Comcast aims to limit decline in cable TV subscribers with sports. The group, which controls Sky in Italy, is accelerating the integration of an unprecedented concentration of sports content in February for broadcast in the USA.
Ahead of Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 and the Winter Olympics from Feb. 6-22, Comcast has developed a series of technology enhancements aimed at its 11.27 million video subscribers, as reported by Front Office Sports. A catchment area that is down by around 10% on an annual basis, but which still keeps Comcast in second place among the main cable operators in the United States, behind Spectrum.
The new initiatives are part of what the company and NBC Sports are calling a “Legendary February,” with coverage of the Super Bowl, the Olympics and, to follow, the NBA All-Star Game on February 15. The declared objective is to slow down the continuous erosion of traditional TV subscribers by leveraging the centrality of live sport.
Comcast is firmly banking on the sports passion of its cable customers. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, which saw a record increase in overall audience, Comcast subscribers achieved listening levels 78% higher than the national average.
“For us it’s a great loyalty operation,” Vito Forlenza, Comcast vice president of sports, entertainment, connectivity and platforms, explained to Front Office Sports. «We know that the majority of our customers are fans and we are proving that this is the best way to follow the events».
Among the main new developments:
- Super Bowl feed in low-latency 4K, called RealTime4K, with a signal up to 30 seconds faster than other 4K providers. The technology will also be used for some Winter Olympics competitions.
- Selection of Olympic events by single sport, on the model already tested in Paris 2024, to simplify navigation between the contents broadcast on NBC, Peacock, USA Network and CNBC.
- Fan View, a feature that allows users to indicate the Olympic sports of greatest interest.
- Multiview, already active for the NFL, NBA and Premier League, which will allow you to watch up to four feeds simultaneously, combining the Olympics and other live events.
- AI-powered highlights, with an automatic selection of short clips from the Olympic competitions, designed for those following the competitions from Europe and with a similar experience to that of social media.
On Thursday, Comcast released its quarterly results: mixed numbers showing declines in video and broadcast subscribers and a decline in net income, but offset by strong growth in the wireless segment. In the document, the group called its live sports portfolio “one of our most enduring strengths”.
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