Revealing key video consumption trends by young adults, Comcast said that 44% of TV usage on its Xfinity on Campus platform revolves around live programming.

Culling data from more than 130 campuses, Comcast said that 37% of viewing is of video on demand and 19% is of DVR-recorded programming.

Students prefer viewing on laptops as opposed to mobile devices, the operator said, and peak viewing hours occur during Thursday and Sunday primetime.

Live sports programs are most popular, including the NBA and NFL playoffs, the Winter Olympics and NCAA March Madness tournament.

The most popular non-sports shows viewed live include This is Us,Grey’s Anatomy, The Bachelor, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, Riverdale, The Good Doctor, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Grown-ish, Modern Family and Law & Order: SVU.

Comcast said Xfinity On Campus, its multiscreen, managed IPTV service for college students, has been deployed by more than 100 colleges and universities as students return for the fall semester.

Comcast said the updated crop of college and universities represents a 60% increase over last year’s total.  Last fall, Comcast announced it had added 36 schools to the Xfinity On Campus program.

RELATED: Xfinity On Campus Enrolls 36 More Schools, Adds Cloud DVR   

New schools joining the mix are Albertus Magnus College, Florida State University, Indiana University Bloomington, Penn State’s University Park, Santa Clara University, Stockton University, UMass Lowell, University of Minnesota, University of New Mexico, and Wesleyan University, among others.

Comcast launched Xfinity On Campus commercially about three years ago. It’s designed for students living in on-campus housing, but the service also supports authenticated TV Everywhere apps for off-campus viewing.  Per the XoC site, the service’s cloud DVR offers 20 hours of storage and lets students record and watch up to two shows at once. Like the regular X1 service, XoC also lets students download DVR-recorded programs for offline viewing.

Xfinity On Campus, a platform that uses Comcast’s cloud-based X1 platform, has also tacked on support for Roku players, expanding on support for web browsers and Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. Comcast and Roku launched a beta version of an app for Comcast’s residential subscribers in January.

RELATED: Roku, Comcast Kick Off Xfinity TV App Beta Trial

“The Xfinity On Campus service provides our residential students with on demand and streaming capabilities comparable to what many of them have at home from their cable providers,” Robert Heinrich, chief information officer at Stockton University, said in a statement. “It is a wonderful offering that contributes to enhancing their entertainment experience outside of the classroom, making it more enjoyable.”

Lynn University of Florida has joined a growing list of schools to launch Xfinity On Campus, an IP-based video service from Comcast that is powered by the operator’s X1 platform.

The service, available to on-campus students at the Boca Raton-based university, supports apps for Web browsers and iOS and Android tablets and smartphones, and certain Amazon Kindle devices.

As of the fall of 2016, Lynn University had 2,842 students, including 2,095 undergrads.

Per the announcement, Xfinity On Campus offers nearly 80 live cable channels and is available to students living on campus at no added cost. Those students also have access to a range of authenticated TV Everywhere apps, such as WatchESPN and FXNow, that can be viewed when they are on the go.

Last fall, Comcast said it signed up 36 more schools for Xfinity On Campus, including the University of Notre Dame, Temple University, and Villanova, while also extending features such as a Cloud DVR. Comcast said more than 60 schools are now on board with Xfinity On Campus.

Following a trial period, Comcast launched Xfinity On Campus commercially in August 2014. 

Comcast said more 36 schools have joined Xfinity On Campus, its IP-delivered TV service for college students, as the fall semester gets underway.

Comcast launched Xfinity On Campus commercially about two years ago, and added 27 schools to the mix last fall.

New school joining the mix this fall include Northeastern University, University of Notre Dame, Temple University, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern Mississippi, Villanova University and California State University, Fresno. Xfinity On Campus now delivers service on 63 locations. Here’s the current list of XoC partners.

Xfinity On Campus, a service that is underpinned by Comcast’s X1 platform, is currently offered on Web browsers and iOS and Android mobile devices. It’s designed to run on a campus’s managed, closed network, but the service also supports some TV Everywhere fare via the service’s newly app that supports the on-campus service as well as TVE content that's avaialble when students are on the go. 

In addition to live TV and VOD, Comcast has also added a cloud DVR component to the Xfinity On Campus offering. 

Comcast said it is expanding its capabilities in the Twin Cities with a broader rollout of WiFi hotspots, enhancements to X1 and dollars to beef up the network serving area business customers.

On the WiFi front, Comcast said it is adding more than 1,400 public hotspots in “high-traffic” areas such as public parks and recreation areas, retail locations and transit stops. That deployment is slated to be completed by the end of 2016.

Comcast is also enhancing its X1 platform there with the addition of in-home streaming of the MSO’s pay TV service (including live TV and VOD) on tablets, smartphones and Web browsers and extending access to its cloud DVR product.  Comcast is also making Xfinity On Campus, its X1-powered product for universities adn colleges, available to partner schools in the Twin Cities.

