the letter as part of his ongoing attacks on national programmers for violating “public interest” rules that have allowed networks “to exercise more and more control over the operations of licensed local broadcast stations. This has created a clear tension between the many local broadcast stations across the country that want to serve their local communities and the interest of national programmers.”

This dynamic, Carr contended, has eroded public trust in “national news outlets,” a problem that the FCC has been trying to rectify with controversial investigations into “news bias” at stations owned by CBS, ABC and NBC. This is drawn fire from Democratic FCC commissioner Anna Gomez and other critics as an attempt by the administration of President Donald Trump to regulate news content and crack down on free speech.

“The public’s lack of trust has a direct impact on the public interest, as those national broadcast networks supply many of the shows and content that local broadcast TV stations air,” Carr wrote in the letter to Roberts. “Moreover, NBC and the other national programmers are also focused on distributing national content over direct-to-consumer subscription streaming services, like NBCUniversal’s own Peacock. This has the potential to create increased market power and incentives that do not align with broadcasters’ public interest obligations.”

Added Carr: “I have heard numerous reports that the approach that NBC and other similarly situated networks are taking in recent negotiations is an attempt to extract onerous financial and operational concessions from local broadcast TV stations. Under this approach, networks threaten termination of long-held affiliations, which could result in blackouts and other harms to local consumers of broadcast news and content. These practices suggest that the relationships between programming networks and their affiliates are not operating in the manner envisioned by FCC regulations. Indeed, the Commission has long been concerned about the balance of power between networks and affiliates.”

In the letter, Carr also raised the issue of retransmission-consent negotiations with virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs) such as YouTube TV, which networks currently handle. Broadcast stations have repeatedly urged the FCC to change those rules so the stations negotiate those deals.

"While the issues raised in this letter may not be unique to Comcast, I have asked the Media Bureau to begin this review with Comcast given your company’s varied media holdings—broadcast networks (NBC & Telemundo), broadcast TV stations, cable networks, cable systems, and direct-to-consumer subscription streaming services," Carr wrote. “I want to ensure that Comcast’s ability to exert influence over its local broadcast affiliates does not operate to undermine broadcasters’ ability to comply with their public interest obligations.

“To assist my inquiry into these matters, I have directed the Media Bureau to obtain copies of the affiliation agreements that Comcast or NBC/Telemundo have entered into with local broadcast TV stations,” he concluded. “I have asked the Media Bureau to then ensure that these broadcast network/affiliate relationships comply with federal regulations as they relate to the FCC’s rules regarding station operations and control, ownership, affiliation and network program practices.”

LOS ANGELES—The Walt Disney Co. has agreed to pay Comcast an additional $437.8 billion for Comcast’s 33% stake in Hulu, ending years of maneuvering and negotiation over who would take full control of the streaming service.

Disney had paid $8.6 billion in 2023 for the minority stake, but Comcast had asked for $5 billion more, which sent the issue to arbitration over the appraised value.

Disney has had operating control of Hulu, which was founded in 2007, since it acquired Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox.

Concluding the deal for Comcast’s stake, which is expected to close in July, will, however, give Disney more flexibility in how it packages its various streaming services, which include Hulu, Disney+ and the upcoming ESPN direct-to-consumer streaming service.

“We are pleased this is finally resolved. We have had a productive partnership with NBCUniversal, and we wish them the best of luck,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. “Completing the Hulu acquisition paves the way for a deeper and more seamless integration of Hulu’s general entertainment content with Disney+ and, soon, with ESPN’s direct-to-consumer product, providing an unrivaled value proposition for consumers.”

CHICAGO—Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) and Comcast have signed a carriage agreement that will bring CHSN, the exclusive television home of more than 300 local Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox games, to Xfinity customers across the Chicago area.

Under the agreement, fans will be able to watch CHSN through Comcast’s Xfinity Ultimate TV package starting on June 6 on Channel 200 in Chicago.

“On behalf of the entire CHSN team, we’re proud to welcome Comcast’s Xfinity TV customers to a network built exclusively for Chicago sports fans,” said Jason Coyle, president of Chicago Sports Network. “With more than 300 live Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox games each year, along with original programming that highlights Chicago’s pro, college, and high school sports, CHSN delivers the most comprehensive and locally focused coverage available. This deal allows us to reach even more fans across the city and suburbs, deepen connections, and reinforce CHSN as the home for Chicago sports all day, every day.”

CHSN also offers direct-to-consumer subscriptions for internet customers via CHSN.com, the CHSN app (iOS and Android), and connected TV platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV and Samsung Smart TVs. Plans start at $19.99/month for one team or $29.99/month for all three.

“We are excited to bring the White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks to fans across the region with the launch of CHSN for Xfinity TV and Comcast Business customers,” added Chris Smith, senior vice president, Comcast Greater Chicago Region, in a statement.

WASHINGTON—Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr has blasted Comcast over MSNBC’s coverage of the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia in a social-media post that could be taken as a veiled threat against the NBC-owned stations licensed by the regulator.

Pennsylvania Rep. Ben Waxman, a Democratic state legislator, called the post “dangerous, authoritarian and wrong.”

In the April 16 post on X that has racked up more than 1 million views, Carr weighed in on the dispute over the deportation of the El Salvadoran immigrant by writing: “Comcast outlets spent days misleading the American public—implying that Abrego Garcia was merely a law abiding U.S. citizen, just a regular ‘Maryland man.’ ”

“When the truth comes out, they ignore it,” Carr continued. “Comcast knows that federal law requires its licensed operations to serve the public interest. News distortion doesn’t cut it. Abrego Garcia came to America illegally from El Salvador, was validated as a member of the violent MS-13 gang—a transnational criminal organization—and was denied bond by an immigration court for failure to show he would not pose a danger to others. Why does Comcast ignore these facts of obvious public interest?”

It is relatively unusual for the head of an independent regulatory agency to weigh in on critical news coverage of administration policies that are outside of their agency’s purview, such as foreign policy or immigration policy.

Comcast has already drawn Carr’s ire over its DEI policies and Carr’s FCC is aggressively pursuing investigations into news distortion by stations owned by ABC, NBC and CBS.

Contrary to President Donald Trump’s recent April 13 statement that CBS should lose its license over coverage in the network’s news program, “60 Minutes”, networks like CBS are regulated but not licensed by the FCC. Nor is Comcast's MSNBC licensed by the FCC.

The FCC does license broadcast stations but its decision to revive news distortion complaints dropped by then-FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel in January over First Amendment issues has been highly controversial. The NAB has called them “unconstitutional” and a bipartisan group of former FCC chairs and commissioners said the FCC was acting as the “White House’s personal censor” by threatening the station’s licenses over their news coverage.

PHILADELPHIA—As cable operators face increased competition from fixed wireless plans, Comcast is introducing the option to choose a five-year price guarantee when customers sign up for a new Xfinity Internet package.

The nationwide offer includes Xfinity’s WiFi gateway and unlimited data for monthly prices starting as low as $55 per month. The rate is locked in for five years with no annual contract required.

“We’re addressing two significant consumer pain points – rising costs and transparency – with incredible value and easy-to-understand pricing that is locked in for five years,” said Steve Croney, chief operating officer, Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast. “Our new price guarantee removes complexity, and when our customers also take mobile, they get the nation’s largest converged network, which automatically delivers gig speeds wherever they go.”

The offer comes at a time when competition from fixed wireless providers like T-Mobile has slowed or reduced broadband sub counts among cable operators. Comcast lost about 139,000 domestic broadband subs in Q4, 2024.

Comcast described what customers receive when they sign up for Xfinity Internet and opt for the new five-year price guarantee as follows:

• Reliable, Powerful WiFi: New customers will receive an Xfinity Gateway that delivers bandwidth capable of connecting upwards of 100 devices across the home. They also have access to Comcast’s WiFi network, the largest and fastest in the nation, to extend their connectivity experience on the go for no additional cost.
• Unlimited Data: Unlimited data is included for every customer who chooses a plan with a price guarantee.
• Xfinity Mobile Included: The five-year guarantee includes an unlimited Xfinity Mobile line at no cost for a year.
• Gig Speeds at Home and On the Go: More than 90 percent of Xfinity Mobile data traffic happens over WiFi, and now mobile customers have access to WiFi PowerBoost, which seamlessly delivers speeds up to 1 Gbps when connected to WiFi in and out of the home.
• Ultra-Low Lag Internet: Comcast began rolling out ultra-low lag Internet last year. Customers will experience this new technology when they use FaceTime on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, apps on Meta’s mixed reality headsets, NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW, or many games on Valve’s Steam Games platform.
• Cybersecurity Protection: Customers that take the Xfinity Gateway receive Xfinity Advanced Security, which protects all connected devices and the customers who use them at the gateway level from malware and other threats.
• Parental Controls: The Xfinity Gateway also features network controls, available through the Xfinity app, that gives customers total control of their home network. Customers can set parental controls, test the connection to new devices as they join the network, pause WiFi, set WiFi schedules for family members, and more.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast Business has announced that it has completed its acquisition of Nitel, a U.S. managed services provider headquartered in Chicago, from international private equity firm Cinven.

