Charter and Comcast to partner on new streaming platform, giving Apple TV a run for its money

Charter and Comcast have announced a partnership in creating a new streaming platform on 4K streaming devices and smart TVs. This new project will have to compete against Apple TV and other major streaming hardware and services like Amazon, Roku, and Google.

Comcast will license its streaming platform and hardware, Flex as well as Xumo, which it acquired in 2020. It will also sell XClass TVs at retail stores. Charter is bringing a $900 million investment to the table.

The products Charter and Comcast create will feature loads of free ad-supported content. There will be more than 200 unique streaming channels as well as popular apps like Peacock. It’s not sure if Apple TV+ will be a featured app, but it’s likely we’ll see Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and others on the platform.

Xumo will continue to operate as a free global streaming service available through the joint venture’s products and third-party devices. Charter will offer the 4K streaming TV devices and voice remotes beginning in 2023. Comcast will continue to offer the Flex streaming platform as a streaming device and service to its customers.

Our new venture will bring a full-featured operating platform, new devices, and smart TVs with a robust app store providing a more streamlined and aggregated experience for the customer. As the video landscape continues to evolve, this venture will increase retail consumer options, compete at scale with established national platforms, and join our existing lineup of options for the Spectrum TV App available on most customer-owned streaming devices.

Tom Rutledge, Charter Chairman and CEO

It looks like there is time before Apple and other companies with hardware and services will notice the new competitor. It’s been a little while since we’ve seen new Apple TV hardware. Last year, the company released the Apple TV 4K at its Spring Unleashed event. It features the all-new Siri remote and HDR with Dolby Vision. Could we see an updated device at WWDC in June?

On the streaming service side, Apple TV+ original content has won countless awards recently. It’s continuing to pump out hit content that viewers love to watch. Don’t forget to check out our running guide on what to watch on the Apple TV+ platform.