Comcast to Let Customers Access YouTube Through Cable Boxes
February 27 2017 - 9:29AM
Dow Jones News
By Shalini Ramachandran
Comcast Corp. and Alphabet Inc.'s YouTube on Monday announced a
deal that will allow Comcast customers with the latest gear to
search for and watch YouTube videos through their cable boxes.
The only customers who will have access to the new YouTube
product are those who have Comcast's latest X1 set-top box. The
cable giant said nearly 50% of its subscriber base currently has
those boxes.
The deal follows a similar tie-up with Netflix Inc. that Comcast
unveiled last July. When the YouTube app launches on X1 later this
year, customers will be able to use Comcast's voice-controlled
remote to search through YouTube fare along with traditional TV
programming and Netflix shows and movies, all in one place.
YouTube apps are available through many smart TVs and
internet-connected boxes like Roku, but those don't allow for an
integrated search across traditional TV networks and Netflix, for
instance.
"By integrating YouTube into the X1 experience, viewers can
simply and effortlessly access videos on any topic, from cooking to
beauty and fitness with just their voice," said Comcast Cable Chief
Business Development Officer Sam Schwartz.
Web video outlets including YouTube and Netflix have for years
sought access to cable customers through set-top boxes. In the
past, a variety of issues stood in their way, including legacy
cable boxes in the marketplace that didn't have internet
connectivity. But in recent years, faced with competition from
online providers with swankier user interfaces, cable companies
have poured more investment into souped-up hardware and program
guides, paving the way to deeper integration with online video
companies.
"The YouTube integration on X1 will provide users the ability to
seamlessly navigate and access YouTube content alongside their
cable service," said Robert Kyncl, YouTube's chief business
officer.
Cable operators have also seen their broadband products grow
into a more important business in recent years. They have said that
encouraging online video consumption makes consumers value their
broadband products more.
For YouTube, the deal could allow the web-video company to
attract new subscribers to its YouTube Red subscription service,
which has struggled to gain traction.
Write to Shalini Ramachandran at
shalini.ramachandran@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 27, 2017 09:14 ET (14:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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