Comcast is readying plans to introduce its own subscription streaming TV marketplace called Stream Saver, the company’s chief executive affirmed at an event on Tuesday.
Speaking at the MoffettNathanson Media, Internet and Communications conference on Tuesday, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said Stream Saver will allow customers of Xfinity and Now products to purchase subscriptions to Netflix, Apple TV Plus and Peacock “at a vastly reduced price” compared to what each service costs on its own.
Roberts did not say the three services would be offered through Stream Saver as a bundle, but discussed the forthcoming launch of the marketplace during a segment on subscription bundling — leading many in the media industry to speculate that Comcast was launching a bundle that would offer all three services at one low price.
Neither Roberts nor anyone else at Comcast said the company was launching a bundle with Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV Plus together — although, shortly after this story was published, a Comcast spokesperson affirmed that Stream Saver will offer “a bundle of those three services offered at a combined discount,” better articulating what Roberts was attempting to say on Tuesday.
Roberts spoke more affirmatively on pricing: While he offered no information about how much the bundle will cost, he did say Comcast will offer “everyday pricing, not introductory pricing” for Stream Saver.
Comcast is expected to offer more details about StreamSaver later this week, and the product is slated to launch by the end of May.
“We’ve been bundling video successfully and creatively for 60 years,” Roberts said on Tuesday, referring to Comcast’s long history as a cable television provider that offered bundles of broadcast, news, entertainment and sports channels at different price points.
Like other companies, Comcast has seen an erosion of its traditional pay TV offering as customers ditch expensive cable bills for cheaper streaming options. Comcast has embraced the trend by forming a joint venture with peer cable operator Charter called Xumo, which is developing and deploying a streaming TV platform that integrates linear content channels with on-demand services through a dedicated device called the Xumo Stream Box and related Xumo-powered smart TV sets.
Comcast is also reaching budget-conscious consumers who still want a pay TV package at an affordable price. Last year, the company introduced Now TV, which includes dozens of general entertainment and lifestyle channels accessed through the Xfinity Stream app along with a subscription to the premium version of Peacock for $20 per month.
Comcast has since franchised the Now brand for a suite of low-cost products targeting price-sensitive consumers. Earlier this month, it began offering a prepaid wireless phone product under the Now Mobile brand, and relaunched its Xfinity Prepaid Internet service as Now Internet.
Now customers will have access to StreamSaver when it launches later this month. Like Now services, StreamSaver will only be available in areas where Comcast offers service, and customers can only take advantage of the low-cost streaming products offered through StreamSaver if they already have a subscription to a Xfinity or Now product.
