Comcast is apparently gearing up to launch a video service called "Watchable" in the near future, gunning for YouTube and other such video platforms.
This is not the first time that news of an upcoming YouTube rival from Comcast breaks the surface, but it now seems the service is getting closer to launch.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, Business Insider (BI) reports that Comcast is gearing up to launch its "major new video platform" soon, in the weeks to come. According to BI, Comcast has teamed up with heavyweight players for content.
The report reckons that there's a slight chance Comcast could change the name of the service before the big launch, but it will likely debut as "Watchable." BI reveals that Comcast has been working with big publishers to offer a wide range of content on various topics, from comedy to sports and others.
Such heavyweight digital publishers Comcast has been courting reportedly include Buzzfeed, The Onion, Vox, Refinery29, Vice, AwesomenessTV, NBC Sports and more.
Watchable seems to be shaping up as a big video service aiming to rival existing video platforms and Comcast is apparently struggling to secure a strong start with heavy content. It's worth pointing out that Verizon is expected to launch its own video service soon as well, which could heat up the competition even further.
It remains to be seen which one will get its new video service to market first - Comcast or Verizon, but it will be interesting to see how they stack up against each other, as well as against rivals.
BI doesn't offer a specific time frame as to when Comcast will officially launch its Watchable video service, and says that for now, the full list of partners that will be on board when the service hits the market is still in progress. Nevertheless, the publication's sources revealed that the partners that do get on board sign on for "a few years."
Moreover, sources tell BI that Comcast's partners will provide "all unlicensed, original" content to the Watchable video service, which users will be able to access on demand.
"The content from the publishers will be bundled and curated for Comcast's millions of Xfinity X1 box owners," BI further reports, adding that the Watchable service will also hit the iOS and Android platforms later on.
Lastly, sources also tell BI that Comcast plans to phase out other boxes to bring all users to the X1.