Comcast Business, meanwhile, pledged to invest over the next two years up to $15 million in network expansions areas such as Eden Prairie, Oakdale, Brooklyn Park and to downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. Last year, the unit spent more than $3.2 million to expand fiber to area businesses.

Bucking a trend amplified by a small but growing cord-cutting trend and the popularity of over-the-top video options, Comcast just came off a first quarter in which the MSO added 53,000 subscribers, its best first-quarter video result in nine years.

While a portion of the credit goes to X1, Comcast’s Internet protocol-capable next-generation video offering, those results are due to a confluence of efforts and initiatives that span not just the core product but also areas such as improved customer care, according to Matt Strauss, Comcast Cable’s executive vice president and general manager, video services.

Multichannel News technology editor and Next TV editor Jeff Baumgartner recently caught up with Strauss to discuss Comcast’s new video products and strategies involving X1, TV Everywhere, its new IP-delivered “Stream” product, and future 4K plans.

Editor's Note: An expanded version of this interview will appear in Multichannel News’s show dailies at this week’s INTX show in Boston.

MCN:As you look at the second half of the year, what are your top priorities?

Matt Strauss: We’re really focused first and foremost on continuing to execute against the deployment of X1. We’re seeing a lot of very positive benefits from X1, both on the churn and on the increased consumption side. We’re now at about 35% penetrated, and it’s even higher if you just look at triple-play subs — about 50% of our triple-play subscribers now have X1.

What goes hand in hand with that is that we also want to finish out the deployment of our cloud infrastructure. We’ve been deploying cloud across our footprint — both cloud streaming and cloud DVR — and we are very close to getting 100% deployment. We want to finish that up by the middle to end of this year.

Finally, we want to continue the penetration and usage of our products and services. We’ve got a very ambitious deployment for our new consolidated Xfinity app. With the upcoming Olympics [in Rio] we want to use that as an opportunity to shine a light on this new application, which we think is a tremendous value to our customers.

Related:INTX 2016: Comcast's Roberts Says No Plans to Take Pay TV Over-the-Top

MCN:With respect to the pay TV momentum, how much credit does X1 get, even as you continue to improve other areas like customer care and customer experience?

MS: It certainly is contributing. When you look at X1, we’re seeing improvements in churn. X1 customers are also consuming more video. They also have a higher attachment rate to DVRs and typically they take additional outlets in their home. There’s no doubt that X1 is contributing, but I don’t know if there’s any one silver bullet.

When it comes to growing the video business, it’s really a combination of several factors and investments that we’ve been making over the past few years, in how we’ve been improving our infrastructure, moving more to IP.

MCN:What kind of usage patterns are you seeing with the Xfinity TV app? Is the big challenge getting the message out to customers so they understand the app’s full capability?

MS: I’d almost characterize it as we’re in a moment in time because we have the Xfinity TV in-home app and we have our Xfinity TV Go app. We are in the process of consolidating those into just one app, which will be the Xfinity TV app. This unification … will provide this unprecedented access to content both in the home and out of the home. And I think those lines are going to continue to get more and more blurred.

When you look at the usage of our app in general, we have about 42% penetration of our mobile app among our double-play customers on a monthly basis. On a quarterly basis, it’s almost 60% who are using one of our apps, and that’s up about 16% year-over-year.

Related:CEO Roberts: Comcast, X1 Ready for Olympics

MCN:What’s next for Comcast with respect to 4K? You’ve got the app for Samsung TVs but we’ve seen some recent reports that you’ll really be focusing more on a strategy that puts an emphasis on High Dynamic Range (HDR)?

MS: While there’s hyper-attention on 4K, when we look at the total video experience, we think 4K is part of the offering. But HDR, which is not necessarily getting the same amount of attention, is in many ways more immersive and, we think, impactful.

Instead of deploying maybe a half-baked solution, which we’re starting to see a little bit of in the market, we thought it was more prudent to deliver the complete experience … and that’s what’s being developed with our Xi6 box, which we’ll be testing this year, but it’s going to really be deployed next year.

MCN:The video market continues to be abuzz about skinny TV bundles. Comcast has been going after that segment with the Stream TV product in some select markets. What have you learned so far, and what’s next on the rollout plan?

MS: In many ways X1, we think, is satisfying the demand for how many of us watch television. The average person watches about 130 hours of video every month.

But there are changes in how other segments are consuming video. When we look at skinny bundles, we believe that they are in some ways a manifestation of the economy as anything else. It’s rare that you hear someone say that they want fewer choices. What’s more likely is that you might hear someone say they want to pay less.

