Disney has agreed to a partnership with Comcast, and the latter will now offer Hulu Live TV through its Xfinity Flex service. Comcast’s X1 won’t get it, though, and those paying for Xfinity will still have to shell out $64.99 per month to subscribe to Hulu, so this is just another option to add to the same package.
Comcast is betting on increasing retention, or stop the bleeding if you prefer, adding something that customers can access from the same platform. On the other side, Hulu sees this as a way to tap into a large pool of new audiences, possibly winning new subscriptions.
Xfinity is a central hub for accessing various live TV or streaming services like Xfinity Stream, Dish’s Sling TV, NBCUniversal’s Peacock, WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, ViacomCBS’s Paramount Plus and Pluto TV, and the Comcast-owned Xumo, so it is already quite rich in its offerings. Those who were already subscribers of both Hulu and Flex will be able to link the do by adding their credentials after using the “Hulu” voice command on the Xfinity Voice Remote.
Rebecca Heap, SVP of video and entertainment at Comcast Cable, stated:
These kinds of partnerships are becoming commonplace in the streaming industry as competition drives entities to join forces and push others aside. It is clear that the market is populated by more players than it can take, and we expect to see several of them going defunct in the next few years, leaving the strongest alive and prospering.
Comcast is one of the decaying giants looking to jump to a new space, but for now, all it can do is host other streaming services on its cable TV offering. As we move deeper into 2021, the traditional cable company is still losing subscribers, following a trend that applies to everyone in the industry. The addition of Hulu is yet another effort to stop the demise and maintain Xfinity as a lucrative proposal for the American consumer.