The acquisition expands Comcast Business’ presence in connectivity, secure networking solutions and advanced technology, and enhances Comcast’s ability to serve enterprise clients, Comcast said.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“The completion of the Nitel acquisition is a significant milestone for Comcast Business. It strengthens our ability to deliver advanced, reliable connectivity solutions and enhances our channel distribution strategy,” said Edward Zimmermann, president, Comcast Business. “By combining these two great teams, we are poised to offer even more robust network, cloud and cybersecurity solutions, empowering enterprises of all sizes.”

Nitel is a network-as-a-service (NaaS) provider, specializing in delivering advanced managed services and connectivity solutions to enterprise customers across the U.S. It provides integrated managed network and security solutions to its 6,600 clients across the country, with a strong focus on mid-size enterprise clients, including those in financial services, healthcare, and education.

Adding Nitel’s comprehensive solutions and specialized cloud-based services to Comcast Business’ advanced connectivity portfolio will provide further growth opportunities, Comcast reported. It will also enable customers to seamlessly manage their operations and networks more securely and efficiently.

“We are excited to officially join Comcast Business and embark on this next chapter together,” said Margi Shaw, CEO, Nitel. “Our team has always been committed to delivering exceptional service, and now, as part of Comcast Business, we will be able to accelerate innovation and provide even more cutting-edge solutions to our customers. The future is bright for Nitel and Comcast Business.”

STAMFORD, Conn., and PHILADELPHIA—Charter Communications and Comcast have announced that Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile have launched satellite-based services.

The services are being done in partnership with Skylo, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) service provider. They are now available on Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 devices and will provide customers with access to emergency messaging services when their device is not connected to either a cellular or WiFi network.

The ability to send and receive SMS text messages over satellite service on Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 devices is expected to be added in the coming weeks.

In addition to Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9, both Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile customers already have access to emergency messaging via satellite backup service on select Apple and Google devices, provided directly by the manufacturers.

“The availability of satellite backup service provides Spectrum Mobile customers with a sense of security, knowing they can stay connected even in the most remote locations,” said Danny Bowman, executive vice president, product, Charter Communications. “We are delivering cutting-edge technology that continues to empower our customers with the confidence that their communication needs are always met, no matter where they are."

“Today, our wireless customers already benefit from the nation’s largest and fastest converged network in and out of the home with over tens of millions of hotspots delivering up to gig speeds,” said Emily Waldorf, senior vice president, consumer products, Comcast. “And now, we’re excited to further enhance our connectivity experiences with these satellite-based services to help our Xfinity Mobile customers stay connected in situations where they need it most.”

"We understand how crucial it is to stay connected,” added Paul Hanton, vice president of Skylo's Global Carrier Partnerships. “Skylo’s groundbreaking satellite network, combined with the reach of Charter and Comcast, will bring enhanced coverage to countless individuals. We're proud to be building a future where everyone can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with reliable, always-on connectivity."

Skylo plans to make its services available on additional devices in the future. Satellite-based services are already being offered to Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile customers through a select number of other devices, including iPhone 14, 15 and 16 operating on iOS 18 software. These services are provided directly by the manufacturers and specific services available to customers vary by device type.

The operators also reported that their business mobile services, Spectrum Business and Comcast Business Mobile, will benefit from the satellite services from Skylo. Customers from each of these consumer and business mobile services have the nation’s largest WiFi network and most reliable 5G at their fingertips, with at least 87 percent of mobile traffic traveling over each company’s respective WiFi networks.

For more information visit Spectrum.com/mobile or Xfinity.com/mobile.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast has launched a new, gateway with Tri-Band WiFi 6E technology that delivers faster speeds, lower latency, and quick access to the internet for apartment residents and building owners.

The gateway allows building owners to activate additional networks to power Smart technologies and provide residents and building staff with seamless WiFi coverage across an entire property.

With space-saving and wall-mountable design. Comcast said the gateway represents a significant leap forward in addressing the unique connectivity needs of apartment residents and property owners alike.

When pre-installed throughout a property, this Multifamily Xfinity Broadband Gateway offers property owners an easy way to provide tenants ‘Instant On’ WiFi access without waiting for equipment, scheduling a service appointment, or speaking to an agent. Residents simply download the Xfinity app and connect. When a resident moves out, the gateway is automatically reset and stays in place, ready for the next individual or family.

“Our new gateway transforms multifamily connectivity, elevating the resident experience. This advanced device delivers superior performance to support modern home ecosystems,” said Ilan Eframian, vice president of Xfinity Communities. “The ‘Instant On’ feature ensures seamless, secure Internet access, allowing residents to focus on settling in. Additionally, it empowers building owners to activate property-wide services and smart devices without extra hardware.”

The gateway is a key component of Xfinity Communities’ Connected Building solution that is designed to improve the way building owners can offer connectivity – both in unit and building-wide. Comcast said it is available at a price-point much lower than traditional managed WiFi solutions.

Comcast described the key features as follows:

• Instant Connectivity: Residents can access WiFi immediately upon move-in by simply downloading the Xfinity app and following the digital activation process. Residents receive a private, in-unit network that they can customize by changing its name and password.
• Building-wide Connectivity. Whether a unit is occupied or not, the new gateway remains active, broadcasting building-wide WiFi to power an IoT network for the property owner and roaming networks for residents, guests, and staff.
• Easy installation. Our technicians can install the device in under 40 minutes per unit without rewiring or opening walls. The process is faster, far less disruptive, and cheaper than other solutions.
• Advanced Technology: Equipped with Tri-Band WiFi 6E for faster speeds, lower latency, and reduced interference in highly-density living spaces.
• Xfinity Security: All devices connected through the gateway over WiFi are automatically protected from cybersecurity threats.
• Space-Efficient Design: The gateway is wall-mountable or cabinet-friendly, featuring a minimalist exterior that blends seamlessly into any environment.
• Future-Ready: Supports multi-gig and increased device capacity, preparing properties for future technological advancements.
• Eco-Friendly: The gateway’s casing is made from 65 percent recycled plastic, aligning with Comcast’s commitment to sustainability.
• WiFi PowerBoost on Xfinity Mobile: Xfinity Internet customers who also subscribe to Xfinity Mobile can automatically receive gig-speed WiFi at home or at millions of WiFi hotspots across the country on Apple and select Samsung devices.

The gateway is equipped with a dedicated phone port and two Ethernet ports to support multi-gig speeds and increased capacity to accommodate the growing number of connected devices in each unit, now and in the future.

The announcing the product, Comcast reorted that the average home using Comcast’s powerful and secure WiFi has more than 20 connected devices with 94 percent of devices in the home connected to WiFi. All devices connected through the gateway are automatically protected from cybersecurity attacks, at no additional cost, with Xfinity Security.

The Multifamily Xfinity Broadband Gateway is available for deployment in multifamily properties nationwide.

PHILADELPHIA—In the run-up to the start of the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournament, Comcast has expanded Xfinity Multiview to more X1 devices, giving millions of additional customers the ability to watch up to four live games at once, all on the same screen.

“With 164 basketball games airing over the course of a few weeks, March is the perfect time to introduce Xfinity Multiview to more customers in a big way,” said Vito Forlenza, vice president, sports entertainment, Comcast. “Now, they don’t have to choose between games, miss a buzzer beater when flipping channels, or set up another TV on a makeshift stand in their living room - all the action is right there on the same screen.”

Xfinity Multiview will be available throughout the duration of both tournaments, ranging from two to four pre-selected men’s and women’s games playing simultaneously. Customers can simply say “March Madness” or “multiview” into their voice remote to see the multiview options available. Once in the multiview experience, customers can toggle between channels to switch audio and select any game to jump into full-screen mode.

Comcast reported that Xfinity Multiview joins a host of other features Xfinity offered to customers during the tournaments, including:

• A comprehensive tournament hub that brings together all live men’s and women’s coverage into one easy-to-use destination.
• An interactive Sports Zone app, a companion viewing experience that enables fans to follow the latest brackets, scores, schedules and stats from across the tournament when watching a single game or within multiview so they never miss a moment of the action.
• Live odds, game lines and prop bets for tournament matchups via Xfinity Odds Zone. Easily accessible within the Sports Zone app, Odds Zone gives fans an easy way to watch and wager with either DraftKings or FanDuel without having to take their eye off the TV.
• The option to favorite any men’s or women’s team so customers can create a personalized viewing experience centered around the teams that matter most to them, including the option to receive game start notifications and/or post-game highlights directly to their X1 device or phone.
• Other notable features for live sports include: Enhanced 4K, the best picture and audio quality delivered to the home in the fastest way possible; aggregated, personalized sports hubs, which make finding any game fast and easy; and Odds Zone, a companion experience where fans can watch and wager with leading sportsbooks from the TV.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND and PHILADELPHIA—The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Comcast NBCUniversal have signed a wide ranging $3 billion media rights deal for the Olympic Games in the U.S. that also includes a number of joint initiatives, partnerships and projects in digital advertising and other areas.