We have been experimenting with skinny bundles and experimenting with ensuring we’re getting the right product to the right customer at the right time in their life, whether that’s Internet Plus or the Xfinity On Campus product, or Stream.

While Stream is, at the moment, comprised of a skinny bundle, the strategies behind Stream are much more around how we’re going to transform the overall end-to-end customer experience, and Stream is just one example of how we are expanding into that terrain.

Philo is nowhere near the size of Comcast, but the scrappy startup has managed to stay a step ahead when it comes to notching IP-powered, multiscreen on-campus video deals with universities and colleges.

Heading into the new school year, Philo said it has added 15 new schools to the mix, extending its total past 40. Those joining the mix include Clemson University, University of Houston, University of North Carolina Asheville, University or South Florida, University of Texas El Paso, University of Utah, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Washington State University (see below for the full list of Philo-powered universities).

Philo’s announcement comes on the heels of one from Comcast, which said that it now has 27 schools signed on for Xfinity On Campus, its IP-based multiscreen offering tailored for college students.

Philo’s platform delivers live TV and network DVR services, and access to TV Everywhere services such as HBO Go, to students over the school’s on-campus network, and supports several platforms, including Web browsers, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones, Roku players, and the Apple TV (via AirPlay).

Philo noted that it has launched a redesign of its Roku app (pictured) that will feature enhanced search and DVR functionality. It has also spruced up its Web, iOS and Android apps to allow for improved search, and a new home page that shows recent DVR recordings, shows that are trending on campus, upcoming popular shows.

San Francisco-based Philo (formerly known as Tivli) was founded in 2010, and secured a $10 million “B” round earlier this year led by New Enterprise Associates. It’s led by CEO Andrew McCollum, who was a founding member of the Facebook team.

McCollum said computers/browsers are Philo’s most widely used platform, noting that 20% to 30% of students only bring a TV to campus. However, Roku users tend to consume the most video, he said.

Though a lot of schools still rely on more traditional bulk TV deals, he said a growing number of schools are making the leap and writing RFPs, including some that are "calling out the Philo service by name." 

Here’s the full list of Philo partner schools:

-Auburn University

-Brown University

-Bucknell University

-Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo

-Clemson University

-CSU Monterey Bay

-CSU Sacramento

-DePaul University

-Duke University

-Elon University

-Fordham University

-Fort Hays State University

-Harvard University

-Jackson College

-Lawrence Technological University

-Lubbock Christian University

-Marshall University

-Miami University of Ohio

-Mount St. Mary's University

-North Carolina Central University

-Pepperdine University

-Rice University

-Roanoke College

-Sacred Heart University

-Sheridan College

-Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

-Stanford University

-SUNY University at Stony Brook

-Texas A&M University

-Trinity University

-UNC Asheville

-University of Alabama

-University of Houston

-University of Michigan

-University of South Florida

-University of Texas El Paso

-University of Utah

-University of Washington

-Virginia Commonwealth

-Washington State University

-Wesleyan University

-William Paterson University of New Jersey

Comcast has signed on 27 schools for Xfinity on Campus, its IP-delivered live and on-demand video service for college students, and is adding some new bells and whistles to the platform for the new school year.

A year after Xfinity on Campus launched commercially with seven university partners on board, Comcast said the service will be available this fall at the following schools:  Benedictine College; Brandeis University; Bridgewater College; Chico State; Dartmouth College; University of Delaware; Drexel University; Emerson College; Goucher University; Lasell College; Loyola University Maryland; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Morehouse College; University of New Hampshire; Northwestern University; Regis College; Rider University, St. Michael’s College; Seattle Pacific University; Sonoma State University; Washington & Lee University; and Yale University.

The service is also being at Carnegie Mellon University this fall, and will be rolled out soon to Tennessee State University. Other announced partners include Oregon State University, Champlain College and Lebanon Valley College.

Comcast hopes to bring more schools to the Xfinity On Campus fold later this year, Marcien Jenckes, Comcast Cable’s executive vice president, consumer services, said in a media briefing. Those schools, he noted, need to meet certain technical requirements such as a robust WiFi network on campus.

Jenckes also talked about the strategic importance of Xfinity On Campus, which is powered by Comcast’s cloud-based, next gen X1 video platform.

Xfinity on Campus “allows us to introduce students to our next generation products, services and technologies,” Jenckes said. “Strategically, that was very important for us as we want to show the marketplace that we are evolving to satisfy consumer behavior.”

Comcast also shared some learnings, including some usage trends, it has seen with Xfinity on Campus, which is currently offered on campus WiFi networks on PC and laptop browsers and iOS and Android mobile devices.

Students primarily use their laptops to view content using Xfinity on Demand, explained Jeremy Andreoli, Comcast Cable’s executive director, video services.

