It’s another case of the streaming wars making strange bedfellows: Comcast announced that starting today, Google’s YouTube TV is now available on Xfinity Flex, the cable giant’s video platform for broadband-only customers.
YouTube TV, of course, is directly competitive with Comcast’s Xfinity TV — but like other cable operators, Comcast is increasingly a broadband-first provider. As of the end of the third quarter, Comcast reported 29.4 million residential broadband customers (up 281,000 for the period) and 17.8 million video subs (down 382,000 sequentially).
YouTube TV joins Dish’s Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV as pay-TV options available on Xfinity Flex, while customers also can subscribe to Comcast’s Xfinity TV packages via the Stream app.
YouTube TV ($65/month) offers access to more than 85 channels, including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC broadcast networks and dozens of cable networks, an unlimited cloud DVR, three simultaneous streams per account, and other features.
New and existing YouTube TV customers who are Comcast broadband customers can access the service on Xfinity Flex by saying “YouTube TV” into the Xfinity Voice Remote or by clicking on the new YouTube TV app.
In addition Flex, YouTube TV is available on XClass TV, Comcast’s new line of smart TVs built by Hisense that bring the operator’s video entertainment platform to consumers nationwide.
“The launch of YouTube TV on Flex is another example of how we surround our broadband service with value,” Colin Petrie-Norris, SVP of consumer entertainment for Xfinity. The strategy is to give customers “access to all their preferred content and subscriptions on one device powered by our award-winning entertainment and voice platform.”