The deal extends Comcast NBCU’s rights to the games in the U.S. on all platforms to media rights for the 2033-2036 cycle, covering the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 and the Olympic Games 2036 (host yet to be determined).

The agreement, which was approved by the IOC Executive Board (EB) on March 12, will start in 2025 . NBC has broadcast the Summer Games since 1988 and the Winter Games since 2002.

The IOC and Comcast NBCU stressed that the new agreement takes their longstanding media rights partnership to a new level that with wide variety of joint initiatives and partnerships in such areas as digital advertising, broadcast infrastructure and delivery of the games. Those include:

• Building on Comcast’s expertise in technology infrastructure, connectivity and media to support the delivery of the Olympic Games;
• Support for the in-venue distribution of the live TV coverage of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS);
• Support to OBS in the production of the Olympic Video Player;
• Collaboration on digital advertising opportunities in the United States;
• The IOC benefitting from Comcast’s investment in relevant and innovative start-ups;
• The extension of the media rights agreement across all platforms in the United States for the Olympic Games until 2036 on NBCUniversal, including its streaming platform Peacock.

“There is no event like the Olympics. Its power to bring joy, and the unifying spirit it embodies, are truly unique. Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said: We live in a time when technology is driving faster and more fundamental transformation than we’ve seen in decades. This groundbreaking, new, long-term partnership between Comcast NBCUniversal and the International Olympic Committee not only recognizes this dynamic but anticipates that it will accelerate. It is our honor to continue to bring the full power of our company’s expertise in creating and distributing content that connects with Americans, as well as to begin to provide even more innovative technological support and solutions to the IOC and its stakeholders in areas that benefit athletes and the many people dedicated to organizing the Olympic Games around the world.”

“As we recommit to our collective mission, this groundbreaking partnership between the IOC, Comcast NBCUniversal and the USOPC signifies a new era of collaboration and engagement that will enhance the Olympic and Paralympic Movements immediately," the President of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Gene Sykes, added. "With our eyes set on the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and beyond, we are excited to leverage innovative technologies and shared resources that will ensure an unforgettable experience for athletes and fans alike.”

In announcing the deal, NBCU reported that its coverage of Paris 2024 reached an average of 67 million total viewers per day across its broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Fans streamed 23.5 billion minutes of NBCUniversal’s Paris 2024 coverage, led by streaming service Peacock – 40 per cent more than all prior Olympic Summer and Winter Games combined. Gen Z powered a record 6.55 billion impressions across NBCUniversal’s social media platforms for Paris 2024, a 184 per cent increase compared to Tokyo 2020.

The IOC and Comcast NBCU also highlighted NBCUniversal longstanding involvement with the games. Beginning with Tokyo 1964, NBCUniversal has presented 19 total Olympic Games and 13 consecutive editions, more than any other U.S. media company. Today’s announcement means that at the conclusion of the Summer Games in 2036, NBCUniversal will have presented 25 Olympic Games and 19 consecutive editions. Comcast is also a major sponsor of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements in the US, having served as an Official Partner of Team USA since 2017.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost.

As part of the upgrade, Xfinity Internet tiers, and the NOW branded prepaid products, will benefit from 50 to 100 percent faster upload speeds than before, helping customers upload large files in a flash when working from home or posting videos to social media in seconds.

The operator also noted that download speeds will increase for most Internet tiers.

In addition to faster speeds, the operator also announced that new and existing Xfinity Internet customers can now get a line of Unlimited on Xfinity Mobile included for a year when they subscribe to a 400 Mbps or faster plan.

The operator also reported that with WiFi PowerBoost, Xfinity Mobile and Comcast Business Mobile customers seamlessly receive WiFi speeds up to 1 Gbps no matter what Internet speed tier they subscribe to, in and out of the home, on the its WiFi network.

“Our faster download and upload speeds, combined with our world-class WiFi equipment, ultra-low-lag Internet experience, and WiFi PowerBoost that delivers speeds up to a gig, are providing customers with a converged connectivity experience that we believe is unmatched in the industry,” said Emily Waldorf, senior vice president of Consumer Products, Comcast Connectivity and Platforms. “Because 90 percent of Xfinity Mobile Internet traffic travels over WiFi, not cellular, this combination of products delivers a faster Internet and mobile experience and hundreds of dollars of savings to customers.”

DENVER—Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has launched Comcast MediaExpress, a centralized video-on-demand (VOD) management and distribution service for premium content providers.

The new service enables content owners to distribute their VOD entertainment titles with ease into OTT, pay-TV and social media platforms with delivery centrally managed by CTS.

Comcast MediaExpress enables content owners to simplify and streamline their VOD distribution and monetization efforts across their subscription VOD (SVOD), Advertising VOD (AVOD), transactional VOD (TVOD) or Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) partners, the company said.

The service offers a single platform to ingest video, metadata and supporting files for centralized management and distribution—backed by the scale and reliability of CTS, it said.

Content providers only need to integrate with Comcast MediaExpress for mass distribution of their premium VOD titles to reach all leading OTT and pay-TV platforms, including the most popular FAST channels and streaming video services, it said.

“Now, more than ever, media and entertainment companies are looking for the most efficient ways to manage and distribute their short form and long form video across a highly fragmented landscape of digital destinations,” said Bart Spriester, senior vice president and general manager of streaming, broadcast and advertising at Comcast Technology Solutions.

"It’s a daunting task even for the most technically sophisticated programmers, broadcasters, and film studios, but it’s what CTS was built for. Comcast MediaExpress provides efficiency, scale, and reliability for their VOD distribution efforts, so even more of their creative energy can stay focused on content creation and monetization.”

Key Comcast MediaExpress features include simplified single ingest, managed white-glove service, extensive reach across top-tier streaming and pay-TV platforms, advanced metadata management and CTS’ VideoAI metadata augmentation and support for comprehensive monetization strategies.

Comcast MediaExpress is part of a comprehensive suite of solutions for content and streaming providers and advertisers.

More information is available on the company’s website.

PHILADELPHIA and SAN FRANCISCO.—In a first for Super Bowl coverage, Comcast and Dolby have announced that Fox’s coverage of the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 will be delivered in both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

The experience will be available to Xfinity TV customers as part of Comcast’s new Enhanced 4K offering on X1 and on the Xfinity Stream App.

“Enhanced 4K” provides customers with an unmatched viewing experience with the best picture and audio quality delivered to the home in the fastest way possible, according to Comcast, so the action customers see in their living room is only seconds behind the game as it unfolds in New Orleans.

“The Super Bowl is another example of how Xfinity is redefining the sports-viewing experience through innovations in our network and with the latest innovations from partners like Dolby,” Comcast Vice President, Sports Entertainment, Connectivity and Platforms Vito Forlenza said. “With the clearest picture quality and the most-realistic audio possible, we’re offering customers a viewing experience they can’t get anywhere else for the biggest live sporting event of the year. Plus, we’re delivering it as fast as possible over our state-of-the-art network so customers can feel like they’re witnessing every exciting moment at the same time as the fans in the Superdome.”

“Dolby and Comcast share a long history of delivering unparalleled, first-of-their-kind experiences to fans, and today marks another milestone in our journey to transform the future of live sports,” said Jason Power, vice president, AV ecosystem, Dolby Laboratories. “Together, we continue to raise the bar by offering Xfinity customers an immersive experience that brings the sights and sounds of the game to life like never before.”

In another first, Comcast also announced that Xfinity customers can also enjoy this 4K viewing experience with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos through the Xfinity Stream app, which is available on compatible Dolby-enabled streaming devices and TVs.

First launched for last year’s Paris Summer Olympics, Comcast explained that “Enhanced 4K” is a new quality standard to live sports delivered in 4K on X1. It leverages Comcast’s network technology to deliver the best-possible 4K video, ultra-low latency, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Comcast also noted that Enhanced 4K joins a host of other immersive and interactive features on X1. These features include: multiview, where customers can watch up to four events at once on the same screen; aggregated sports hubs, which make finding any game fast and easy; and Odds Zone, a companion experience where fans can watch and wager with leading sportsbooks directly on TV.

NEW YORK—A new report from S&P Global Ratings highlights ongoing problems in the linear TV business with a prediction that its decline in the U.S. is “irreversible” and plans by Comcast and other to spin off TV networks “face significant challenges amid secular declines and dis-synergies.”

Last year, Comcast announced plans to spin off its linear TV networks. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery is in the process of restructuring into two divisions, separating its linear networks from its studio and streaming operations to better position the company for acquisitions or potential mergers.

“Linear TV’s decline in the U.S. is irreversible, but that there is no immediate cliff,” S&P Global noted in its report. “We expect the decline will be a steady one that will take years to reach its final conclusion."

The report also found losses from cord-cutting are moderating, but affiliate license fees will decline by "3% and 7%, depending on the network portfolio.”

In addition, “advertising, the other key revenue stream supporting linear TV, will decline more precipitously than affiliate fees as audience ratings are eroding quicker than the rate of cord-cutting,” the analysts said, with general entertainment networks feeling the worst impact.

They also argued that “sports-focused networks will hold up better (but still decline), with audience ratings and prices for ad inventory stabilizing or even modestly growing for some sports, particularly the National Football League. [Yet] … even the NFL isn't immune from ratings declines—audience ratings for the 2024 NFL regular season declined by 2.2%.”