Per Xfinity on Campus viewing data, millennial students watch live programming almost twice as much as VOD content – 62% versus 38%.

“If you give students access to live TV, they actually watch it,” Andreoli said.

Led by the NBA playoffs, sports programs have dominated live TV viewing on Xfinity on Campus, followed by Major League Baseball, the Stanley Cup playoffs, NBA games, ESPN’s SportsCenter, Premiere League soccer, and UEFA Champions League soccer matches.

HBO’s Game of Thrones was the most popular VOD title, followed by Keeping Up With the Kardashians (Bravo); Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), The Big Bang Theory (CBS) and Modern Family.

Andreoli said new components coming to Xfinity On Campus later this year include an option to add Comcast’s cloud DVR. In addition to allowing students to stream recorded shows while they are on campus they can also download recorded programs for later viewing on mobile devices.

Comcast is also transitioning Xfinity On Demand to a new consolidated version of the Xfinity TV app and Web site that will support live TV, on-demand and DVR viewing.

Students will also be able to purchase digital movies and TV shows through Comcast’s electronics sell-through platform.

Comcast has not yet committed to bring Xfinity on Campus to TV-connected devices such as Roku boxes and the Apple TV, but does have hybrid deals in place with university partners that also allow students to connect TVs directly to traditional set-top boxes.

“Our goal is to make sure that the end users can consume the content on their terms,” Jenckes said, noting that XoC could evolve to take advantage of Comcast’s “Xi” class of IP-based TV client devices that are used with X1 today.

Comcast, of course, isn’t the only provider that’s making multiscreen connections with university partners. Others include Philo, a startup that landed a $10 million “B” round of funding earlier this year, and Campus Televideo.

Jenckes said competition for such “middle service providers” arose when cable didn’t evolve fast enough to support changing student viewing behaviors.

“They historically filled holes in the marketplace,” he said. “The way I look at it, if we’re doing our job the way we should be doing our job and meeting our customer needs, there isn’t necessarily a need for that middle service.”

Comcast continues to expand the footprint of its IP-based Xfinity On Campus video platform as students return for the fall.

Per the Xfinity On Campus app for iOS devices, the following four additional schools are on board with Comcast’s mobile video program: Brandeis University, Champlain College, Seattle Pacific University, and Washington and Lee University.

Brandeis University, based in Waltham, Mass., has about 3,599 undergrads (as of 2013), while Champlain College of Burlington, Vt., has total enrollment of about 2,000 students. Seattle Pacific University has total enrollment of 4,217 and undergraduate enrollment of 3,264. Washington and Lee University, based in Lexington, Va., had total enrolment of 2,302, according to 2012 figures.

With the recent addition of Benedictine University, at least 25 schools have deployed or are testing Xfinity On Campus, an IP-delivered video service powered by Comcast’s cloud-based X1 platform that launched commercially last fall. Others include Carnegie Mellon University, Sonoma State, Saint Michael’s College, Yale University, Morehouse College, Tennessee State University; Loyola University Maryland; Goucher College; Rider University; Regis College; Dartmouth College; California State University, Chico; Bridgewater College; Emerson College; Lasell College; Drexel University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Northwestern University; the University of Delaware; and the University of New Hampshire.

In addition to offering a mix of linear TV, VOD,  premium channels, and sports packages via the partner school’s managed campus WiFi network to PC browsers and mobile apps, Xfinity On Campus also enables students can also use their university credentials access several supported TV Everywhere apps, including WatchESPN.    

Comcast isn’t the only provider that has developed an IP-delivered platform tailored for college campuses.  Others include Philo, a startup that landed a $10 million “B” round of funding earlier this year, and Cox Communications, which has developed a product called Campus Connect.

Benedictine University has joined a growing list of schools that have signed on for Xfinity On Campus, Comcast’s IP-based multiscreen video service for college students, according to the offering’s Web site.

Benedictine University’s main campus is in Lisle, Ill. According to the school’s fact sheet, it had 6,318 total University enrollments as of October 2013, with 721 students living on campus.

Powered by Comcast’s cloud-based X1 platform, Xfinity On Campus was launched commercially last fall, offering a blend of linear TV, VOD, premium channels, and sports package via the partner school’s managed campus WiFi network to PC browsers and apps for iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Students use their university credentials to sign on to the service when they are connected to the campus network. Students can also use their credentials to access several supported TV Everywhere apps, including WatchESPN.     

Other schools that have launched or are planning to launch Xfinity On Campus include: Carnegie Mellon University, Sonoma State, Saint Michael’s College, Yale University, Morehouse College, Tennessee State University; Loyola University Maryland; Goucher College; Rider University; Regis College; Dartmouth College; California State University, Chico; Bridgewater College; Emerson College; Lasell College; Drexel University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Northwestern University; the University of Delaware; and the University of New Hampshire.

