It may not be lions lying down with lambs, but Comcast has agreed to put programming from frequent sparing partner Netflix on its X1 cable TV and Internet service.
Few details were released about the deal, first reported by tech news site Recode. But in a joint statement Comcast (CMCSA) and Netflix (NFLX) said they had agreed to “incorporate Netflix (NFLX) into X1, providing seamless access to the great content offered by both companies.”
Comcast Xfinity X1 is Comcast’s push to add voice control, search, and other fancy perks to its cable TV service, partly to reduce defections to other video options like, um, Netflix. Comcast is the largest U.S. Provider but not all of its cable customers are yet using X1 capabilities.
Netflix programming is expected to be available via Comcast’s latest X1 smart set-top boxes later this year. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Comcast Says It’s Holding Its Ground Against Cord Cutters
Over the years, the two companies have fought over a number of issues. Two years ago, Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings complained that Comcast unfairly charged Netflix for content flowing through Comcast’s network. The two companies begrudgingly ended up working out a deal later that year. In 2015, there was talk that Comcast might end the fighting and buy Netflix outright.
Netflix, which started out as a source of older movies and TV shows that users could stream online, has in subsequent years added a number of original award winning shows like the U.S. Version of House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. That has shaken up the traditional world of broadcast networks and cable programmers.
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Netflix’s popularity has inspired customers to keep their broadband access, but stop paying cable companies like Comcast and Charter (CHTR) for cable.
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Netflix’s App is already available via Roku, Apple (AAPL)TV, and on smart TVs from LG, Samsung and Sony, but this is the company’s biggest alliance with a pay-TV operator to date, according to Variety.
