Comcast to launch Xfinity Streampix streaming video service, challenge Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon (update)

It was only a matter of time, right? The Wall Street Journal reports that Comcast is rolling out a VOD competitor for Amazon, Netflix and Hulu so it can grab a slice of the streaming video pie. Called Xfinity Streampix, it brings shows from NBC and ABC, along with movies from Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Scheduled to launch this Thursday, the service will be rolled in for free with some existing cable packages and available on its own for $4.99 a month. For your five bucks, you get access to a back catalog of shows and movies on any internet-capable device, though, naturally we don't know exactly how much content will be available when it goes live. What we do know is that price point puts Streampix well beneath the $7.99 asking price of its competition, so here's hoping a VOD price war ensues.

Update: Check out the official PR after the break for more details, including a list of the content coming to Streampix and Comcast's plans to bring VOD to the Xbox 360 and Android.

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Comcast Launches New Streaming Video Service: Xfinity Streampix™

Disney-ABC Television Group, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Cookie Jar Entertainment Sign-On as Initial Content Providers

Available This Week, Streampix Enables Customers to Instantly Stream Numerous Complete Past Seasons of Hit TV Shows, Top-Quality Movies and Popular Children's Franchises

Streampix Complements Xfinity's 75,000 TV Shows and Movies Already Available to Customers on Multiple Platforms

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast today announced the launch of Xfinity Streampix™, a new subscription video service that enables Xfinity video customers to instantly view favorite movies and TV shows in and out of the home, including numerous past seasons of current hit shows and full series, to multiple screens and devices including TVs (as a subscription On Demand folder), online platforms and mobile devices. This new service complements the 75,000 TV shows and movies currently available on Xfinity On Demand, XfinityTV.com and through the Xfinity TV app. To launch Streampix, Comcast has entered into licensing agreements with leading movie studios and programming providers including Disney-ABC Television Group*, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Cookie Jar Entertainment and built a line-up of top-rated content, which is available starting this week.

"Our goal is to consistently deliver greater value to our customers and to bring the best anytime, anywhere entertainment on multiple platforms. Streampix is another step moving TV Everywhere forward by giving customers access to an even greater library of popular choices to watch."

"Xfinity TV is a one-stop source for the most video entertainment on any screen and it just keeps getting better," said Marcien Jenckes, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Video Services, Comcast. "Our goal is to consistently deliver greater value to our customers and to bring the best anytime, anywhere entertainment on multiple platforms. Streampix is another step moving TV Everywhere forward by giving customers access to an even greater library of popular choices to watch."

This week, Streampix is launching with top-notch programming and will significantly increase the breadth of entertainment choices for Xfinity customers in the coming months to include complete seasons of TV series, popular children's franchises and hit movies available to instantly stream across multiple platforms including:

Past Full Seasons of TV Series

Movies
- 30 Rock (NBC)
- Analyze That (Warner Bros. Pictures)
- Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
- Brokeback Mountain (Universal)
- Heroes (NBC)
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Sony)
- Lost (ABC)
- Ocean's Eleven (Warner Bros. Pictures)
- Married...with Children (Sony)
- Stuart Little (Sony)
- The Office (NBC)
- When Harry Met Sally (Warner Bros. Pictures)
- Ugly Betty (ABC)
- The Big Lebowski (Universal)
- The Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Family)

Kids Programming
- Inspector Gadget (Cookie Jar Entertainment)
- Paddington Bear (Cookie Jar Entertainment)
- Strawberry Shortcake (Cookie Jar Entertainment)
- The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (Disney Channel)
- Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney Channel)

In the coming year, the Streampix service will be available on additional devices such as Xbox 360 and Android™-powered devices. Streampix will be included as part of many Xfinity triple-play packages, Blast!+ and Blast! Extra video/high-speed Internet packages, as well as separately for $4.99 a month with other video packages, and enables the company to have greater flexibility with packaging and bundling options. With Streampix, the Xfinity TV service is a comprehensive video solution that lets users watch TV episodes of current seasons and complete past seasons of broadcast and cable hits. Xfinity TV also offers a suite of tools to personalize and manage viewing across screens for no additional charge through XfinityTV.com and the Xfinity TV app. Xfinity TV will continue to make more entertainment choices and personalization tools available across screens and through additional devices in the future.