Comcast continues its quest to be the hub for
all home media and entertainment.
Its latest move is adding Amazon Music to its Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex — marking the first time the on-demand music streaming service will be
available directly on TV through a pay-TV provider, according to Comcast.
Xfinity X1 and Flex subscribers who are Amazon Prime members will be able to say “Amazon Music” into a
voice remote to browse and listen to the music hub’s offerings.
With Amazon Music, Prime members have access to more than 2 million songs and thousands of playlists and stations as part
of their membership fee, or more than 50 million songs plus the playlists and stations through the $9.99-per-month Amazon Music Unlimited premium subscription.
The music streaming service,
which will roll out in the next few weeks, will be delivered over the internet and accessible on X1 alongside the Xfinity platform’s live, on-demand and web content.
X1 already offers
other music apps, including Pandora, iHeartRadio, YouTube and NPR One.
Amazon Music will also join the content available through Xfinity Flex, Comcast’s new streaming service for
internet-only customers.
In addition to more than 10,000 movies and TV shows — delivered via apps from Cheddar, Pluto, Xumo, Tubi TV, ESPN3 and YouTube — Flex enables
voice-controlled management of Wi-Fi settings, home automation services, security and other features through the interface.
Flex, which costs $5 per month, also acts as a hub for accessing
other services. Pandora — along with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Now and Showtime — was already baked into that platform.
Comcast added Amazon Prime Video to X1’s
offerings last December. Its popularity among the platform’s users prompted the company to explore also adding Amazon Music, Comcast Cable VP of Business Operations and Strategy Nancy Spears
told Variety.
The X1 platform is now used by most Xfinity customers.