Spinning off linear networks would create other challenges by separating them from the studios that produce content, leaving the networks vulnerable to rising programming prices. “Ultimately, the networks would just be distribution vehicles; that is, middlemen that package content licensed from third parties into a linear stream and sell those linear streams to the pay-TV distributors,” leaving them “vulnerable to termination of content rights agreements,” the report said.

“The media companies are in a no-win situation,” the analysts concluded. “Every day the companies hold onto their linear TV networks, they become less valuable.”

The networks, though, also produce a significant portion of overall cash flow, and media companies “still depend heavily on the cash flow from their linear TV networks to help fund their other businesses, make investments, and pay down debt,” S&P said. “This dependence will decline over time as the linear TV business continues shrinking and the streaming segment grows scale and profitability, but for now, we view the linear TV businesses as essential to our current credit ratings on these companies.”

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—In an important move towards making it much easier to bet on live sports, Comcast has added sports betting odds from FanDuel into Xfinity Odds Zone on Xfinity X1.

Comcast also reported that Xfinity Odds Zone will soon be accessible from a new sports betting hub on X1. The soon-to-be-launched betting hub will provide a centralized destination for fans, bettors and fantasy players that brings together the latest analysis and betting-focused content from available networks and streaming channels all in one place.

While Xfinity Odds Zone is available to all X1 customers; placing bets is limited to customers living in states where sports betting is legal, and each sportsbook operates.

“X1 is the best seat in the house for live sports, and now with FanDuel as part of Odds Zone, we’re making it even better for fans by integrating odds from another top sportsbook directly into their viewing experience,” said Vito Forlenza, vice president, sports entertainment, Comcast. “Our entertainment platform makes it easy for customers to find their favorite sports by bringing everything together in one place - whether airing nationally or locally, on broadcast or streaming. And when combined with features like Odds Zone, Enhanced 4K and Multiview, we’re giving our customers the ultimate sports viewing experience.”

With FanDuel on X1, customers can access odds for top leagues, including NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, the PGA TOUR, NCAA football and NCAA men’s and women’s basketball, directly on the TV, side-by-side with live game coverage. Bets can be quickly initiated by scanning a QR code that will add the wager to a FanDuel bet slip on the customer’s mobile device.

Using the X1 voice remote, customers can launch the experience by saying “Odds Zone,” “View odds” or “FanDuel odds” into their X1 voice remote.

“We are thrilled to partner with Comcast to enhance how our customers can watch and wager on their favorite teams and athletes,” said Karol Corcoran, senior vice president and general manager of FanDuel Sportsbook. “Integrating FanDuel odds into the Xfinity Odds Zone offers sports fans another way to interact with our robust sports betting offering, and we look forward to collaborating with Comcast to continue elevating the game day viewing experience.”

While Xfinity Odds Zone is available to all X1 customers; placing bets is limited to customers living in states where sports betting is legal, and each sportsbook operates.

LOS ANGELES—Comcast NBCUniversal said it will donate $10 million in cash to support Los Angeles-area wildfire disaster relief and recovery efforts.

As part of the effort, Comcast said it will provide $2.5 million in funding as an inaugural corporate partner to the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles’ ReBUILD L.A. initiative.

In addition, contributions will be made to organizations working on the ground to provide short and long-term assistance including the American Red Cross, Entertainment Industry Foundation SoCal Fire Fund, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, among others.

“Our hearts go out to all who have been impacted by these devastating fires, including many in our Comcast NBCUniversal family,” Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said. “We extend our deep appreciation to the first responders for their tireless and courageous efforts and to our news teams, including NBC4 and KVEA, who are providing vital coverage during this time. We stand ready to support our employees and the broader Los Angeles community as we recover and rebuild from these tragic events.”

The company also said it is providing emergency financial funds, in addition to health and welfare benefits. Those include access to temporary housing and hotels at discounted rates to employees who have been affected by the destruction of the wildfires.

Through the Comcast NBCUniversal Employee Disaster Assistance Fund, the company is providing grants to team members in need as well as making a special company double match for employee donations made to the fund through the Comcast NBCUniversal Matching Gift Program.

PHILADELPHIA—The Xumo streaming joint venture of Comcast and Charter Communications said Sharp will introduce a new line of QLED 4K UHD TVs featuring the Xumo TV operating system. The TVs will launch in the U.S. this spring.

Sharp is now the fourth manufacturer producing Xumo TVs, joining Element, Hisense and Pioneer.

The TVs will be available in 50-, 55-, 65-, 75- and 85-inch screen-class sizes and are designed to make it easier for consumers to find content.

“Xumo’s platform is all about making streaming easy for customers—getting them to the content they want to watch faster and spending less time searching across apps to find something new,” Stephanie Cassi, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Xumo, said. “We believe that combining our intuitive user interface with Sharp AQUOS QLED creates a best-in-class viewing experience.”

[Also Read: More TV Tech Coverage of News From CES]

“As we continue to expand our presence in the U.S. TV market, we're looking to pair Sharp AQUOS QLED with an operating system that delivers a streaming experience that meets the demanding needs of today's viewers," added Jim Sanduski, president of Sharp Home Electronics Company of America. “Xumo is the perfect partner because they help unlock the overall immersive experience we'd like our customers to enjoy when watching our AQUOS QLED TVs.”

The Xumo TV experience is built on the entertainment operating system that powers tens of millions of devices from Comcast and partners worldwide. Key features include seamless content discovery, voice search and personalization.

In addition to the Xumo operating system, the Sharp AQUOS QLED TVs will offer a frameless, 4K UHD screen with Quantum Dot Wide Color Gamut technology, which enhances Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 content to look lifelike with near-perfect color reproduction.

The TV will also enable the pass-through of Dolby Atmos sound from supported content sources when connected to a compatible audio device.

NEW YORK and PHILADELPHIA—Paramount Global and Comcast have announced the renewal of their comprehensive distribution agreements that allow the operator to carry Paramount networks and streaming services on its Xfinity-branded platforms.

The multiyear deals feature ongoing carriage of Paramount's networks, including CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network and others. Comcast subscribers will also retain access to Paramount's popular streaming services, including Paramount+, Pluto TV and BET+. Additionally, as part of the renewal, Comcast has the right to make Paramount+ with Showtime available to qualifying Xfinity customers.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to renew and expand upon our broad partnership with Comcast,” Paramount Distribution President Ray Hopkins said. “This new deal ensures that our dynamic portfolio of popular brands and premium programming continue to reach and entertain our valued audiences everywhere.”

“Paramount Global is a valued partner, and we are excited to continue providing Xfinity customers with access to their traditional and streaming content across our industry-leading entertainment platforms,” John Dixon, senior vice president, entertainment, Comcast Cable, said. “This agreement gives us the ability to offer customers more choice and flexibility in what they want to watch and how they want to watch it.”

NEW YORK—In a notable development for TV and connected TV advertising, Comcast has unveiled Universal Ads, a new TV advertising platform designed to simplify the process of buying ads in premium video content. The effort is particularly targeted to attract money from advertisers who had previously focused on social media and had limited ability to develop TV ad campaigns.

The new Universal Ads platform is backed by a host of major TV players and media companies, including A+E, AMC Networks, DirecTV, Fox Corp., NBCUniversal, Paramount, Roku, TelevisaUnivision, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Xumo who have committed to be launch partners. More companies are expected to be announced in the coming months, Comcast said.

Launching in Q1, Universal Ads is built on top of FreeWheel’s ad technology and will seamlessly allow ad buyers and sellers to directly transact all in one place.

“Universal Ads has been purpose-built in response to what advertisers have been asking from Comcast,“ Comcast Advertising President James Rooke said. “That is, make TV simpler to buy, scale and measure in a way that is compatible with the needs of performance marketers, and really, all marketers. Comcast has tremendous assets across tech, media and data. Universal Ads brings those assets together in a way that has never been done before. And, just as importantly, we are thrilled that our partners, many of whom are already FreeWheel clients, have signed on to join us in this initiative, as we seek to transform the TV ad marketplace of the future.”

The effort is notable on several levels, including the fact that it is Comcast’s first-ever cross-industry collaboration at this scale. By strategically partnering with premium industry partners, Universal Ads will provide simplified access to audiences of premium content and will provide "full-funnel performance" for advertisers while opening new demand channels for publishers, Comcast noted.

“Universal Ads offers the solution to the fragmented premium video advertising category,“ Jeff Collins, Fox president of advertising sales, marketing and brand partnerships, added. “Coming together as publishers allows us to present a singular platform for brands of any size in any category to advertise in premium video — all with the ease and familiarity of buying on social. This is a terrific opportunity for advertisers and publishers alike.”

The effort also hopes to take advantage with growing disillusionment with social-media platforms. According to a 2024 study of 250 performance-based advertisers conducted by Comcast Advertising, 50% of advertisers who have never advertised on TV or only done so minimally felt that their ROI from social media buying had peaked or is diminishing, and 89% are willing to try TV advertising.