Others that have developed IP-fueled video offerings tailored for universities and colleges include Philo, a startup that landed a $10 million “B” round of funding earlier this year, and Cox Communications, which has developed a product called Campus Connect.

Xfinity On Campus, Comcast’s IP-based multiscreen video service for college students, has enrolled another school – Carnegie Mellon University – according to the offering’s Web site.

Based in Pittsburgh, Pa., Carnegie Mellon University has more than 13,285 students.

Xfinity On Campus, a service that's powered by Comcast’s cloud-based X1 platform that was launched commercially last fall, delivers a mix of linear TV, VOD, premium channels, and sports package via the partner school’s managed campus WiFi network to PC browsers and apps for iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Students use their university credentials to sign on to the service when they are connected to the campus network. Students can also use their credentials to access several supported TV Everywhere apps, including WatchESPN.     

Other schools that have launched or are planning to launch Xfinity On Campus include: Sonoma State, Saint Michael’s College, Yale University, Morehouse College, Tennessee State University; Loyola University Maryland; Goucher College; Rider University; Regis College; Dartmouth College; California State University, Chico; Bridgewater College; Emerson College; Lasell College; Drexel University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Northwestern University; the University of Delaware; and the University of New Hampshire.

Others that have developed IP-fueled video offerings tailored for universities and colleges include Philo, a startup that landed a $10 million “B” round of funding earlier this year, and Cox Communications, which has developed a product called Campus Connect.

Xfinity On Campus, Comcast’s IP-based multiscreen video service for college students, stayed on a roll this week by adding two more schools to its list of partners – Sonoma State University and Saint Michael’s College.

Sonoma State, located in Rohnert Park, Calif. (about an hour north of San Francisco), has about  9,297 student, including 3,000 that are “residential students”  (primarily freshman and sophomores). ,  Saint Michael’s College  of Colchester, Vt., has about 2,050 undergrads. Both schools now appear on the Xfinity On Campus Web site's pull-down menu. 

Xfinity On Campus, a service that's powered by Comcast’s cloud-based X1 platform that launched commercially last fall, delivers a mix of linear TV, VOD, premium channels, and sports package via the partner school’s managed campus WiFi network to PC browsers and apps for iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Students use their university credentials to sign on to the service when they are connected to the campus network. Students can also use their credentials to access several supported TV Everywhere apps, including WatchESPN. 

Sonoma State and Saint Michael’s College join a list of Xfinity On Campus partners that has been growing by the week. Others on board include Yale University, Morehouse College, Tennessee State University; Loyola University Maryland; Goucher College; Rider University; Regis College; Dartmouth College; California State University, Chico; Bridgewater College; Emerson College; Lasell College; Drexel University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Northwestern University; the University of Delaware; and the University of New Hampshire.  

Philo, a startup that landed a $10 million “B” round of funding earlier this year, has developed a similar on-campus IP video platform (it continues to have a presence at Yale, an official confirms), as has Cox Communications via its Campus Connect platform.

Xfinity On Campus, Comcast’s managed IP-delivered multiscreen service tailored for college students, has added two more schools to its list of partners – Yale University and Morehouse College.

It was not immediately known if those colleges had already rolled out the platform or were preparing to launch it for the start of the new school year, but they are both now listed on the Xfinity On Campus web site with links to their respective authentication/log-in screens.

New Haven, Conn.-based Yale had 5,379 undergrad students during the 2012/2013 academic year. Atlanta’s Morehouse College had a fall 2014 enrollment of 2,106.

Xfinity On Campus, a service that's powered by Comcast’s cloud-based X1 platform, delivers a mix of linear TV, VOD, premium channels, and sports package via the partner school’s managed campus WiFi network to PC browsers and apps for iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Students can use their university credentials to sign on to the service when they are connected to the campus network. Students can also use their credentials to access several supported TV Everywhere apps, including WatchESPN. Following a trial period, Comcast launched Xfinity On Campus commercially last fall.

Yale and Morehouse College join a growing list of schools that have signed on for Xfinity On Campus: Tennessee State University; Loyola University Maryland; Goucher College; Rider University; Regis College; Dartmouth College; California State University, Chico; Bridgewater College; Emerson College; Lasell College; Drexel University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Northwestern University; the University of Delaware; and the University of New Hampshire.  

Philo, a startup that landed a $10 million “B” round of funding earlier this year, has developed a similar on-campus IP video platform, as has Cox Communications via a platform it calls Campus Connect.

Philo, a startup that has developed an IP-delivered multiscreen video platform tailored for college campuses, said it has landed a $10 million “B” round as it looks to pursue “new market opportunities” and move the company’s headquarters to San Francisco.

