Cox follows Xfinity as the latest MVPD to integrate Xumo-powered FAST channels into its linear guide after the <a href="https://corporate.comcast.com/stories/comcast-brings-20-fast-channels-to-the-x1-channel-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">milestone integration</a> on X1 and the Xfinity Stream app last year. Xumo Enterprise has been syndicating and powering FAST channels on streaming platforms for years, and the Xfinity and Cox launches represent an important evolution in the company&rsquo;s efforts to make FAST more accessible to consumers on a growing range of connected devices.
Notably, Cox&rsquo;s Contour TV customers can now find 20 Xumo-branded FAST channels integrated into their channel guide. The channels span a variety of genres, from action, comedy, and drama movies to game shows, kids and reality TV programs, plus much more.
Additionally, later this year Sky will integrate its <a href="https://www.skygroup.sky/article/sky-adds-six-new-channels-to-sky-glass-and-sky-stream-for-no-extra-cost-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six new FAST channels</a> into the TV guide on Sky Glass and Sky Stream devices. The channels, which just launched last month and feature a selection of previously aired, much-loved shows from Sky&rsquo;s expansive catalog, are currently available within the Xumo Play app on Sky&rsquo;s Entertainment OS-powered devices. By partnering with Xumo Enterprise to integrate the new channels into the guide experience, Sky can offer its customers a new way to discover and enjoy them alongside all their other favorite programming.
These MVPD channel guide integrations are an example of Xumo&rsquo;s ongoing effort to support consumers&rsquo; growing appetite for FAST. Earlier this year, Xumo found in a <a href="https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/xumo-2024-fast-report-entertainment-habits-free-easy-streaming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> that pay TV customers watch more FAST than cord-cutters or cord-nevers and that time spent watching FAST during primetime hours rivals gaming, social media, and cable TV.

Xumo Enterprise, the business-to-business arm of the Xumo joint venture between Comcast and Charter Communications, has partnered with Cox Communications to integrate free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels into its linear guide to offer customers more quality programming at no additional cost.

Cox is the Latest to Integrate Xumo FAST Channels into Linear Guide; Sky Slated to Follow

Philadelphia, June 4th, 2024 &ndash; Xumo, together with FASTMaster Consulting, today released a new research report, <a href="/static/pdf/xumo-us-2024-fast-landscape-survey.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 FAST Market Update</a>. Taking an in-depth look at viewers&rsquo; engagement with free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST), the new report provides the industry, including content owners and advertisers, with meaningful insights into the role FAST plays in consumers&rsquo; evolving entertainment decisions. It offers insight into topics like who is watching, when and how much they watch, why they watch, and how FAST viewing compares to other major forms of entertainment.
<a class="weight-500 transition-all relative overflow-visible min-[300px]:whitespace-nowrap font-WorkSans items-center rounded-md py-3 px-6 hover:drop-shadow-md weight-600 justify-center hover:bg-opacity-[95%] flex items-center sm:inline-block" style="color: white; background: black;" href="/static/pdf/xumo-us-2024-fast-landscape-survey.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download report</a>
&ldquo;The findings of this report underscore the increasingly important role FAST plays in today&rsquo;s entertainment landscape, dispelling myths and highlighting the diverse, engaged, and growing audience that finds value in our free and easy streaming,&rdquo; said Stefan Van Engen, Vice President, Content Programming and Partnerships, Xumo. &ldquo;As engagement levels during primetime rival other major forms of entertainment, it&rsquo;s clear that FAST is becoming a part of people&rsquo;s everyday lives.&rdquo;
Despite being a relative newcomer to the entertainment landscape, the findings reveal FAST is becoming a primary means of entertainment for today&rsquo;s consumers, with a third of American adults saying they regularly watch FAST channels during peak primetime hours. Additionally, time spent watching FAST channels is on par with other forms of entertainment. Specifically, the average FAST viewer spends one hour and 40 minutes watching FAST channels in the evening, whereas a gamer typically spends one hour and 42 minutes playing video or mobile games during this same timeframe. Consumers also said they scroll social media for one hour and 53 minutes, while cable TV customers spend one hour and 58 minutes watching cable network programming.
<img style="width: 100%; height: auto;" src="https://xumo-marketing.directus.app/assets/abe7732a-59b7-44a8-8289-6e729a30c34c.png" alt="A graph showing that FAST content shows an average of 1 hour and 40 minutes per viewer.">
&ldquo;There are many myths about FAST which are often bandied about by external onlookers, such as FAST viewers watch because they have no alternatives or they are a less desirable consumer for advertisers,&rdquo; said Gavin Bridge, Chief Analyst, FASTMaster Consulting. &ldquo;I am very happy that Xumo has sought to address this via research into who watches FAST, dispelling false narratives with facts and illustrating why FAST continues to grow and needs to be part of any marketer&rsquo;s toolkit to maximize reach.&rdquo;
Other findings of the report explore topics like the who, what and why of FAST viewing:
Who is watching
<ul>
<li>Pay TV customers watch more FAST than cord-cutters or cord-nevers: Nearly half (47%) of consumers that subscribe to a pay-TV service say they also regularly watch FAST. In comparison, 46% of cord-cutters report being regular viewers of FAST, while only 35% of cord-nevers say they do.</li>
<li>FAST viewers trend younger and more diverse. While 46% of the U.S. adult population is between the ages of 18 and 44 according to the U.S. census, 58% of FAST viewers fall within that range. Additionally, Black viewers represent 20% of FAST&rsquo;s audience, compared to 14% of the U.S. population. Similarly, 23% of FAST viewers have Latino origins, compared to 19% nationally.</li>
</ul>
What they watch
<ul>
<li>FAST viewers over-index on news, movies and crime TV. Together, these genres represent 58% of total viewing hours on Xumo Play, but only account for 11% of total channels.</li>
</ul>
Why they watch
<ul>
<li>FAST is a reliable form of entertainment. Nearly 70% of FAST users say they can always find something to watch on free streaming channels.</li>
<li>FAST is becoming a top choice for many viewers. More than half of FAST users say it is one of their favorite forms of entertainment.</li>
</ul>
The data in this report is from a market research project Xumo commissioned with <a href="https://fastmaster.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FASTMaster Consulting</a>, which collected responses from 4,000 U.S. adults among varied age, gender and ethnicity groups between the third quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024.
About Xumo
Xumo, a joint venture between Comcast and Charter, was formed to develop and offer a next-generation streaming platform for the entire entertainment industry. The company is defined by three primary lines of business: Xumo devices, Xumo Play, and Xumo Enterprise.
Powered by Comcast&rsquo;s global technology platform, Xumo devices feature a world-class user interface that includes universal voice search capabilities, making it easy for consumers to find and enjoy their favorite streaming content. Xumo Play is a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service with hundreds of ad-supported linear channels and on demand options that anchors the free content offering on Xumo devices and is also available as an app on other major streaming platforms. Xumo Enterprise is the business-to-business arm of the joint venture, providing content makers, distributors and advertisers with tools and services to make FAST content more accessible.
Contacts
Debbie Frey 215.983.0563 <a href="mailto:debbie_frey@comcast.com">debbie_frey@comcast.com</a>

