Comcast said it has reached an agreement with ESPN to launch ESPN3, ACC Network Extra and SEC Network + on its Xfinity X1 platform, giving sports fans the ability to stream more than 150 live games, and 5,000 live events annually to their TVs.
The new agreement gives fans the ability to stream college sports like football, basketball, tennis, soccer, volleyball and field hockey, as well as international soccer, Grand Slam tennis matches and more.
“Simplicity continues to be essential in today’s dynamic media landscape,” said Disney and ESPN Media Networks SVP, affiliate sales Sean Breen in a statement. “We’re fortunate to have relationships with Comcast to seamlessly serve customers and sports fans on a platform that delivers the best of both traditional and digital video viewing experiences, and the addition of ESPN3, ACC Network Extra and SEC Network + are perfect examples of that.”
All content from the three networks will be searchable with Comcast’s X1 voice remote and integrated into the same screens and menus as the other sports programming that comes with a customer’s Xfinity TV subscription.
“From football and soccer to volleyball and field hockey, this launch gives college sports fans incredible access to live events from schools including Florida State, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh in the ACC, Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M in the SEC, and dozens more from across the entire country on ESPN3,” said Comcast Cable executive director, TV Everywhere content and product strategy Vito Forlenza in a statement. “ESPN3, ACC Network Extra and SEC Network + add a new dynamic to the already deep catalog of sports programming that’s currently available on X1. Combined with universal voice control and the X1 sports app, we are providing customers with the richest, most immersive sports viewing experience in the country.”
In addition, the integration will allow consumers to:
Access the Xfinity Sky Cam’s live game feeds providing exclusive angles and commentary;
Access a specific team summary, including its current record and conference standing, and see a list of upcoming games airing across any network, simply by speaking the team name into the voice remote;
Get real-time updates and data using the platform’s sports companion app for more than a dozen conferences while watching the networks’ live online coverage on X1;
ESPN3, ACC Network Extra and SEC Network + are available on all eligible X1 set top boxes with Xfinity TV and Internet service today (Sept. 5).