Philo, originally headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., said the latest round was led by New Enterprise Associates, the lead investor of its “A” round, with participation from CBC New Media Group, HBO, Rho Ventures, XFUND, and Andrew McCollum, the Facebook co-founder who was appointed CEO of Philo in November 2014.

Philo (formerly known as Tivli and founded in 2010) has raised about $18.8 million so far, a figure that includes a $6.3 million A round that included HBO and Mark Cuban’s Radical Investments, a more recent $2.5 million “recommitment” from members of its investment team, and some early seed funding.

Philo’s platform, which shares similarities with Comcast’s recently launched Xfinity On Campus service and Cox Communications’ Campus Connect offering, is deployed on dozens of campuses across the country, including Harvard, Yale, University of Alabama, Sacramento State, Shippensburg University, and the University of Washington. In addition to serving up live video delivered via campus partner networks, Philo also supports authenticated  TV Everywhere services such as HBO Go and has developed a network DVR platform.

Philo said the fresh funds will enable it to “expand upon its innovative product vision,” and pursue new operational and strategic initiatives, including the relocation of the company’s headquarters to San Francisco.  

“Philo is changing our expectations for television,” McCollum said in a statement. “We’re questioning every aspect of the viewing experience and asking ourselves, ‘How can we make this faster, easier, and more socially connected?’ We’re finding new answers every day that aren’t possible on any other platform and building them into Philo.” 

“There is significant growth opportunity for Philo with digital video, and more broadly the video entertainment market,” added Scott Sandell, managing general partner at NEA. “Philo’s content provider-friendly strategy stands out in the industry and is just one of the reasons we’re excited to be leading this raise.”

Xfinity On Campus, Comcast’s managed IPTV service for universities, has signed on two more schools, both from the Baltimore area – Loyola University Maryland and Goucher College.

Loyola University Maryland touts a total enrollment of almost 6,000, including about 4,000 undergrads, while Goucher has about 1,481 undergraduate students, according to the latest enrollment figured posted by each school.

They join a growing list of schools that have launched or are testing Xfinity On Campus, a service that's powered by Comcast’s X1 platform, delivering a linear TV, VOD, premium channels, and sports package via the partner school’s managed campus WiFi network to laptops, tablets and smartphones. Those students can sign into the on-campus system or the service’s supported TV Everywhere apps, such as WatchESPN, using their university credentials.

Comcast is also working with Rider University; Regis College; Dartmouth College; California State University, Chico; Bridgewater College; Emerson College; Lasell College; Drexel University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Northwestern University; the University of Delaware; and the University of New Hampshire.

Following a trial period, Comcast launched Xfinity On Campus commercially last fall.

Philo, a Boston-based startup, has developed a similar on-campus IP video platform, as has Cox Communications via its Campus Connect platform. Campus Televideo, a provider of TV and video services to more than 250 colleges and universities that is working with Philo, recently launched access to HBO Go and Max Go at two State University of New York schools – the University at Buffalo, and Alfred State SUNY College of Technology.

Rider University, a school with campuses in Lawrenceville and Princeton, N.J., is the latest to sign on for Xfinity On Campus, Comcast’s IP-based multiscreen service that’s tailored for college students.

Rider, which has more than 4,300 undergraduate students and about 1,000 graduate students, is currently trialing Xfinity On Campus. A formal launch date has not been announced.

Rider joins a growing list of schools that are on board with Xfinity On Campus, a service that's powered by Comcast’s X1 platform, offering a mix of linear TV, VOD, premium channels, and sports package via the partner school’s managed campus WiFi network to laptops, tablets and smartphones. Xfinity On Campus also enables students to use their credentials to tap into authenticated TV Everywhere apps such as WatchESPN. Comcast is also working with Regis College; Dartmouth College; California State University, Chico; Bridgewater College; Emerson College; Lasell College; Drexel University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Northwestern University; the University of Delaware; and the University of New Hampshire.

Following a trial period, Comcast launched Xfinity On Campus commercially last fall.

Philo, a Boston-based startup, has developed a similar on-campus IP video platform, as has Cox Communications via its Campus Connect platform. 

Customer care and billing services company CSG Systems has launched Ascendon, a digital services platform for its raft of services partners,  a group that includes cable operators.

CSG said Ascendon can be overlaid on existing business support systems, enabling service providers to rapidly launch new digital services without uprooting existing infrastructure.

Ascendon supports a number of digital hooks, including support for elements such as digital lockers and device management, enabling services such as electronic sell-through, transactional video-on-demand and potential pay-for-bandwidth applications.

According to Kent Steffen, CSG’s president of digital services, Ascendon has three primary target markets – communications service providers, retailers that are also digital content aggregators, and content providers that are going direct to the consumer.

