• by Alex Weprin , March 21, 2019

Comcast is launching a streaming video service for its internet-only customers. 

Called “Xfinity Flex,” the service will cost $5 per month and will include more than 10,000 movies and TV shows, delivered via apps from Cheddar,  Pluto, Xumo, Tubi TV, ESPN3 and YouTube.

The service will also act as a hub for accessing other services, with apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Now, Showtime, and Pandora baked into the platform.

Comcast will sell movies and TV shows through an online store accessible through the service.

Subscribers will get a 4K HDR streaming box, with an accompanying voice-controlled remote. Users will be able access wifi settings, home automation services, security and other features through the interface as well.

Comcast is betting that Flex could serve as a driver of pay-TV upgrades, as well. Users of the service will be able to upgrade to a full pay-TV package directly from the guide.

Over the past few years, Comcast’s video subscriber business has slowly shrunk, while its internet business has been rising rapidly. At the end of 2018, the company counted more than 27 million broadband internet customers, compared to 22 million video customers.

With that trend set to continue, the company is turning to new packaging and internet-based offerings to drive revenue growth.

Flex may not be revolutionary, but it is a way to aggregate streaming video and other internet services on the TV glass, using an established platform in Xfinity X1.