Comcast takes FAST channels to Xfinity pay TV set-top

US cable giant Comcast has launched 20 free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on its Xfinity X1 boxes at no extra cost.

Comcast said the launch marks the latest evolution of FAST channels on Xfinity entertainment platforms. The company first brought these FAST channels to the Xfinity Stream app in April, and then in May they became an part of Comcast’s new OTT offering, Now TV.

Comcast launched Now TV in May. The service includes over 40 live channels from A+E, AMC, Hallmark and Warner Bros. Discovery, plus the 20 integrated FAST channels, with a subscription to Peacock Premium at no additional cost.

The new channels, including NBC News Now and 19 Xumo-branded channels, will be integrated into the X1 channel guide, offering customers what the company describes as a seamless browsing experience between pay TV channels and the FAST lineup.

Comcast operates Xumo, which has been offering FAST channels since 2011, as a joint venture with Charter Communications. The cable operator has licensed its Flex streaming box to the JV, which is expected to launch later this year.

To access these channels within the guide, customers can also say “free streaming channels” into their voice remote to be taken directly to them.

Comcast said it plans to further enhance its TV offering via FAST. It said it would bring additional FAST channels to its lineup in the future and would continue leveraging the power of its global technology platform to make all this new programming easier for customers to discover.

“The addition of FAST channels on our Xfinity entertainment platforms adds a new dynamic to our video offering. Our strategy is centered around value not volume, and we are focused on bringing FAST channels into the experiences that are additive to the majority of our customers’ lineups,” said Vito Forlenza, VP, entertainment apps.