Some initial adopters of Ascendon include Comcast, which is using it for the MSO’s new IP-based multiscreen Xfinity On Campus service, which allows students to log in with their university credentials. ESPN is also using it to manage premium services such as ESPN Insider and its fantasy products, and  Sony is tapping in for EST offerings in multiple countries, using Ascendon in support of digital lockers and the service’s ties to UltraViolet.

“Service providers worldwide are seeking a less disruptive way to enter, maintain and compete for position in the digital services market to help them take advantage of immediate opportunities,” said Ken Kennedy, CSG’s chief technology officer and senior vice president of product management and software development, said in a statement. “Ascendon reflects a multi-year effort, working with some of the world's most innovative brands, to deliver digital services through various business models.”

Campus Televideo, a reseller of DirecTV services to the university market, has formalized a relationship with Philo, a startup that has developed an IP-based multiscreen video platform that’s tailored for delivery on campus networks.

The companies have worked together on campus opportunities in the past, but Tuesday’s announcement “further solidifies our mutual goal to deliver the best TV experience to the university market and capitalize on Campus Televideo’s extensive reach,” a Philo official said in an emailed statement about the agreement.

Campus Televideo works with more than 250 colleges and universities and estimates that it has about 600,000 subscribers nationwide, and has been integrating IPTV solutions on campus for almost a decade. Philo, which has created a secure adaptive bit rate streaming platform that supports browsers, tablets, smartphones and Roku boxes and features a network-based DVR service, has deals in place with dozens of schools.

Universities and colleges that work with both Campus Televideo and Philo include the University of Alabama, Sacred Heart University, and California Polytechnic State University.  

“IPTV provides a number of benefits to a campus,” Brian Benz, CEO of Campus Televideo, said in a statement. “This solution meets the student demand to record shows and watch content from anywhere on campus, while running on the school’s internal network so it doesn’t slow down external bandwidth. Also, IPTV give students global access to licensed content, eliminating the need to pirate the shows off of other websites.”

“We are excited to be working with Campus Televideo,” added Marc Emmons, director of sales at Philo, a company formerly known as Tivli that launched in 2011 and counts HBO and Mark Cuban among its backers. “Together we're empowering students with control over when and how they can watch TV.”

Others have been getting into the multiscreen act at various colleges and Universities. Among recent examples, Comcast has rolled out a managed IP video called Xfinity On Campus, and Cox Communications has developed a similar student-focused service under the Campus Connect brand. 

Northwestern University has become the first college in the Midwest to rollout Xfinity On Campus, an IP-delivered multiscreen video service that relies on Comcast’s X1 platform.

TheChicago Tribune reported Monday that the Evanston, Ill.-based school is rolling it out this fall, offering on-campus students access to more than 130 live TV channels via WiFi to laptop and PC browsers and other supported mobile devices. The Xfinity On Campus website has also added Northwestern to its list of supported universities.

Northwestern’s total enrollment is about 21,000, a number that includes 8,000 full-time undergrads, 8,000 full-time graduate students and part-time students.

Following a trial period, Comcast announced the commercial launch of Xfinity On Campus last month, offering a multiscreen, IP-delivered version of its service for students that complements the bulk video service they were already getting. Xfinity On Campus is a managed service delivered via a school’s managed WiFi network, and includes access to several authenticated TV Everywhere apps such as WatchESPN, FXNOW and HBO Go.  Comcast is also pairing Xfinity On Campus with its new cloud DVR service as it expands the capability to more regions. Comcast uses its fiber-based Ethernet platform to deliver IP video to its university partners.

Other universities on board with Xfinity ON Campus include Bridgewater College (Bridgewater, Va.); Drexel University (Philadelphia); Emerson College (Boston); Lasell College (Newton, Mass.); the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.); Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass.); and the University of New Hampshire (Durham, N.H.).

Cox Communications has developed a similar service, called Campus Connect, and has signed on Tulane University and Creighton University.

Philo, meanwhile, already has deals in place to bring its IP-based, multiscreen platform to “dozens” of universities. Announced Philo partners include Yale University, Fort Hays State University, University of Washington, Roanoke College, Harvard University, Lubbock Christian University, Stanford, Wesleyan University, Pepperdine University, and William Patterson University of New Jersey.

Following an extensive trial period, Comcast said it has moved forward on the commercial launch of “Xfinity On Campus,” a multiscreen, IP-based video service that is tailored for college students and accessible on Web browsers and select tablets and smartphones.

Comcast is using the authenticated service, which is powered by Comcast’s cloud-based X1 platform, to make a pay-TV connection with tech-savvy, on-the-go college students, a group that is accustomed to consuming video on mobile devices and to be among those likely to have cut the cord or have not previously subscribed to a pay-TV service.  

“We’re excited about the opportunity that it creates. It’s kind of a new manifestation of what a cable service can be,” Marcien Jenckes, Comcast Cable’s executive vice president, consumer services, said. "We think it’s very relevant to students … who want to consume television on their terms. It also serves as a great way to introduce ourselves to our next generation of customers.”

