Comcast Getting Ready To Launch New Video Platform

A major new video platform is about to launch, and it will rival YouTube. The platform is going to be launched by Comcast. Comcast’s platform is going to be called Watchable, according to Business Insider. However, Comcast could end up changing the name to something else before it officially launches. Apparently, Comcast is teaming up with some big-name partners, who will be providing Watchable with content.

Some of the digital publishers Comcast has partnered up with include Vox and Buzzfeed, as well as popular comedy sites such as The Onion, AwesomenessTV, and Refinery29. Comcast has even teamed up with news sites, as well as brands such as NBC Sports.

According to Bloomberg, Comcast’s service will have a separate mobile app that will be available on Android devices, as well as Apple devices.

Those who want to watch videos on Comcast’s platform will be able to do so via Comcast’s X1 set-top box. Subscribers will be able to buy or rent films and TV shows. It will be kind of how Apple does things, via iTunes.

Comcast has been focusing a lot on online properties and has been investing in them. Recently, Comcast invested Vox Media. Not only that, but last month Comcast announced that it was going to offer a web-based TV service called Stream. Comcast said that Stream would be available to its internet customers at $15 per month and that would give them access to around a dozen channels.

This could be welcoming news for many digital publishers because it means they will be able to reach Comcast’s video subscribers. It may help them reach a wider audience, even larger than the audience they reach online. As of now, Comcast, which is the largest cable company in the United States, has around 20 million cable-TV customers.

Comcast has not said when they plan on launching Watchable.

Just a few months ago, Comcast Xfinity decided to release a new app. As previously reported by Inquisitr, Comcast Xfinity’s project is called Share. The app is designed to allow users to share their personal videos and photos. They can also share live content with friends. When the company launched the app, it was first available to Comcast Xfinity Triple Play customers with X1 DVR capable.

In May, Patti Loyack, the vice president of communications for Comcast Xfinity Cable, said that the app allows their users to broadcast right to their TV set.

[Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]