Comcast said Universal Ads is designed to attract advertisers who were limited in their ability to purchase premium, brand-safe inventory from some of the top TV publishers. Those clients can now access premium video at scale directly, with a simple, consistent buying experience regardless of the publisher, the cable operator said.

“The north star of advertising has always been combining the premium reach of linear with the precision of data-informed targeting for marketers,” said Mark Marshall, chairman, NBCUniversal Global Advertising & Partnerships. “Now with Universal Ads, we are delivering that vision to businesses of all sizes. TV has always been a performance vehicle for brands, and Universal Ads puts the scaled reach and premium content that TV is known for into the hands of marketers everywhere.”

More specifically, Universal Ads will offer:

• Universal Ads Manager, a free self-service, easy to use TV ads buying tool.
• Direct access to premium, brand-safe video that reaches over 90% of U.S. households.
• Plans to offer free, automated AI creative production of TV commercials.
• A marketing API, which will enable developers to build reporting, measurement, creative generation and other applications.

Comcast executive James Grant has been tapped to lead the Universal Ads initiative. On the product front, former Snap executive James Borow, who helped platforms such as Snap, Reddit and Discord launch their ad businesses, has been hired to lead the Universal Ads product and engineering teams, in collaboration with the FreeWheel product and technology team.

For more information visit www.UniversalAds.com.

PHILADELPHIA and ANCHORAGE, Alaska—GCI, Alaska’s largest telecommunications provider, and Xumo, the streaming joint venture of Comcast and Charter Communications, said GCI is launching Xumo Stream Box for its internet customers.

GCI is offering the 4K Xumo Stream Box for free to its internet customers or for a retail price of $59.99.

“We’re excited to bring the Xumo Stream Box to GCI customers as we head into the heart of the holiday season,” GCI chief marketing officer Kate Slyker said. “With this new device, customers can have access to hundreds of free channels, as well as a very easy-to-use remote, making it easier than ever to find and watch their favorite programming.”

GCI joins Charter, Comcast, Cox Communications and Mediacom Communications as the fifth U.S. cable operator to offer the Entertainment OS-powered Xumo Stream Box.

Entertainment OS is built upon the same global technology platform that delivers entertainment experiences to customers across Comcast, Sky, Xumo and its syndication partners, and processes 15 billion entertainment-related voice commands a day through its voice search technology.

Xumo describes the boxes’ key features as follows:

• Customers can search for a show or movie by saying its name into the included voice remote, and Xumo Stream Box will search across available apps and services to find it.
• Xumo Stream Box uses both AI-driven personalization and a team of editors to surface content recommendations within the experience, helping customers find something to watch without having to jump in and out of apps.
• Xumo Stream Box comes preloaded with hundreds of streaming apps, including live streaming services like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and Fubo, as well as top streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Max, Peacock and hundreds more.
• With “My List,” Xumo users can build personalized viewing lists for every member of the family. With just one click, customers can add any show or movie available on Xumo Stream Box to a specific list, giving them a quick way to find what to watch next.
• The built-in channel guide makes browsing through Xumo Play’s 350-plus free live channels, spanning live local and national news, movies, sports, reality shows, crime TV, kids programming and more, a seamless part of the experience.
• By saying “free” into the voice remote, customers will find thousands of on-demand movies and TV shows from apps like Tubi, Pluto TV and Xumo Play.

PHILADELPHIA and NEW YORK—Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery have struck long-term carriage agreements that will allow Comcast to package the ad-supported versions of Max and Discovery+ in its U.S. streaming bundles.

The deal allows Comcast to continue to offer WBD’s portfolio of linear cable networks including TNT, TBS, CNN, Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, TLC and ID to Xfinity TV customers in the U.S. It also allows Comcast to deliver WBD’s portfolio of content to its Sky customers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

As usual in these carriage and distribution deals, financial terms were not disclosed.

The agreements also provide for continued carriage of HBO. Comcast will also continue to offer WBD content as part of its U.S. Now TV streaming service.

“We extended our partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery to distribute its networks and expanded our ability to deliver its premium streaming content, including Max and Discovery+, in a way that provides more choice and flexibility to all of our customers as the video ecosystem continues to evolve,” Comcast President of Content Acqusition Greg Rigdon said. “Through these agreements, we will bring Warner Bros. Discovery’s extensive portfolio to our customers however they want to consume the content across our existing and future linear television and streaming bundles.”

“These broad and multiyear agreements underscore the value and appeal of our linear portfolio for audiences in the U.S.,” said Bruce Campbell, chief revenue and strategy officer, Warner Bros. Discovery. “Sky UK is an ideal partner for us in the U.K. and Ireland as we prepare for Max’s launch in early 2026. We are pleased that Xfinity and Sky UK subscribers will continue to enjoy our award-winning and popular content on our networks and across our streaming platforms.”

Sky UK and WBD have also struck a new long-term partnership that will bring the company’s TV shows and movies to Sky U.K. and NOW customers in the U.K. and Ireland. Building on the WBD content already available on Sky Cinema and the existing series on Sky Atlantic, the agreement will now include a new, nonexclusive ad-supported Max app when WBD launches the service in the U.K. and Ireland in early 2026.

The Max ad-supported service will be bundled for Sky UK and Ireland customers, providing highly anticipated new shows on the service and more WBD content complementing Sky’s leading position in seamless aggregation. In addition, NOW UK and Ireland Entertainment members will also receive bundled access to the ad-supported version of Max, integrated into Sky’s NOW experience alongside other top content.

“This new partnership provides an expanded portfolio of content for our customers who enjoy Warner Bros. Discovery’s popular storytelling. Sky customers will be able to enjoy the Max app, WBD movies and the TV shows currently on Sky channels, and a seamless integration of the Max service into our NOW streaming experience,” Sky Group CEO Dana Strong said. “The combination of content from our partners, alongside our slate of Sky Originals, and Sky’s leading aggregation of the UK and Ireland’s best content apps gives us an unrivaled entertainment proposition and an exceptional lineup of the world’s best shows.”

SEATTLE—Amazon Web Services (AWS) said Comcast has moved its 5G wireless core from an on-premise infrastructure to a cloud-based network using its technologies.

The new cloud-based network is designed to provide Xfinity Mobile and Comcast Business Mobile customers with next-generation 5G wireless services using Comcast’s licensed spectrum across the U.S.

The two companies said AWS’s global infrastructure and telecom automation framework is helping Comcast provide wireless customers with an even more scalable, secure and cost-effective service.

AWS technologies, including analytics, telecom-specific features, and continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD), provide a platform that enables Comcast to innovate and deploy new features, autoscale network capacity and perform lifecycle management, the companies added.

Looking ahead, Comcast and AWS also said they are exploring new ways to work together to improve customer service, optimize network performance and automate additional 5G operations.

“AWS’s extensive cloud infrastructure, together with their understanding of telco network requirements and ability to support production-grade 5G networks, will help us to continue delivering the highest quality service to our wireless customers,” said Tom Nagel, executive vice president, wireless strategy at Comcast.

Jan Hofmeyr, vice president of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) Edge at AWS, said: Moving Comcast’s 5G core to the cloud will enable greater resiliency, faster innovation and enhanced security, leveraging AWS's secure global cloud infrastructure. We’re excited to work with Comcast to power this state-of-the-art 5G network that will give their customers a better wireless experience, as well as meet the needs of future applications running in this new environment.”

In a report on the cable networks Comcast plans to spin off into a new entity dubbed “SpinCo,” analyst firm MoffettNathanson Research described the channels’ rapidly declining viewing as “catastrophic.”

“A collection of networks with this viewership profile will have little negotiating leverage, not much of a story to tell advertisers and nothing indispensable to offer streaming services,” the report, issued Dec. 3, said.

But that doesn't mean the proposed tax-free spinoff of the NBCUniversal cable networks—including USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Golf Channel, Oxygen and E!—is a bad idea if it can spur consolidation in the declining cable programming business, which the report called “a welcome development.”

Comcast on Nov. 20 said it would spin off those cable networks and digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and Sports Engine into SpinCo. Its NBCUniversal media unit would hold onto broadcasters NBC and Telemundo and their stations, streaming platform Peacock, cable network Bravo and the Universal studios and theme parks.

“To be fair, a careful look … reveals that the rate of decline in ratings has slowed of late; indeed, the last couple of years have been something close to stable, offering at least a ray of hope,” the analysts wrote. “And some of the assets are inherently relatively stable. Yes, all are suffering from falling viewership—cord-cutting makes that inevitable—but CNBC and Golf Channel, to cite the two most obvious examples, have reasonably strong and focused platforms and relatively high engagement (and both of these two have very attractive demographics). Others, however—USA in particular—are structurally weak. Thankfully, Comcast has indicated that SpinCo’s carriage agreements are all relatively recent.”

Those rapidly declining viewing trends indicated that the proposed spinoff is all “about consolidation,“ the report said. ”To that end, spinning off SpinCo will provide a market-derived valuation (once it starts trading) that can serve as the basis for more serious structural discussions that are grounded in reality rather than wishful thinking.”

