Canadian telecom provider Rogers has announced a new skinny pay television package that includes access to free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels and Netflix as part of the service.
The bundle, called App TV, includes around two dozen live television channels — Rogers puts the amount closer to 40, but appears to include regional networks in that count — and 20 FAST channels, as well as access to Netflix’s ad-supported plan. The service is powered by Rogers Xfinity TV, the pay TV service rebranded from Rogers Ignite last year. (Rogers licenses the Xfinity brand name, its TV operating system and most of its television and Internet hardware from Comcast.)
The live television channels included with App TV from Rogers Xfinity TV are:
- A&E
- AMC
- BBC First
- Bravo
- CHCH
- Citynews 24/7
- City TV
- Discovery
- EuroWorld Sport
- Food Network
- FX
- FXX HD
- Game Plus
- GSN Game Show Network
- HGTV
- ID
- Magnolia Network
- Omni 1
- Omni 2
- Rewind
- Super Channel Fuse
- Super Channel Heart & Home
- Super Channel Quest
The FAST channels available through App TV include:
- ACL Cornhole
- American Pickers
- BeIN Sports Extra
- Billiards TV
- Boxing TV
- Deal Or No Deal
- Fail Army
- Fight Network
- FilmRise Classic TV
- Forensic Files
- NatureScape
- Pet Collective
- Power Nation
- Property Brothers
- Super Channel Hearties
- Super Channel Uncovered
- Unsolved Mysteries
- World Poker Tour
- Xumo Action Movies
- Xumo Movies
As in the United States, the FAST channels are powered by Xumo, the streaming joint venture formed between Comcast and its peer telecom Charter several years ago.
Rogers says App TV is accessible through the Xfinity Stream app on phones, tablets, some smart TVs and most computers, and natively through its Rogers Xfinity Stream Box. The cost of App TV is CA $25 per month (around U.S. $17.45 per month).
“App TV combines our best entertainment experience and world-class technology to bring Rogers Xfinity customers the best of both worlds,” Bret Leech, the President of Rogers Xfinity’s residential business, said in a statement. “It combines live TV, including the latest new episodes of shows from Canada’s top specialty channels like Bravo, HGTV, Food Network and Discovery with Netflix so customers can watch their favourites when they want, how they want.”
The move follows similar launches of Internet-based pay TV packages from Comcast’s businesses in the United States and the United Kingdom, where its skinny pay TV bundle called Now TV is offered. Comcast also offers a streaming bundle called Stream Saver that pairs its Peacock service with that of Netflix and Apple TV Plus.
The offerings are meant to retain customer relationships across the board: Comcast launched value-additive TV and streaming packages targeted to its Xfinity Internet users, while Rogers is intending to provide its pay TV subscribers a low-cost offering to prevent them from churning out.
Like other pay TV services, Rogers has been afflicted by the trend of cord-cutting, with the company losing 35,000 video subscribers during the fourth quarter (Q4) of the year, Light Reading reported. The company ended 2024 with around 2.6 million video subscribers.
