Comcast subscribers can soon stream HBO, Showtime via Roku
Comcast subscribers can soon stream HBO, Showtime via
Roku
The end of a Comcast-Roku dispute means that Comcast
subscribers will finally be able to stream HBO and Showtime on their Roku
devices.
by Charlie Osborne December 16, 2014 8:29 AM PST
A dispute between Roku and Comcast has led to a deal that
will allow Comcast subscribers to stream content from HBO and Showtime via a
Roku box -- after being denied such a service for years.
Most owners of a Roku streaming device have been able to
subscribe to HBO Go and Showtime Anytime and then watch these channels through
the device's Web-based apps. However, Comcast subscribers have been denied this
service through the failure of apps to authenticate -- stemming from an ongoing
dispute with Roku.
On Monday, Recode reported on an FCC filing that
documents a deal signed November 25 after "several months" of
negotiations between Roku and Comcast. A Roku attorney told the US Federal
Communications Commission in the filing that the deal means Comcast has
"among other things, agreed to authenticate the HBO Go and Showtime
Anytime apps on Roku video streaming devices." The filing did not specify
a date for the apps to start functioning.
In other words, if you are a Comcast subscriber, you will
eventually -- and finally -- be able to use Roku to watch shows from HBO and
Showtime.
In related news, HBO Go is now also available on the
Amazon Fire TV set-top box. However, there is one caveat: if you're a Comcast
subscriber, you're out of luck.
In a statement, Amazon was quick to place the blame on
Comcast, saying: "Comcast is not currently supporting HBO GO on Amazon
Fire TV. We'd love to provide HBO Go for Comcast customers on Fire TV and
encourage those customers to reach out to Comcast for further information on
availability."
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