Comcast will begin streaming TV shows and movies this week. It’s the latest in a growing list of Netflix competitors (thinks everyone except Comcast). The service will be free to Comcast Triple Play subscribers; otherwise, it’ll set you back $4.99 a month. And what do you get? TV shows and movies from NBC, ABC, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and kids shows like Paddington Bear from Cookie Jar Entertainment. So, nothing mind-blowing, but it’s a start. And if you’re already paying for Comcast, the when, where and how you watch your stories just got a huge lift.
Comcast said the new service isn’t a Netflix competitor, but a way to enhance its other offerings to keep viewers from cutting off cable subscriptions, and to sign up for pricier tiers of service.
Let’s see, who’s playing this game now:.. Verizon and Redbox announced a streaming/DVD partnership, then there was Dish Network, which bought Blockbuster’s streaming site, Amazon is still slugging it out, Hulu is a big contender too. All this posturing and competition to Netflix might also be positioning for when Apple comes out with its iTV, or whatever it’s going to be called, which is rumored to happen sometime this year.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
