Comcast X-1 with Netflix

As Comcast continues to battle the age of video streaming, it is now on track to add the biggest streaming giant to its own line-up. Comcast will be bringing Netflix service to its X1 customers within a year, and the deal will have tremendous benefits for both companies.

Re/code confirmed the report, and received a joint comment from Comcast and Netflix.

Said the pair in a statement: “Comcast and Netflix have reached an agreement to incorporate Netflix into X1, providing seamless access to the great content offered by both companies. We have much work to do before the service will be available to consumers later this year. We’ll provide more details at that time.”

With few details available for now, it remains to be seen just how Netflix will be integrated into the current X1 software, never mind how pleasant the Netflix app will be to use on the X1 service. If the Netflix service is available through a similar browser-type interface it is on other devices, like the Apple TV, then everything should be expected to run smoothly for X1 and Netflix customers. The addition of Netflix to the X1 service could eliminate the need many have for such devices like Apple TV, Roku, or Google Chromecast. It may not be a fatal blow to the plugin streaming business, as many customers using those devices do so for other streaming services as well, like Hulu.

Comcast has been slow to hop on the evolving world of streaming video, so its decision to make amends with Netflix is not an insignificant one. Keep in mind that the two companies have a contentious history. Netflix has not been shy of accusing Comcast of throttling bandwidth availability for customers trying to access Netflix content, which has since let to a breaking of bread between the two giants. Regardless, the deal between Comcast and Netflix is a major win for the companies, but also the customers both have now and will have in the future.

For Comcast, is this a giant first step toward ways of adapting to the new age of digital media? Comcast has a vested interest in customers not cutting the cord, of course, so signing a deal with Netflix helps show Comcast is ready to make deals with streaming services as a way to keep customers happy on as many fronts as possible.

Having the ability to offer original Netflix content like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black under the X1 service that already brings you all of cable’s top hit shows like Game of Thrones and Billions is a great selling point, as would being able to add original content from Hulu or Amazon down the line. Not to mention, the archive of shows that will now available through X1’s growing on-demand library and the expansive Netflix library. Being able to search both under the same search parameters makes searching for content even more powerful.

What a day to be alive.

[Recode]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.