• by Danielle Oster , Staff Writer, Yesterday

Comedian Tracy Morgan has one simple question in a campaign introducing the new Spectrum App Store digital marketplace.

“Where’s my Knicks game?” Morgan asks his smart remote in the campaign launch ad, as the game appears onscreen. Before Spectrum TV, Morgan said he was “at wit’s end” navigating all the different streaming apps and channels, while now he’s “a brand new Tracy Morgan.” The spot ends with with the tagline, “Spectrum TV Fixed TV.”

The campaign highlights a new feature launching on Spectrum’s Xumo streaming service this month, which allows enhanced voice search functionality. Fans will find it easier to find a game,  whether available via streaming, a regional sports network like MSG Network, a national sports cable channel or app like ESPN, or on a broadcast channel.

“Where’s My Knicks Game?” is running in the New York market, and follows the introduction of the Spectrum App Store at a New York City event, which also included AMC Networks CEO Kristin Dolan and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. Spectrum also created an explainer video introducing the Spectrum App Store.

The campaign is representative of Spectrum’s broader strategy of emphasizing its “Seamless Entertainment” packages and other offerings designed to provide a central place to navigate streaming and cable services, in order to attract and hold onto broadband and mobile customers.

"Our new Spectrum App Store delivers what our customers want most: real savings with consumer choice and a simpler way to enjoy the up to $125 per month worth of streaming apps that our Seamless Entertainment experience provides," Rich DiGeronimo, president, product and technology for Spectrum said in a statement. "At the same time, we're also creating new opportunities for our programming partners to reach more households and connect with our large base of non-video customers. In today's fragmented video landscape, Spectrum is combining value, choice and convenience, creating an experience that benefits both our customers and our partners."

Back in July, the brand began launching a-la-carte streaming app sales to its customers, without typical video packages, including for customers who only use Spectrum for broadband services.

“Our streaming app activation process for customers has improved, and we'll be ramping our marketing of seamless entertainment together with our programming partners,” Christopher Winfrey, CEO of Spectrum parent company Charter Communications said during a July earnings call with investors discussing the company’s Q2 earnings report.

“We haven't really started to put the full marketing engine [behind] what we call seamless entertainment, the combination of your live video service plus all these apps, [and] the video store isn't even launched yet,” Winfrey said. “And we don't yet have the full backing, which we will, of our programming partners and all of their marketing capabilities behind it…Our driver for having a high-quality video product is to be able to sell and retain more Internet and mobile relationships.”

He also explained that Spectrum was “still working through” its “marketing message and how to do a better job of breaking through with our marketing,” including reevaluating marketing partnerships and its “go-to-market” strategy.