Netflix is finally bringing its streaming services to cable. The company announced that it is teaming up with three U.S. cable companies - RCN Communications, Atlantic Broadband and Grande Communications.
According to NBC News, Netflix will be available to those customers through an app on their TiVo DVRs. This is the first time the company has made their streaming services available to U.S. cable companies; they do have similar deals with companies in the U.K.
Even though RCN Communications, Atlantic Broadband and Grande Communications are a lot smaller than companies like Comcast and Time Warner Cable, together the three cable providers have about 700,000 subscribers, NBC reports.
With the new deal customers will be able to stream licensed movies and original Netflix content like "Hemlock Grove" straight to their TiVo DRVs. However they will need to have an existing Netflix subscription.
If a customer does not have one they can sign up for a Netflix subscription through their TiVo boxes in a three-step process, Variety reports. New Netflix customers would receive the standard one-month free offer but would be expected to set up a paid account with Netflix.
"Netflix is good for us because it's fantastic for our customers. It's delivering the best possible customer experience," David Isenberg, chief marketing and strategy officer for Atlantic Broadband said, Variety reports. "The perception in the media is that Netflix is a competitor to cable. That's not really the case. The content libraries are tremendously commentary - they fit hand in glove."
Reportedly, Atlantic Broadband customers will see the new Netflix option as early as Monday afternoon (Apr. 28). Other cable companies are now beginning to experiment with streaming services. Recently Time Warner announced plans to make their cable services compatible with Fan TV, which offers subscribers access to Rhapsody and Redbox Instant but not Netflix, NBC reports. Fan TV said more streaming services would be added "over time."
