Following a similar deal Comcast inked with AMC Networks, the cable operator and FX Networks announced Monday that they have teamed to create a new commercial-free on-demand service, called FX+, that will sell for $5.99 per month.
Update: As a point of distinction, FX+ is not being billed as an SVOD service, since it doesn't stand alone from the linear network and viewers must be an authenticated subscriber of FX with Comcast to upgrade to it.
The new service will launch on September 5, and offer ad-free versions of current seasons of every FX and FXX original series and every season of several current and catalog library titles of FX originals. Further out, FX+ will offer select series in 4K and offer “temporary downloads of current season episodes.”
Comcast and FX estimate that the new service will offer more than 1,100 episodes, noting that the offering includes complete in-season stacking rights to those originals.
Titles and series tied to the new service include American Horror Story, Damages, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Legion, Louie, Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, The Shield, Sons of Anarchy and Terriers.
Shows that are part of FX+ will be rolled out in phases and the complete FX+ roster is expected to be available in 2018, they said.
Subscribers will be able to access the FX+ on Comcast’s Xfinity On Demand service (for set-top boxes), its Xfinity Stream app and website, as well as the FX Now app.
The service was announced Monday by John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions, and Matt Strauss, Comcast Cable’s EVP and GM of video and entertainment services.
The introduction of FX+ comes a few weeks after AMC Networks and Comcast announced AMC Premiere, a premium, commercial-free version of AMC Network that costs $4.99 a month.
RELATED: AMC, Comcast Launching Ad-Free Version of NetworkThose new services are also emerging amid the ongoing popularity of general entertainment SVOD services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime alongside dozens of genre-focused premium VOD offerings.
“This is an exciting day for FX Networks, because it represents the next step in building a consumer experience as good as our original programming brand,” said Landgraf, in a statement. “We have been diligent about recapturing the in-season stacking rights for all current original programming and recapturing the rights to all seasons of a large portion of our legacy of great original series.”
“FX has built a brand known for high-quality, award-winning original content and we are pleased to partner with John Landgraf and the team at FX to offer premium experiences like FX+ to Xfinity TV customers, and explore what it means to be a network in the future,” added Strauss. “Our innovative platforms and technology enable us to collaborate with our partners to experiment with new ways to super-serve our customers, provide them with more choice and access to new content and experiences, and continue to add value to the Xfinity TV subscription.”
