August 14, 2015
Comcast is readying a major new video platform – code-named "Watchable – for launch in the coming weeks, according to Business Insider.
The Philadelphia-based cable giant has lined up a number of big-name content partners for the venture, Business Insider reported:
Comcast is partnering with major digital publishers like Comcast-backed Vox and Buzzfeed, lifestyle and comedy sites like AwesomenessTV, Refinery29 and The Onion, news sites like Mic and Vice, as well as legacy brands like NBC Sports to come up with a widespread digital video platform that will rival YouTube and Facebook's online video efforts.
The full list of partnering media companies is still being determined, sources say, but participants are committing to Comcast for up to a few years. As part of the partnership, the publishers have agreed to upload all unlicensed, original video content to Watchable for users to stream on demand. The content from the publishers will be bundled and curated for Comcast's millions of Xfinity X1 box owners, and eventually Watchable will also be available on iOS and Android devices.
Xidio LLC, a Comcast subsidiary, filed for the Watchable trademark on Feb. 25, 2014, and acquired the Watchable.com domain in July 2014, according to DotWeekly.com. The website said other trademarks filed by Xidio in recent years include Cliptide, Aheadaview, Forager, Guzzle and Gazeebo.
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On Wednesday, NBCUniversal and Vox Media announced that NBCUniversal will make a $200 million equity investment in Vox Media, which has eight brands: SB Nation, Polygon, The Verge, Vox.com, Eater, Racked, Curbed and Re/Code.
Calls to Comcast for more information were not immediately returned.
Read more at Business Insider.
