Comcast is the largest TV provider and the largest internet provider in the US… but at a time when a growing number of customers are choosing to forego the TV part and sign up for internet-only plans to stream content from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube, and others, Comcast is launching something aimed at these so-called cord-cutters.

Now Comcast internet subscribers can pay $15 per month to stream content from about a dozen channels including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, and HBO.

comcast stream

Comcast calls the new service Stream, and at first glance it might sound like a good deal. But there are a few things to keep in mind before signing up:

  • Stream only offers live TV when you’re in your home — you can’t stream content over the internet when you’re away from the house, because the service is tied to you IP address.
  • Comcast typically offers bundle discounts when you sign up for internet + TV, so while internet + Stream will probably be cheaper than a typical bundle, it might not be as much cheaper as you’d have hoped.

If you’re cool with those caveats though, Stream does sound like it could offer a lot of content for the same price as an HBO Now subscription. You get access to live TV from the dozen included networks, along with on-demand access to thousands of movies and TV shows.

You can watch on-demand videos even when you’re not at home. And there’s Cloud DVR and TV Everywhere support.

Comcast is testing Stream in Boston later this summer. Tests will launch in Chicago and Seattle later this year, and Stream could be available everywhere by early next year.

Support Liliputing

Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).

But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.

Contribute to our Patreon campaign

or...

Contribute via PayPal

* If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it.

Subscribe to Liliputing via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,547 other subscribers

3 replies on “Comcast Stream is streaming TV without a cable (TV) plan”

  1. True cord-cutting means sacrificing the Internet connection so streaming isn’t a really part of the cord-cutting picture. Things would be a lot different given viable broadband alternatives that don’t play bundling games but you’d have to leave the U.S. to find those. I suspect this “Stream” thing is meant to befuddle casual consumers who might be considering some form of cord-cutting, and in the end most subscribers will end up paying Comcast more money than before.

  2. This will be good for my dad if 1)It offers his hunting shows (outdoor channel?) 2)He can get the redsox games and 3)He gets local and national news. I’m good with sticking to VUDU and netflix for myself.

  3. Streaming still isn’t as reliable or convenient as a DVR, and I presume this doesn’t stream local affiliate content at all–things like local news or the Seahawks game when broadcast locally because the network feed is a cable network.

Comments are closed.