Earlier this month, Spectrum and Comcast announced a new streaming player that will let you watch your TV subscription from Spectrum streaming online alongside other services like Netflix. This new player is called the Xumo Box, following in the steps of their free streaming service Xumo Play. That was quickly followed by Spectrum announcing that new customers would get the streaming-only option. This left many to wonder if Comcast would also switch to streaming only.
So, what exactly is Spectrum doing? With this change, current Spectrum TV customers can keep their cable TV boxes if they want, but new customers will bee offered thee streaming Xumo streaming player to watch their cable TV subscription. The good news is the new streaming players are about half the monthly cost of Spectrums cable TV boxes. Also, you can buy them outright for $60 and pay no monthly fee.
In a statement to Cord Cutters News, Spectrum said, “The Xumo Stream Box is the primary video device Spectrum will be providing to customers going forward. It delivers a next-generation entertainment experience that is integrated with the customer’s cable TV services on a level not seen on other platforms. Traditional set-top boxes will remain available to customers who request one.”
Cord Cutters News reached out to Comcast to see if Comcast would also switch their new cable TV customers over to the new streaming service. Comcast confirmed to Cord Cutters News that the new Xumo Stream Box, when launched by Comcast will be offered to internet customers. Cable TV customers will continue to be offered the X1 cable TV box. The one exception would be customers who sign up for the new $20 a month Now TV service will be offered a Xumo TV box.
Spectrum is the second largest cable TV but not the first to go streaming as a main focus. A growing number of mid-size and small cable TV companies, including Frontier and WOW! have stopped offering traditional cable TV. Instead, some of them have partnered with services like YouTube TV or launched their own streaming service like Spectrum is doing.
By moving customers 100% to streaming some day in the future, Spectrum would be able to focus completely on the Internet through its cables. This will let them have more bandwidth to offer a better internet service. Currently, part of its network is reserved for TV. Someday in the distant future, Spectrum and other cable TV companies stop offering traditional cable TV, and 100% of its network can be dedicated to internet service.
So far in 2023 5 cable TV companies have shut down their cable TV service or switched to streaming first.