MoffettNathanson also stressed that the spinoff isn’t a “prerequisite for deal-making; Comcast could have entered into deals while remaining consolidated if they had so desired … But the spin obviously makes deal-making more likely. That’s in part because it makes dealmaking easier. As a publicly traded company, SpinCo will have a market-derived valuation, making it much easier to arrive at mutually agreeable exchange ratios (one shouldn’t underestimate how much of an impediment inflated self-worth has been to transactions in the past).”

While the analysts stressed that “cable network consolidation through SpinCo is not imminent and unlikely to play out until at least 2026,” the report noted that industry executives have long discussed the need for consolidation and identified some likely scenarios.

“Warner Bros. Discovery’s large cable portfolio would make the most natural dancing partner for SpinCo, by a significant margin,” the report argued.

MoffettNathanson also argued that creating SpinCo isn’t a prelude to a merger of Comcast and fellow cable operator Charter Communications, and said the spinoff would improve the growth prospects for Comcast’s remaining assets.

“M&A will take a while to happen,” the report concluded. “[W]hile this will take time and will not be transformational to valuation, it is a welcome development.”

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast said today that it is spinning off its cable network business into a new publicly traded company that will house NBCUniversal’s cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, Syfy and Golf Channel, along with complementary digital assets including Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and Sports Engine.

Comcast says the “tax-free spinoff,” to be named “SpinCo” and expected to be completed within a year, “will have significant scale as a pure-play set of assets anchored by leading news, sports and entertainment content.”

Although The Wall Street Journal broke the news Tuesday night, the move was hinted at just last month when the company said it was looking at such an arrangement. On its Oct. 31 third-quarter earnings call, Comcast President Mike Cavanagh said the company was looking for “the best path forward” for its cable assets. He also admitted the company was still investigating the potential spinoff and the timing of today’s announcement seems to indicate the company wanted to get out ahead of speculation.

“There are a lot of questions to which we don't have answers so we want to do the work, and we want to do the work with transparency around it so that as rumors fly and the like, we expect that,” Cavanagh told analysts.

The networks that will comprise SpinCo generated about $7 billion in revenue for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, Comcast said, adding that the spinoff will have the same dual-class share structure as Comcast.

Comcast’s NBCUniversal division will hang onto Bravo, the NBC broadcast network, Telemundo, the Peacock streaming service and all of its other assets, including NBC Sports and the Universal theme parks.

The move is perhaps one of the most explicit examples of how cord-cutting has decimated the traditional cable business model over the past decade, with more subscribers dropping video services in favor of broadband-only households, some of which supplement their TV viewing with free over-the-air broadcasts.

Since 2013, both satellite and cable providers have lost a collective 30 million TV subscribers; Comcast’s video subscriber base has declined about 9 million over the same time period.

Comcast’s decision to hang onto NBCUniversal reflects the notion that there’s still value to its broadcast properties, especially when it comes to live sports. But even that business model is being slowly eaten away by competition from the likes of Amazon’s Prime Video and Netflix, which are now (or will be) broadcasting live NFL games this season, as well as the traditional media companies themselves, which are scheduling exclusive NFL games for their streaming services.

Comcast says SpinCo’s stable of news, sports and entertainment cable brands will reach about 70 million U.S. households.

“When you look at our assets, talented management team and balance sheet strength, we are able to set these businesses up for future growth,” Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast, said. “With significant financial resources from day one, SpinCo will be ideally positioned for success and highly attractive to investors, content creators, distributors and potential partners.”

The planned spinoff will also strategically position NBCUniversal with its leading broadcast and streaming media properties, including NBC entertainment, sports, news and Bravo—all of which power Peacock—along with Telemundo, the theme parks business and film and television studios.

“This transaction positions both SpinCo and NBCUniversal to play offense in a changing media landscape,” Cavanagh said. “Taken together, the entirety of NBCUniversal will be on a new growth trajectory, fueled by our world-class content, technology, IP, properties and talent—all working in concert with each other as an integrated media company.”

NEW YORK—Adlook said it has begun working with Comcast’s FreeWheel ad tech platform to provide marketers access to top-tier connected TV and online video inventory.

Adlook, which bills itself as a brand growth platform and is owned by RTB House Group, said it will combine its Deep Learning automated bidding platform with FreeWheel’s supply of premium ad inventory to allow marketers to streamline campaign efficiency and reduce waste through precise targeting and optimization.

“Our partnership with FreeWheel marks a significant milestone in our mission to provide marketers with the most effective access to premium ad supply for Video and CTV,” Viktor Zawadzki, vice president of platform partnerships at Adlook, said. “This alliance not only enhances our ability to meet current market demands but also positions us to lead the industry with groundbreaking innovations in the context of planning, curation and optimization.”

The new collaboration will facilitate real-time optimization of targeting, creative assets and messaging, ensuring campaigns resonate with audiences and achieve desired outcomes using artificial intelligence, the companies said.

In addition, the expansive inventory to be made available through the partnership will eliminate inefficiencies and unnecessary costs associated with fragmented platforms in ways that optimize budget allocation and enhance overall campaign effectiveness, the companies said.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Adlook and showcase the combined power of our platforms,” Xavier Llerena, executive director, marketplace platform strategy at FreeWheel, said. “Our goal is to help brands and agencies tap into the incredible potential of total video advertising and this partnership expands our ability to deliver incremental reach for publishers, enhancing their capacity to connect with a broader audience in impactful ways.”

DENVER—Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) today unveiled its Cloud TV platform, a centralized ingest, transcoding and video-processing solution supporting live and on-demand video for broadcasters and video service providers worldwide.

The CTS Cloud TV platform offers broadcasters and OTT providers complete multiplatform support delivered from the cloud via a managed 24/7 service. It enables media companies to centralize live, linear TV, FAST channel, SVOD, AVOD and TVOD video management, playout, delivery and monetization into blended experiences for viewers, the company said.

The flexible and scalable platform also offers metadata management, content protection and rights enforcement, advanced VideoAI applications, content recommendations, server-side and contextual advertising, commerce and subscription management, content delivery and OTT distribution, advanced analytics and insights and managed user experience for playout across connected devices and apps, it said.

It provides Tier-1 broadcasters, content owners and distributors with a flexible framework supporting customizations and meets their uptime performance requirements, CTS said.

“It’s a dynamic and challenging time across the linear and OTT video landscape, and CTS’ Cloud TV was designed to help our customers meet this moment,” Bart Spriester, senior vice president and general manager of streaming, broadcast and advertising at Comcast Technology Solutions, said.

“With Cloud TV, our customers gain access to a next-gen premium platform that lets them manage and monetize their content seamlessly across global streaming, broadcast and advertising audiences—reliably, securely and at scale,” Spriester said. “We’ve also incorporated the best partner technologies and launched a new managed UX service so they can benefit from the latest cutting-edge innovations. Cloud TV unites the best of our SaaS services and cloud-based linear playout technology to deliver the kind of fully featured, modular and flexible TV solution that only CTS can offer.”

CTS Cloud TV offers:

• Modeling, enforcement and monetization of business policies and distribution rights.
• FAST channels, cloud distribution and playout.
• New content and subscription bundling enablement.
• Blended live linear and direct-to-consumer OTT experiences.
• Managing packages and bundles to mitigate churn with microtransactions.
• Personalization and VideoAI for discovery and contextual advertising.
• A new managed user experience (UX) with a range of development options, including custom mobile and web UIs; a self-build application platform; and templated set-top box and TV solutions.
• Alignment for carbon-neutral video delivery and sustainability objectives.
• Backed by CTS service level agreements (SLAs) and advanced technology roadmap.

More information is available on the company’s website.

PHILADELPHIA—As Comcast reported better-than-expected third-quarter financial results, executives told analysts the company is considering spinning off its cable networks, a move that could produce a significant shift in its corporate strategies and in the U.S. media landscape.

“Like many of our peers in media, we are experiencing the effects of the transition in our video businesses and have been studying the best path forward for these assets,“ Comcast President Mike Cavanagh said of the cable networks, part of its NBCUniversal unit, on the company’s third-quarter earnings call. “To that end, we are now exploring whether creating a new, well-capitalized company owned by our shareholders and comprised of our strong portfolio of cable networks would position them to take advantage of opportunities in the changing media landscape and create value for our shareholders. We are not ready to talk about any specifics yet, but we’ll be back to you if and when we reach firm conclusions.

“I’m not talking about Peacock or broadcast,” Cavanagh added, though he did say Comcast would be willing to “consider partnerships in streaming despite their complexities.”

Some analysts, though, have already thrown cold water on the idea and have highlighted a wide range of problems such a deal would pose.

Cavanagh didn't address those specifics and stressed that it is early in a process that, he conceded, would raise a lot of complex issues. Executives were going public with the idea so Comcast shareholders would have a better understanding of what they were exploring, he said.

“There are a lot of questions to which we don't have answers so we want to do the work, and we want to do the work with transparency around it so that as rumors fly and the like, we expect that,” he said. “But we want our shareholders to understand what we’re willing to look at. And that's in the context of a broader, ‘We look at a lot of things.’ And I do think in a moment of a lot of transition in the industries we're part of, I think we've got a very strong hand given the strength of the businesses.”

