Comcast and Twitter Join Forces

Zacks

Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) – the largest cable MSO in the U.S. – recently collaborated with online social networking giant Twitter, Inc. to help the former’s subscribers to watch popular TV shows and purchase movie tickets from a tweet.

This service will be available to Comcast's Xfinify TV online service customers. The subscribers can easily access these facilities through gadgets like TV, PCs, smartphones and tablets.

Twitter users will find a ‘see it’ button through which they will be directed to their favorite TV shows. Moreover, they can also buy movie tickets through Fandango.

Twitter also plans to provide the new facility to other TV network operators in the upcoming months. Thus, we believe that availability of such applications will certainly boost the popularity of particular TV shows.

Higher proliferation of smartphones and tablets coupled with stiff competition from other cheaper video streaming companies like Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) and Hulu has induced Comcast to continuously launch such innovative products.

Comcast is gradually deploying its next-generation Xfinity TV, an on-demand, Web-based service, for subscribers who will have access to both video programming and the Internet. The new Xfinity TV set-top box has an innovative system to quickly navigate between live and on-demand programming.

Comcast also launched its innovative Xfinity Streampix, a subscription based on-demand video streaming service. This is an enhancement of the company’s pay-TV offerings, which currently provide traditional TV shows and Xfinity on-demand shows for TV sets and broadband devices.

Comcast also entered into an agreement with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) to enable its subscribers to access Xfinity TV online content from the Microsoft Xbox. Xfinity TV currently covers 95% of the company’s footprint.

Hence, we believe that the launch of such advanced services will not only drive subscriber growth but will also allow the company to safeguard its position against major cable and satellite TV operators like Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC), Dish Network and DIRECTV.

Currently, Comcast Corporation carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

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