Cable giant Comcast, hoping to build a new bridge to the streaming-centric video landscape, this week announced the availability of the Xumo Stream Box — a device it’s providing for no extra monthly charge to Xfinity Internet broadband subscribers across the U.S.
Comcast is charging a one-time “activation fee” of $15 (plus tax) for the Xumo Stream Box; each Xfinity Internet household can get one box for no monthly charge, with each additional device carrying a $5-per-month fee. To get a Xumo box, eligible customers can visit xfinity/xumo and select “Get Xumo Streaming Box,” pick one up from an Xfinity retail store or request one from Comcast’s customer service.
Xumo Stream Box is preloaded with hundreds of streaming apps, including for Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Max, Prime Video, YouTube and (of course) NBCUniversal’s Peacock. Using the voice-enabled remote, viewers can simply say the name of the streaming service to launch the app. It also features more than 20 free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) live channels from Xfinity Stream as well as 300-plus FAST channels from Xumo Play. In addition, customers with Comcast’s Now TV low-priced pay-TV bundle (which excludes sports and local TV) can access 40-plus streaming channels from A&E, AMC, Hallmark, Warner Bros. Discovery and more.
The box is developed by Xumo, a joint venture between Comcast and Charter. In October, Charter began rolling out Xumo boxes to Spectrum video customers with a different model: New customers will get one free Xumo Stream Box per household for 12 months and then can either pay $60 for an outright purchase of the device or a $5/month service fee to use it. Existing Spectrum TV subscribers can also buy or pay a service fee for a Xumo box for the same terms.
Xumo Stream Box offers “all the same search and discovery features Xfinity customers love about X1 and Flex within a new user experience that makes it even easier for them to navigate between their favorite live, on-demand or streaming content,” according to Comcast. The device is powered by Comcast’s EntertainmentOS platform, which encompasses a user interface, metadata platform and voice technology. Xumo Stream Box replaces Comcast’s older Flex streaming boxes (although those will continue to work for existing users).
The box provides a “currently playing” tile on the UI that shows what’s airing on the last Xfinity Stream channel a customer watched it includes a built-in channel guide. For the first time, Xfinity customers will be able to build personalized viewing lists for every member of the family with “My List” on the Xumo Stream Box. According to Comcast, Xumo Stream Box uses both AI-driven personalization and an in-house editorial team to surface content recommendation.
“Finding something to watch across streaming apps can be frustrating and time-consuming for customers,” said John Dixon, Comcast Cable’s senior VP of entertainment. “Xumo Stream Box helps simplify streaming so customers can spend less time searching and more time watching with key features like live TV at start-up, leading voice search, an integrated guide and all the most popular apps preloaded and ready to watch.”