Time-Spent Watching FAST During Primetime Hours Rivals Gaming, Social Media and Cable TV &mdash; 70 Percent of FAST Users Can Always Find Something to Watch on Free Streaming Channels.

Xumo 2024 FAST Report Reveals Shifting Entertainment Habits Toward Free and Easy Streaming

<h2>What&rsquo;s new?</h2>
It&rsquo;s more immersive
With beautiful edge-to-edge background imagery that adapts to different content selections, Xumo TV now provides an immersive experience while browsing programs. This provides a captivating view that can aid in entertainment&nbsp;decisions.
It&rsquo;s more personalized
To offer a truly tailored experience, Xumo TV&rsquo;s apps row can now be customized to highlight go-to apps. It can also be reordered so the most frequently watched apps are easier to access. It takes just a few easy clicks of the Xumo remote to adjust the positioning and contents of the apps&nbsp;row.
It&rsquo;s live
With ever-increasing demand for live TV, our latest update makes it even easier for Xumo TV customers to find and access the channel guide. By elevating its position within the interface, viewers can navigate to must-see programming with fewer&nbsp;clicks.
It&rsquo;s rich in details
To help customers start watching even quicker, Xumo TV&rsquo;s interface now displays key information including show synopses, duration and ratings front-and-center without having to click into the program. This makes for quicker decisions, less time navigating and more time&nbsp;watching.
Additionally, progress bars subtly enrich the Xumo interface by helping to signal where viewers left off and how much of a program they have remaining to watch. They also show up on programs airing in the channel guide for a quick glance at where viewers will be jumping&nbsp;in.
It&rsquo;s contextual
Xumo TV&rsquo;s experience has always incorporated both personalized recommendations and highlights from our team of editors. Now, the interface includes additional context in the featured row, with a layer of personalization to make suggestions more relevant to each viewer, like &ldquo;trending&rdquo; callouts for popular movies available on a subscribed streaming service or &ldquo;new season&rdquo; callouts on returning series a customer has previously&nbsp;watched.
Other features to check out on Xumo TV
These new updates join a host of other features within the Xumo TV experience that make streaming easy. The My List feature allows viewers to curate their own custom watchlist of shows and movies from any app, and the innovative voice remote makes finding a program as simple as saying its&nbsp;name.
This latest update further delivers on Xumo&rsquo;s mission to make streaming easy.

Xumo&rsquo;s goal is to make TV easy with a smart, intuitive user experience. It&rsquo;s with this in mind that we are rolling out thoughtfully designed updates to the Xumo TV user interface to get customers to the programs they love faster, while also making it easier for them to discover something new to watch.

All you can stream

A better way to stream

All the top apps

Get 6 months of Peacock Premium at no extra cost

Free entertainment
on any screen

Take your business
to the next level

What’s new with Xumo?

Cox is the Latest to Integrate Xumo FAST Channels into Linear Guide; Sky Slated to Follow

Xumo 2024 FAST Report Reveals Shifting Entertainment Habits Toward Free and Easy Streaming

Xumo TV Gets Even Smarter

All you can stream

A better way to stream

All the top apps

Get 6 months of Peacock Premium at no extra cost

Free entertainmenton any screen

Take your businessto the next level

What’s new with Xumo?

Cox is the Latest to Integrate Xumo FAST Channels into Linear Guide; Sky Slated to Follow

Xumo 2024 FAST Report Reveals Shifting Entertainment Habits Toward Free and Easy Streaming

Xumo TV Gets Even Smarter

Free entertainment
on any screen

Take your business
to the next level