Comcast has natively integrated Disney Plus and ESPN Plus into its Xfinity X1 and Flex pay TV platforms.
The integration means that the SVOD services are embedded into the interfaces of Comcast’s pay TV platforms and are searchable by voice control. Comcast has, over the last several years, launched most major OTT platforms on X1 and Flex under its so-called “aggregator of aggegrators” strategy.
X1 is the technology platform used by the vast majority of Comcast’s 19.4 million remaining linear pay TV subscribers. Flex runs on a slimmed-down version of X1 and is handed out for free to the cable operator’s broadband-only customers.
Comcast recently said it has around 3 million Flex users. The company is looking to expand Flex out of its footprint, where it would compete with Roku, Amazon and Google.
The expansion will further propel Disney Plus, which recently surpassed 100 million subscribers globally. Disney Plus has an estimated 40 million U.S. customers. Both Disney Plus and ESPN Plus are supported by the vast majority of popular streaming devices. In fact, X1 and Flex were probably the platforms' biggest remaining distribution holes.
“With the launch of Disney Plus and ESPN Plus, our X1 and Flex customers will now be able to enjoy all the best entertainment from today’s most popular streaming services on one device that makes it easy for them to find their favorite programming, or discover something new,” said Rebecca Heap, senior VP of video and entertainment for Comcast Cable.
