Fubo launches natively on Xumo and Xfinity streaming devices

Comcast said Thursday that it has natively integrated the Fubo app with Xumo Stream Box and Xumo TVs, as well as Xfinity Flex.

With this, Xumo and Flex users now have native voice control access to the four largest virtual MVPDs, with YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV already integrated with Xumo Stream Box, Xumo TV and Flex.

These devices also come pre-loaded with FAST Xumo Play, Tubi and Pluto services.

Fubo, which ended March with just over 1.5 million subscribers, promotes itself largely through access to live sports events.

Comcast, meanwhile, launched Xumo two years ago as a joint venture with Charter Communications, trying to bring a gateway operating system to the table in living rooms increasingly dominated by TV operating systems made by Roku, Samsung, Amazon and Google.

Read also – Xumo TV: Everything you need to know about the Comcast and Charter Streaming OS joint venture

Like Flex, Comcast is now giving the OTT Xumo Stream Box device the ability to connect via HDMI free for broadband-only customers. “Comcast Entertainment OS” also supports “Xumo TV” branded smart TVs made by manufacturers including Hisense and sold in stores including Walmart.

“For many consumers, one of the first things they look for in a streaming service is whether it offers access to their favorite sports,” John Dixon, senior vice president of entertainment at Comcast, said in a statement. “With a vast collection of sports channels, from local broadcasts to national networks covering the biggest and smallest sports, Fubo is a great addition to the growing catalog of streaming options available on our platforms.”

Isaac Josephson, senior vice president of product management at Fubo: “Live sports are best watched on a big screen – in fact, 95% of Fubo viewers watch their favorite content on connected TVs and smart TVs.”

The move certainly won’t help improve usage rates for Comcast’s Xfinity-branded linear video services, which lost more than 2 million customers last year.

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Fubo e.g. runs Bally Sports channelsregional sports networks that were Comcast pay TV services disabled from the end of April. Surely fans of the Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins and other Major League Baseball teams affected by the pay TV renewal impasse can simply call Comcast, cancel Xfinity X1 and ask the cable company to send them a free Xumo Stream Box in exchange for their remaining ISP subscription , then sign up for Fubo.

Fubo provides a base level of 195 channels incl many RSNsfor $80. Once you factor in fees, it’s not a cheap “skinny” vMVPD package, but it’s certainly cheaper than Comcast’s Fully Monty cable service when you factor in all the subscription fees and other excesses.