In response to the possibility of the spinoff, LightShed Partners analysts Richard Greenfield, Brandon Ross and Mark Kelley were generally negative about the prospects of a cable spinoff or any deal involving Peacock.

“Given the acceleration in cord-cutting and the secular decline of linear TV advertising, particularly basic-cable networks, it’s no surprise that Comcast/NBCU would be interested in spinning off its cable networks,” they wrote. “Unfortunately, spinning off NBCU’s cable networks is challenging at this stage of their life cycle and merging Peacock with a streaming-industry peer is beyond complicated. In turn, we wonder whether this is really much ado about nothing or if it could actually lead to a far broader strategic conversation where Comcast revisits spinning off/merging all of NBCU ex-Theme Parks.

“We suspect this is much ado about nothing and is simply a sign of just how structurally challenged linear cable networks and subscale, U.S.-only streaming platforms are in 2024 and beyond,” the analysts concluded. “When you see a dismal future, with no path to growth, you sound the alarm and explore strategic alternatives.”

Cable Carriage Deals a Concern
One major problem with a spinoff was the value of those networks in ongoing negotiations with multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) as a separate company without NBC, which Cavanaugh said would not be included in the spinoff.

“While Comcast Cable could certainly sign a long-term distribution deal with NBCU’s cable networks, why would any other distributor want to renew its carriage agreements or at least renew at levels anywhere near current agreements?” they asked. “It is one thing to package USA, Syfy, Bravo, MSNBC and CNBC cable-network distribution with NBC broadcast, which controls ‘Sunday Night Football,’ college football, Olympics and soon NBA. But without NBC, those cable networks would be in an incredibly precarious position.”

“Remember what happened to Diamond Sports after it lost the protection of the Fox Broadcast Network?” the analysts added, referencing the troubled former Sinclair subsidiary that acquired the Fox Sports regional sports network business spun out during Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. “Diamond’s $2 billion of EBITDA evaporated within three years and entered bankruptcy because it lost distribution. And remember, there is a lot of NBCU cable network content on Peacock, so for consumers that love that content, there are still ways to access that content, even if not carried by an MVPD/vMVPD.”

Likewise, they noted that some sort of partnership with Peacock is an appealing idea given the streaming platform has already lost $9 billion and is still losing $400 million a quarter. But a “Peacock merger with another streaming service sounds even more complicated and hard to effectuate,” they said.

Issues that would complicate such a deal include control over the partnership; the difficulties of untangling the close ties between Peacock and NBC in terms of programming and sports rights; the regulatory environment; and existing sports-rights deals that could be voided by a merger.

Comcast reported healthy third-quarter revenues driven by an increase in ad sales during the Paris Summer Olympics, strong box-office receipts for its films and fewer broadband internet cancellations.

Philadelphia-based Comcast reported overall revenues of $32.07 billion, beating Wall Street’s estimates of $31.66 billion. The Paris Games boosted Comcast’s NBCUniversal media business by $1.9 billion, a record for the Olympics, the company said. Studio revenues increased to $2.83 billion, a 12.3% increase compared to the same quarter a year ago, mostly on the strong performances of summer hits “Despicable Me 4” and “Twisters.”

The revenues from the media and studio divisions helped offset a 5.3% decline in revenues at Comcast’s theme parks. The company hopes that the opening of its new Universal Epic Universe in Florida in the spring of 2025 will help boost its bottom line in that market sector.

Also Read: Comcast Explores Spinoff of Cable Networks

Streaming service Peacock added 3 million new paid subscriptions; the service now counts 36 million subscribers. Peacock revenue increased 82% to $1.5 billion.

Broadband and video subscription declines were not as steep as expected, with Comcast’s cable unit losing 87,000 subscribers during the quarter. That was much lower than the anticipated 143,200 losses forecasted due to the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which subsidized internet access for low-income U.S. households. If not for the termination of that program, Comcast said, it would have added 9,000 broadband subscribers in the quarter.

Comcast video subscriptions declined by 365,000, lower than the expected 420,300.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—With Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall as one of the strongest hurricanes to hit west Florida in recent years, Comcast has announced that it has opened more than 261,000 Xfinity WiFi Hotspots in areas the company serves across Florida.

The move to open up the free and public hotspots to anyone within Comcast’s coverage area is designed to help residents and emergency personnel stay connected ahead of Milton's landfall, the Philadelphia-based cable operator said.

“With this second storm impacting Florida so soon, we want to do all we can to help those affected by Milton stay connected,” Comcast Senior Vice President, Florida Region Jeff Buzzelli said. “Whether it is video calling loved ones or receiving the latest safety information, being able to get online is critical. We hope opening these hotspots across the state will give Floridians one more tool to support them.”

In preparation for Milton’s potential impact on Florida, Comcast reported that it is positioning crews and equipment to respond immediately in the event of network damage. Updates on Comcast's response to Milton is available at: florida.comcast.com.

For a map of public Xfinity WiFi hotspots, which are located both indoors and outdoors in places such as shopping districts, parks, and businesses, visit xfinity.com/wifi.

To access a hotspot, Comcast said, users within range should select the “xfinitywifi” network on their device’s list of available networks, then launch a browser. Sign-in options will appear for both Xfinity customers and non-customers.

Xfinity Internet customers can sign in with their account credentials and will automatically connect to any nearby Xfinity WiFi hotspots in the future. Alternatively, a subscriber can download the Xfinity WiFi Hotspots app and sign in with their account credentials.

Non-Xfinity Internet subscribers need to look for the "Get Connected" section and agree to the Terms and Conditions to be connected. Noncustomers can renew their complimentary sessions every two hours while the hotspots are open.

Comcast and CommScope have announced that CommScope’s Full Duplex (FDX) DOCSIS amplifier is now live serving customers for the first time in Comcast’s network.

The deployment is notable because the CommScope’s FDX amplifiers will allow Comcast to seamlessly deliver multi-gig symmetrical services along with enhanced reliability, security and performance, to customers served by the vast majority of its current network architecture.

“At SCTE Expo last year we were excited to announce the first deployment of multi-gig symmetrical service to Comcast customers, and in the months since we have turned scaled DOCSIS 4.0 FDX into a reality,” said Elad Nafshi, chief network officer, Comcast. “With this first CommScope Full Duplex (FDX) DOCSIS amplifier live in our network, we are positioned to accelerate the pace of our FDX DOCSIS 4.0 deployment.”

Since launching FDX DOCSIS 4.0 in October 2023, Comcast has scaled the offering to more than one million homes across six markets and expects to continue to accelerate the pace of activation, the two companies said. 

Amplifiers are a critical component to realizing FDX DOCSIS 4.0 across Comcast’s footprint, with the current network architecture utilizing up to a six-amplifier cascade to reach customers with multi-gig symmetrical services. With this first successful deployment of CommScope’s FDX amplifier, Comcast has a clear path to delivering an unparalleled network experience to homes and businesses across the U.S.

CommScope delivered the first prototype Full Duplex DOCSIS (FDX) amplifiers to Comcast’s advanced technology labs in February 2023. In the following months, Comcast and CommScope undertook significant systems testing to understand and implement technology improvements in advance of this deployment.

“I am extremely proud to see these major deployment milestones come to fruition with Comcast after our multi-year FDX development efforts,” stated Guy Sucharczuk, senior vice president & president Access Network Solutions at CommScope.. “CommScope continues to push the envelope of DOCSIS technology to extend the utility of customers’ HFC cable access networks. These deployments demonstrate CommScope’s unique capabilities as both a leading RPD Node and RF Amplifier solutions provider.”

“Building a future-proof network demands that we’re continually evolving and refining our hardware and software to support ever-increasing customer demand,” continued Nafshi. “CommScope is a long-standing leader in technology development to support next generation connectivity. Their FDX amplifiers and RPD nodes afford us the flexibility to seamlessly upgrade legacy hardware or deploy hardware where it makes sense for us and our customers, while delivering all the capacity, power and longevity we’ll need into the future.”

This milestone represents the first field deployment of STARLINE Full Duplex (FDX) DOCSIS amplifiers, which use Unified DOCSIS 4.0 silicon technology, in Comcast’s network. Comcast has also begun deploying CommScope’s Opti Max OM6000 FDX node, which utilizes the RD1710-X6 Remote PHY Device (RPD).

CommScope’s FDX nodes and amplifiers operate in the upstream on a traditional 5-85 MHz mid-split upstream band. In FDX operation, however, both upstream and downstream traffic share the same spectrum, which begins at 108 MHz and extends to 684 MHz. FDX operation uses this shared spectrum dynamically by “directing” portions of the shared spectrum toward the upstream or downstream band based on traffic demands. This dynamically shared spectrum is used to increase the bandwidth that is available for upstream signals.

CommScope have been demonstrating its STARLINE FDX amplifiers and OM6000 FDX nodes at SCTE® TechExpo24 in Atlanta, Georgia, September 24 to September 26. 

