Comcast has reportedly acquired the rights to offer online TV services nationwide, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the negotiations. This means Comcast could sell video services outside of its regional territories.
The rights would have been received through “most favoured nation” clauses in contracts, which let the company sell channels in the same places as new online distributors. Since Comcast doesn’t sell traditional cable-TV service in markets like New York and Los Angeles, the rights mean the company could presumably offer a package of channels as an online-streaming service in those cities.
Comcast apparently asked for the rights as part of broader carriage negotiations with programmers. The sources added however that the company has no plans, for the moment, to offer a video service nationwide because it still believes it can gain cable-TV subscribers in its footprint, a source close to the company said, adding that since deals are often long term, it makes sense for Comcast to secure rights in case business plans change. The sources said Comcast has not secured OTT rights from some partners, with which it has long-term deals.
Offering a nationwide service would help Comcast compete with Sling and DirecTV and give the company a more diverse range of offerings if it decides to introduce nationwide mobile service.
