While Comcast only had 13.6 million linear pay TV customers left at the end of March, those dwindling ranks of subscribers still on the cable company's once vaunted X1 platform still get nice things.
For the Paris Olympic Games, Comcast said it's rolling out a little something it calls "Enhanced 4K." USA Network, owned by the conglomerate's NBCUniversal division, will render 24/7 coverage of the Games, which will be delivered to X1 customers "at the highest bitrate" via Comcast's network, and, er, "enhanced" by Dolby Vision picture quality and Dolby Atmos immersive audio.
Comcast also said it will deliver "ultra-low latency" that's only "seconds behind" the live hot Olympics action unfolding in and around the River Seine.
X1 customers can access Comcast's enhanced 4K feed within X1’s Olympics destination. The destination features curated and personalized access to every minute of coverage across the networks of NBCUniversal, including NBC, USA Network, E!, CNBC, GOLF Channel, Telemundo, Universo, two new Paris Extra channels featuring 24/7 Olympics programming, as well as streaming on Peacock.
Comcast is paying $7.65 billion so that its NBCU division can televise the Olympic Games domestically through 2032. So consumers across divisions are getting an Olympics experience. X1 Games features also include:
* Personalized experience across devices: In just a few clicks, customers can choose their favorite sports to build a custom destination. Any favorites will carry over to the Xfinity Stream app mobile app.
* Comprehensive and interactive schedule of events: X1 will feature an interactive daily schedule, giving customers one comprehensive guide of all live and upcoming events airing across NBCUniversal’s cable and broadcast networks and streaming on Peacock. Customers can filter the schedule by any of the 39 sports, tune directly to live events, set reminders, or schedule DVR recordings.
* Catch-Up Highlights: With Catch-up Highlights on X1, customers can quickly jump to top moments in recorded primetime and daytime coverage on NBC, as well as men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, and golf.
* Venue Tours: Some of Paris’s most storied landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, Palace of Versailles and Roland-Garros will play host to Olympic events. The venue tours showcase how events such as beach volleyball, equestrian and tennis will come to life at these iconic sights.
* Xfinity Sports Zone App, Featuring Odds Zone: X1’s sports companion experience will offer customers the ability to watch one event while getting updates on others in progress. It is also where customers access Xfinity Odds Zone, a new sports betting experience that makes it easy for customers to follow live odds and initiate wagers on the DraftKings Sportsbook mobile app without taking their eyes off the main screen. For the first time, Xfinity Odds Zone will be available for select Olympics sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, soccer and golf.
“The Olympics is the best example of how Comcast can bring together its fantastic sports content, entertainment platforms, and innovative technology and connectivity offerings to deliver one-of-a-kind experiences to customers,” said Vito Forlenza, VP of sports entertainment for Comcast. “By premiering enhanced 4K during Paris 2024, fans of the Olympics will be among the first to experience this new innovation and enjoy all the live action in stunning picture and audio quality, with significantly less delay compared to anything else in the market.”
