Comcast has introduced a new video package for its Xfinity TV and Internet customers that unlocks access to news and sports channels at a lower price point compared to its all-inclusive entertainment TV plans.
The package, called “Sports & News TV,” offers access to more than 50 sports- and news-inclusive broadcast and cable networks from Comcast’s NBC Universal, Fox Corporation, the Walt Disney Company and others.
The channels include CNN, the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, Big 10 Network, SEC Network and local ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, CW Network, Telemundo and Univision stations and affiliates. A complementary subscription to Peacock is offered in all areas where Sports & News TV is available.
The price of Sports & News TV is $70 per month. Originally, the price was offered to customers who bundled News & Sports TV with an Xfinity Internet package, but a Comcast spokesperson confirmed to The Desk that, at launch, the $70 price point is available to all current and prospective Xfinity customers, whether they bundle the video package with Xfinity Internet or not.
“With Sports & News TV, we’ve brought together top networks for live sports and news and Peacock, the best streaming service for sports fans, to create a new video bundle packed with the best content at an unbeatable price, all accessible within a premium viewing experience that makes it easy for customers to find the content they care about most,” said John Dixon, the Senior Vice President of Entertainment at Comcast. “Sports & News TV is a terrific option for customers looking for a great value in entertainment without sacrificing their favorite live sports and news channels.”
The channels are available to stream within the Xfinity Stream app for phones, tablets and smart TVs, and integrated into devices like the Xfinity Flex and Xumo Stream Box. Comcast customers can also rent an X1 set-top box to unlock access to Enhanced 4K content, multi-view and Odds Zone features.
The full line-up of channels available through Sports & News TV is below:
- ACC Network
- ABC (local station or affiliate)
- Big 10 Network
- Bloomberg
- CBS (local station or affiliate)
- CNBC
- CNN
- CW Network (local station or affiliate)
- ESPN
- ESPN 2
- Fox (local station or affiliate)
- Fox Business Network
- Fox News Channel
- Fox Sports 1
- Fox Sports 2
- Fox Weather
- Golf Channel
- HLN
- Ion (local station, affiliate or national feed)
- Motortrend
- MSNBC
- NBC (local station or affiliate)
- Newsmax
- NewsNation
- PBS (local member station)
- SEC Network
- Tennis Channel
- Unimas (local station or affiliate)
- Univision (local station or affiliate)
- The Weather Channel
When accessed through the Xfinity Stream app or an eligible set-top box or streaming devices, Sports & News TV also offers access to more than 100 free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels powered by Xumo, including Fox Soul, Nosey, American Crimes, NBC Sports, Fox Sports, Buzzr, SNL Vault and local FAST news streams powered by Fox-owned and NBC-owned stations.
Sports fans who want access to even more channels can tack on the “More Sports & Entertainment” plan for an extra $10 per month, unlocking channels like NFL RedZone, NFL Network, MLB Network, NBA TV and NHL Network. For $15 per month, the Peacock streaming perk can be paired with access to Apple TV Plus and the ad-supported plan of Netflix through the “Xfinity StreamSaver” plan.
Notably, while Warner Bros Discovery-owned CNN is included in the Sports & News TV package, other sports-inclusive channels like TNT, Tru TV and TBS are missing from the line-up. For now, sports aired on TBS, TNT and Tru TV are available through the B/R Sports add-on via the streaming service Max, which costs $10 per month.
Comcast is the latest major television provider to offer a news and sports-inclusive plan separate from general entertainment channels. Earlier this month, DirecTV introduced the “MySports” plan for its DirecTV Stream customers, which offer sports-inclusive channels from Comcast, Fox Corporation, the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD).
