OEM Overview Series: Deploying on Comcast X1

Expanding onto additional platforms is an obvious way to grow your video service. However, it’s not as simple as it sounds. When you get it right, it will significantly help extend the reach of your service and attract new subscribers.There are numerous device platforms out there, so how do you know which one is right for your strategy? By understanding how a platform is positioned in the market, assessing what key features and benefits it offers, and proactively learning about nuances involved when deploying, you can evaluate its potential to fit your strategy and achieve your goals.This is the second post in our OEM Overview blog series. In the previous blog post, we discussed key considerations for deploying on Roku, and in this post, we’ll focus on the Comcast X1 platform.

‍Market positioning

‍According to an analysis by Statista, Comcast Pay TV had approximately 16.6 million US subscribers as of Q3 2022. Making your video service available on the X1 platform will not only give you access to this potential audience in the US but could also extend your reach to an even wider user base abroad should you want to launch your content offering outside of the US. This is because a number of other Pay TV providers, such as Rogers Communications in Canada for example, also leverage the X1 platform to deliver their in-home entertainment services to their subscribers.Launching your service on X1 puts you in the same arena as other premium OTT players who have already recognized its value. There are already 200+ apps being offered on the platform, which gives users fewer reasons to leave the experience that they have grown accustomed to.

‍Outstanding service and content discovery

‍With so many streaming options in the market today, easy access to services and enriching content is becoming a make-or-break issue when it comes to attracting viewers. Users are not likely to jump through hoops to watch content.The Comcast X1 platform offers superb application and content discovery, all controlled with the X1 voice remote. Imagine a Comcast Pay TV subscriber has just finished watching Sunday Night Football and wants to wind down with their favorite content from your streaming service. All they need to do is pick up their X1 Voice Remote and say what they want to watch. It doesn’t get much easier than that!Being on the X1 platform removes the inconvenience that users experience when having to switch their TV input, locate another small remote (you know, the one that the kids keep hiding in the couch cushion), and then manually navigate to a service.

‍Design and deployment

‍Comcast’s Metrological platform is a powerful Application Framework that includes extensibility onto various Smart TVs, Operating Systems, and other STBs globally - which ultimately leads to a better return on your investment.When considering development, it’s worth opting for a cross-platform web-framework that has a pre-integration with Metrological’s Lightning framework (e.g. the Accedo Build framework). This will enable efficient portability of the Lightning applications onto other Connected TV platforms. It is also important to make sure that the UX is optimized for a Metrological application. With the right application management system in place (e.g. Accedo Control), you can then drive increased user engagement through experimentation with the UX/UI and by carrying out dynamic updates.

“Accedo’s scalable application framework made it efficient for MasterClass to launch an ideal experience, while also providing the option to scale to other platforms.” - MasterClass

Working with a trusted video service technology partner with extensive platform expertise is recommended. This will help ensure that your brand provides an immersive and responsive experience to users so that it is best positioned for success.

‍Accedo can help support your goals on Comcast As an official and recommended Metrological Lightning Community Partner, Accedo has established a strong partnership with the Comcast team both on the engineering and business development front. Accedo has helped a number of premium brands to deploy their experiences on the Metrological Lightning Framework. This includes both GolfPass and MasterClass, among others.

“Accedo’s infrastructure expertise and close ties to major OEMs made it easy for MasterClass to navigate OEM relationships and processes across several platforms, such as Comcast.” - MasterClass

If you would like to discuss how Accedo can help bring your service to Comcast X1’s attractive and growing ecosystem, please contact us.