Comcast and Charter Communications will use the name of the former's 11-year-old FAST platform, Xumo, to brand their recently announced streaming joint venture.
With the decision, the FAST platform Xumo will be branded as Xumo Play. And Flex, the the 4K streaming boxes Comcast hands out for free to its broadband-only customers, will now be branded as the Xumo Stream Box. Meanwhile, XClass TV, the line Hisense-manufactured smart TVs powered by Comcast's TVOS and sold exclusively at Walmart, will be branded as Xumo TV.
Also read: Has Comcast's XClass TV Drive Stalled Nearly One Year After Launch?
Both Xumo Stream Box and Xumo TV are powered by Comcast operating software rooted in the operator's flagship X1 video platform. The JV says that connected TV devices powered by this OS will start appearing on the shelves of Walmart in late 2023, and they'll also be distributed by Comcast and Charter.
Charter has committed $900 million to the joint venture paid out over multiple years. The JV not only includes the erstwhile Flex and XClass TV, but Xumo Play, the free ad-supported streaming service, and a JV itself between the Meredith Corp's Viant Technology unit and Panasonic, founded in 2011, and acquired in February 2020 by Comcast for $100 million.
“Since 2011, the Xumo brand has connected with millions of customers across the country, establishing itself as a leader in the free ad-supported TV industry for the innovative ways it delivers content to its users,” said Marcien Jenckes, president of Xumo, in a statement. “The new Xumo will bring industry leading streaming and aggregation technology nationwide through its expanding content, product line up, and retailer relationships.” ■
