Comcast signs deal with ViacomCBS to become first MVPD carrying CBS All Access

CBS All Access original The Twilight Zone

Comcast has become the first operator to sign a deal with ViacomCBS for the carriage of CBS All Access.

The broadcaster’s VOD and live streaming service will be available on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex platforms later this year, marking the first time that CBS will make the app available on an MVPD-based set-top box.

The arrangement will also see continued retransmission of 23 CBS-owned networks in 15 major US markets.

Rebecca Heap, senior vice president of video and entertainment at Comcast Cable said: “ViacomCBS has been a great partner, and we are very pleased to have reached this agreement to provide Xfinity X1 and Flex customers with more access to their content across multiple platforms.”

The announcement comes as Comcast prepares to launch its own streaming competitor under the NBCUniversal banner, Peacock.

The broadcaster has been forthright in its strategy for Peacock and has said that its strategy will be very different from its competitors, with its CEO previously stating that “we’re primarily working within the existing ecosystem.”