Xfinity On Campus delivers a lineup of about 80 live channels, access to certain premium TV services, and a menu of video-on-demand titles via the on-campus WiFi network. The service, whicn is included with room and board for students living in on-campus housing, relies on adaptive bit rate techniques that adjust the quality and resolution of the video stream based on the target device and the amount of capacity available on the network.

Students gain access by inputting their credentials on PC or laptop browsers, at www.XfinityOnCampus.com, or via Comcast’s Xfinity On Campus app for iOS devices. An Android version is said to be in the works, though Google Play already has a version of it available for download here.

Starting this fall, Comcast will also enable Xfinity On Campus customers to use third-party TV Everywhere apps and services such as WatchESPN, FXNOW and HBO Go. Comcast expects to eventually integrate its own TVE app, Xfinity TV Go, with its university-focused product.

Comcast will also pair the Xfinity On Campus service with the operator’s new cloud DVR service as it expands that capability into more regions. Comcast has already introduced its cloud DVR service in several markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.  That service will also allow students to download and “check out” cloud-recorded programs to mobile devices and watch them on the go.

Comcast is launching Xfinity On Campus this fall with five universities: Bridgewater College (Bridgewater, Va.); Drexel University (Philadelphia); Emerson College (Boston); Lasell College (Newton, Mass.); and the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.).  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass.) and the University of New Hampshire (Durham, N.H.)  are among the schools that will be conducting trials this fall, Comcast said.

Jenckes said the plan in the years ahead is to have all universities in Comcast’s footprint take advantage of the new multiscreen platform, and is hopeful that Xfinity On Campus will attract new college partners.

For a university to be technically eligible for the new offering in a given market, Comcast must have first launched its “cloud-to-ground” in-home multiscreen streaming service for the X1 platform.

Update: Comcast isn’t the only company that has its video eye on college students. Philo, a Boston-based startup that counts HBO and Mark Cuban among its backers formerly known as Tivli, has developed a similar on-campus IP video platform. Philo said it now has deals in place with "dozens" of universities, and has identified the following -- Yale University, Fort Hays State University, University of Washington, Roanoke College, Harvard University, Wesleyan University, Pepperdine University, and William Patterson University of New Jersey. 

Philo CEO Christopher Thorpe issued this statement in response to the Comcast's launch. "Today's announcement from Comcast validates that more and more media companies are realizing the importance of the university market both for today's audiences and for future subscriber growth. Philo is excited to see more entrants committed to delivering cable and satellite TV via the many devices college students are increasingly choosing to view video entertainment. This further validates Philo and its partners' innovation in television on campus for years, built on our deep understanding of the needs and behaviors of the college-aged demographic. We are excited to be serving tens of thousands of students at dozens of universities this fall, with a robust TV and DVR experience for all major devices with IOS and Android apps, as well as content from industry-leading partners like DIRECTV."

More details about Xfinity On Campus, including its programming options, will be featured in the August 25 issue of Multichannel News.

Bridgewater College, a school founded in 1880, is about to get access to something new – an emerging multiscreen video service from Comcast that is delivered entirely over IP.

Bridgewater College, a Virginia school with about 1,800 students that’s located about two hours from Washington, D.C., has signed on for Xfinity On Campus, a new IP-delivered subscription video service that supports live TV streaming and on-demand content to select iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch models (the AirPlay function is disabled), and browsers running on PCs and Macs. Comcast is working on an Xfinity On Campus app for Android-powered devices.

Bridgewater College joins a small batch of east coast colleges that are testing or preparing to test the Xfinity On Campus, which is still technically in the trial stage. Other schools that are on board include Lasell College, the University of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Drexel University, and Emerson College.

With roots to the cloud-based X1 platform that Comcast has deployed nationwide, Xfinity On Campus delivers a managed IP simulcast of the channels offered via the regular campus TV package, as well as access to Comcast’s VOD platform. Access to Xfinity On Campus, which requires students to sign on with their credentials, is limited to the on-campus network. According to the latest FAQ on the service, Xfinity On Campus also provides access to as many as five premium channel and Comcast’s sports package.

Comcast has not announced if it intends to apply its new Cloud DVR service to the Xfinity On Campus offering.

Comcast’s emerging college-tailored offering has some competition. Philo, a Boston-based startup backed by HBO and Mark Cuban, has developed an IP video platform and network DVR service for college campuses that runs on PC browsers, Roku boxes, and the Apple TV (using AirPlay). Philo’s roster of university partners includes Yale University, Fort Hays State University, University of Washington, Roanoke College, Harvard University, Wesleyan University, Pepperdine University, and William Patterson University of New Jersey.