CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — Comcast Corp. said Monday that it will unveil an application for Apple Inc.’s iPad that allows Comcast digital subscribers to watch movies and TV shows on the tablet device, starting next month.
The first version of the Xfinity TV app will be available on Apple’s iTunes Store this week.
Users will be able to use Xfinity TV to program their digital video recorders, browse content by keyword or title, create a watchlist of favorite shows, and share viewing choices with others via social networks.
Comcast's announcement comes at a time of slowing subscriber growth for cable, satellite and phone companies that provide video services.
Last week, The Diffusion Group, a research firm, issued a survey stating that broadband users who own or are likely to purchase an iPad in the next few months are “significantly more likely” than other broadband customers to cancel or downgrade their service over the next six months.
Xfinity TV is also an extension of the “TV Everywhere” strategy, championed by Time Warner Inc. and Comcast, which seeks to tie online viewership of shows to a paid subscription. There has been concern that people will cancel their cable subscriptions and use free video services such as Hulu to satisfy much of their entertainment needs.
