Comcast to Debut Online Video Service for 15 Million Cable Subscribers and 24 Cable Channels

SAN FRANCISCO — Comcast, the nation’s biggest cable system, will launch an online offering of its television service to 15 million Comcast “double play” subscribers next month, Comcast’s Interactive Media President Amy Vanse told Beet.TV’s Daisy Whitney in this video interview.

While the December introduction had been widely anticipated and was announced last week, the scale of the offering has not been widely discussed.

Comcast will offer subscribers of the double play service, those with both television and Internet, cable programming from 24 networks on their computers at no additional cost.

Comcast is expected to make this service available to all if its 24 million subscribers.

Several networks are providing a limited offering of their content for initial launch. These include A&E, AMC, BBC America, DIY Network, Fine Living Network, Food Network, Hallmark, HGTV, History, IFC, MGM Impact, Sundance Channel, WE tv, E!, The Style Network, G4 and FEARnet.

While the major broadcast and premium cable networks are not yet in the Comcast program, we expect several will join in next year.

With the anticipated Comcast acquistion of NBC Universal, it may be that NBC will be a big player in this big cable/Internet convergence development.

Andy Plesser, Executive Producer