During the show, CommScope also unveiled its next-generation Unified FDX DOCSIS RD1710-U6 RPD, which supports both Extended Spectrum DOCSIS (ESD) and FDX operation via unified chip technology, and finally, a live 3GHz DOCSIS proof-of-concept demo at TechExpo24 Booth 1321.

PALO ALTO, Calif., STAMFORD, Conn., and PHILADELPHIA—Broadcom Inc., Charter Communications, and Comcast have announced a landmark effort to jointly develop Unified DOCSIS chipsets for network nodes, smart amps, and cable modems, enabling both FDX and ESD versions of the DOCSIS 4.0 specification. 

The effort is important because it sets the stage for operators to deliver upwards of 25 Gbps speeds over existing networks. 

Comcast is showcasing early versions of technology supporting 25 Gbps speed and support for up to 3 Ghz during the SCTE TechExpo in Atlanta.

“By pushing the benefits of AI and ML to the edge of our network, we are maximizing network performance, improving the internet experience, and introducing new and exciting services to support our customers' incredible appetite for more, higher quality data,” said Charlie Herrin, president, Technology, Product, Experience, Comcast. “Supporting a single technology that can be used by all operators efficiently, over their existing networks, allows the industry to leverage its collective investment, and to increase the benefits of AI at the edge.”

“Charter, Comcast, and Broadcom are collaboratively driving industry innovation through the Unified DOCSIS 4.0 specification,” added Rich DiGeronimo, president of Product and Technology, Charter Communications, which operates the Spectrum brand. “By integrating Broadcom's cutting-edge technology into our network infrastructure and cable modems, our network will leverage artificial intelligence to enhance power, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, ultimately delivering superior services to our customers.”

This specification brings together all the benefits of both DOCSIS ESD and DOCSIS FDX and includes support for both mid-split and high-split configurations.

Designed for compliance with the existing DOCSIS 4.0 standard and creating a foundation for the next generation, the technology solutions will enable all operators through a single and open standard, delivering on the following advantages:

• Economies of scale for the industry
• Robust vendor ecosystem
• Streamlined CableLabs certification and operator qualification

The companies also reported that this collaboration will dramatically enhance DOCSIS networks with advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, utilizing Broadcom’s embedded Neural Processing Unit (NPU) in the network nodes, smart amps, and modems. Operators will be able to increase operational efficiency and improve network security and reliability through specific advancements, including:

• Channel anomaly detection and network self-healing
• Predictive network power management and reduction
• Real-time network pattern detection, classification, and optimization
• Advanced cybersecurity, intrusion detection, and phishing protection to fight AI-based attacks
• Monitoring and optimizing home IoT and WiFi device performance

This three-way collaboration also augments each company’s investment in the future of DOCSIS through an agreement to start developing a path to 25 Gbps. Among the enhancements of this evolution will be the extension of DOCSIS to higher spectrum. By expanding the supported bandwidth on hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks up to 3 GHz, this pioneering technology delivers many benefits to cable operators’ existing networks without requiring them to build new infrastructure. While this initiative is in the early planning stages, it would ultimately allow for increased network speeds for continued competitive service offerings and the ability to apply operator software into next generation advanced products.

“Broadcom is pleased to work with our operator partners in bringing the industry together around Unified DOCSIS,” added Charlie Kawwas, Ph. D., President of Broadcom’s Semiconductor Solutions Group. “With the 3 GHz capabilities, we’re providing the tools for cable operators to continue to enhance the leading capabilities of their networks while competing with higher and higher speed offerings. We’ve seen the huge benefits to operators and consumers of embedded AI/ML in access networks. From advanced diagnostics and network self-healing to state-of-the-art AI-based cybersecurity, the sky's the limit for innovative machine learning applications.”

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast says it is leveraging Qwilt’s Open Edge platform to put more computing power closer to consumers to deliver a better Internet experience for applications like streaming and gaming and to develop a standardized platform for providers to distribute their content across Comcast’s network. The company says the result will create “the most distributed content delivery network (CDN) in the U.S.”

“By deploying distributed access architecture and virtualization, we are putting the brains of our network closer to customers and paving the way for opportunities like this deployment with Qwilt,” said Elad Nafshi, Chief Network Officer, Comcast. “We’re tapping into the incredible power of edge compute to build a leading content delivery network that provides incredible benefits to our customers and to the providers who distribute content across our network.”

An optimized CDN is foundational to supporting the best user experience that is faster, more responsive and in the highest quality possible. Earlier this summer, Comcast launched enhanced 4K from Xfinity, a first-of-its-kind viewing experience for X1 customers that combines 4K video delivered over Comcast’s network at its highest bitrate, Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos spatial audio, and ultra-low latency only seconds behind live action. Additionally, for content providers, Comcast’s implementation of a standardized delivery platform increases efficiency, reliability and security of content delivery, all at scale.

"We're incredibly excited to collaborate with Comcast, a pioneer of technology innovation in the industry. By leveraging Open Caching, Comcast utilizes its strengths as a major network operator, actively shaping efficient content delivery and broadening avenues for new opportunities within this value chain," said Alon Maor, CEO, Qwilt. “This initiative enhances our expansive global edge network, a pivotal stride toward our aim of delivering top-notch digital experiences to every corner of the world, meeting the high expectations of consumers.”

This first-of-its-kind deployment, comprised of Qwilt’s Open Edge platform software and services, provides Quality-as-a-Service content delivery by performing content caching and delivery functions in edge compute and caching clusters deep within Comcast’s network. Qwilt’s solution is based on Open Caching, a set of open specifications developed by the Streaming Video Technology Alliance (SVTA) through an extensive, nine-year collaboration across the entire streaming value chain enabling the best quality of content delivery seamlessly.

Qwilt has partnered with nearly 200 service providers and content providers on its Open Edge platform and the company says that by adding Comcast, the global coverage of the Open Edge will “now uniquely enable local delivery to the majority of US broadband subscribers.”

EXTON, Pa.—The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), a CableLabs subsidiary, has announced the competitors for this International SCTE Cable-Tec Games 2024. 

The games are designed to showcase the talents and tech skills of local field employees. The best cable technicians from around the world who will be participating in the games were selected during months of competition among SCTE chapters across the United States and Canada. 

This year 28 of the industry's most skilled field workers who will compete on the show floor inside the Georgia World Congress Center at SCTE TechExpo 2024 at 9:00 AM EDT on Thursday, September 26.

"SCTE recognizes the profound challenge of equipping our workforce with the skills to innovate and manage complex broadband infrastructures,” says Maria Popo, president and CEO of SCTE. “We must continue to create a broad network of skilled technical professionals, and the Games are one way we pause to celebrate our workforce.” 

The Games have been an annual SCTE tradition since 1991. The medallions awarded in the Games are symbolic of the training that creates winners in the workplace. As is tradition, SCTE Chapters and Meeting Groups host Cable-Tec Games at all levels of the organization. Over 500 local, state and regional competitors participate to determine who will represent the chapter or region at the International Cable-Tec Games at TechExpo. 

Representing their SCTE chapter, the competitors slated to compete in the 32nd International Cable-Tec Games will be: Josh Viviano, SoCal chapter; Juan Carlos Arreola Velasco, Golden Gate chapter; Jason Chapman, Rocky Mountain chapter; Scott Garren, Cascade Range chapter; Noah Collins, Snake River chapter; Rick McLachlin, Mt. Rainier chapter, Trey Barnes, North Central Texas chapter; Kyle Young, Sam Houston chapter; Daron Verbais, Gateway chapter; Jared Harpstrite, Lincoln chapter; Jeffrey Haak, Greater Chicago chapter, Mike DeZotell, Dakota Territory chapter; Blake Gesch, North Country chapter; Paul Burningham, Great Lakes chapter; Brian Hendricks, Central Indiana chapter; Brent Garren, Razorback chapter; Darius Mayland, Louisiana chapter; Steve Dinkins, Chattahoochee chapter; Nick Larson, Central Florida chapter; Chris Woehrle, Central Florida chapter; Jim Egloff, Bluegrass chapter; Nicolas Wentworth, Crystal Coast chapter; Lou Constantino, Eastern Pa chapter; Troy Jeuther, Penn-Ohio chapter; Bryan Johnson, NYC chapter; Jack Groat, New England chapter; Jesse Hofland, Ontario chapter;  and, last year’s overall winner, Dosty Hedges, Cactus chapter.

Comcast has the most workers qualified for the Games this year with eleven competitors, and followed by Charter with seven. The workforces of Altice USA, Armstrong, Cable One, CFSSouth, Cogeco Cable, Conway Corp, Cox Communications, Madison Communications, Mediacom, and Midco will also be represented with a competitor in the Games.

This year’s winners from local cable games, typically held at chapter vendor shows or regional cable shows, will vie for the international gold, silver, and bronze awards in three categories: cable jeopardy, coax network event and fiber network event.  The coax network event combines all the RF local cable game events: meter reading, cable splicing, drop connection, and MTDR.  The fiber network event combines all the fiber local cable game events: fiber splicing, fiber termination and OTDR.   Following the conclusion of the competition, event and overall honors will be presented on the Loft Stage, located on the floor of SCTE TechExpo24 in Zone E.

Find more information at https://techexpo.scte.org/.