Xumo

Xumo is an American over-the-top internet television service owned by telecommunications conglomerate Comcast. Founded in 2011 as a joint venture between the Viant Technology subsidiary of Meredith Corporation (parent company of Myspace) and Panasonic, Xumo is a free, advertising video on demand (AVOD) service that primarily offers a selection of programming content through digital linear channels designed to emulate the experience of traditional television programming, and supported by revenue generated from video advertisements inserted into the service's programming streams in designated conventional television-styled commercial breaks.

Xumo
Subsidiary
IndustryStreaming media
Founded2011 (2011)
HeadquartersIrvine, California,
United States
Area served
North America
Brazil
Western Europe (select countries)
Key people
Colin Petrie-Norris (CEO);
Jiro Egawa (COO);
Chris Hall (SVP, Product);
Hirotaka Oku (SVP, Engineering)
Stefan Van Engen
(SVP, Programming & Partnerships);
Fern Feistel
(SVP, Marketing & Content Operations);
Fred Doan
(VP, Ad Operations & Programmatic);
Ria Madrid
(VP, Media Strategy & Operations)
ServicesOTT Internet television
ParentComcast
Websitewww.xumo.tv

Xumo licenses its content directly from various content distributors, and has deals with more than 75 content partners as of 2020. Its content is available via its website and supported apps on mobile devices and smart TV models. The service's operations are based in the Los Angeles suburb of Irvine, California. As of February 2020, the service averages 10 million monthly active users.

Comcast acquired the company in February 2020.[1]

History

As of 2015, Vizio and Panasonic offered the service. Other manufacturers adding Xumo in 2016 include LG Electronics and Funai. As of May 2016, 78 channels were offered, with a total of 100 planned. The primary target audience is millennials who are not satisfied with multichannel television in the United States offerings.[2]

In February 2016, Time Inc. acquired Viant.[3] The Vanderhook brothers began the company in 1999 as advertisementbanners.com, changing the name to Interactive Media Holdings in 2003 and Viant in 2015.[4]

As of July 2018, the Android app is live, users can download it in the Google Play Store.

As of June 2019, according to CEO Colin Petrie-Norris, Xumo is available in over 35 million American households via a multi-screen distribution network of smart TVs, mobile, web, and streaming boxes. Xumo does not require a set-top box or dongle because TVs include it in a manner similar to Roku. Channel Plus from LG Electronics for LG Smart TVs with WebOS uses Xumo to recommend programs and provide advertising[3] sold by Viant on some channels.[2]

Xumo has the capability to learn what users watch, adding frequently viewed channels and programs at the top of lists.[2]

On February 25, 2020, Comcast announced it would purchase Xumo from the Panasonic/Viant joint venture for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition of the service—which will continue to operate as an independent business, albeit within Comcast's cable television division—stems mainly from Xumo's partnerships with smart TV manufacturers (including LG, Panasonic, and Vizio), which would allow Comcast to use Xumo's placement to market or showcase Xfinity and other Comcast services as well as use its technology to develop additional streaming platforms. The company plans to add content from the NBCUniversal programming library and the company's various television networks as well as use it to upsell its free/subscription hybrid service Peacock, akin to ViacomCBS's utilization of Pluto TV to offer content from its cable networks following the former Viacom's purchase of the rival streamer in the Spring of 2019.[1][5][6]

Programming

Xumo is structured similarly to the pay television model, offering its content as designated channels categorized by program content type into 12 channel tiers:

  • News – consisting of mainstream news and opinion channels, as well as partisan, commentary-based outlets reflecting progressive and conservative viewpoints.
  • TV & Movies – general entertainment and movie channels.
  • Sports – includes live and previously-aired events, sporting news and analysis programs.
  • Kids & Family – channels aimed at children and family audiences.
  • Food, Drink and Travel – culinary and travel-oriented lifestyle channels.
  • Comedy – comedy-based channels, consisting of curated viral video and digital content services.
  • Entertainment – consisting of special-interest and viral video-based entertainment channels.
  • Lifestyle – lifestyle, travel and home shopping channels
  • Pop Culture – entertainment news, science, technology, sci-fi, curated video and geek culture-oriented channels.
  • Science & Tech – science, technology and educational documentary channels.
  • Music – consisting of music videos and video concerts.
  • Fashion – style-oriented channels.

As of February 1, 2020, Xumo carries over 190 channels packaging content acquired through various syndication and digital content deals. Current content partnerships for the service include A&E Networks, Abrams Media, Advance Publications, CNET, Condé Nast, FBE, FilmRise, Fox Sports, Fremantle, Jukin Media, Kabillion, Katz Networks, Meredith Corporation, NowThis, PocketWatch, Refinery29, Stingray Group, This Old House Ventures, Time USA, LLC, Vin Di Bona Productions and WarnerMedia.

Traditional television channels whose direct or curated feeds are offered on Xumo include History, Fuse, Bloomberg Television, Newsmax TV, Newsy, Home Shopping Network (HSN), QVC, Jewelry Television, Reelz, Shop LC, BeIN Sports Xtra, and Stadium. AVOD services whose feeds are carried on Xumo include NBC News Now, ABC News Live, CBSN, Cheddar News, TYT Network (structured as a hybrid SVOD/AVOD service, but offered by Xumo as an AVOD offering), Nosey, Dove Channel, Law & Crime, Fubo Sports Network and People TV.

Availability

Xumo content can be streamed through a number of desktop, mobile and internet-connected TV platforms including: Android and Apple iOS/iPadOS devices, LG Channel Plus and LG Channels set models, and Smart TV models manufactured by Vizio, Panasonic, Philips, Magnavox, Sanyo, Samsung, Hisense and Sharp Corporation. Outside of the contiguous United States, Xumo and its supported apps are currently available on LG Smart TV models powering its Channel Plus and LG Channels platforms distributed in Canada (on Channel Plus platforms running WebOS 3.5 or above), Mexico, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom (on LG smart TVs running WebOS 4.5 or above).[7]

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References
  1. Jon Lafayette (February 25, 2020). "Comcast Buys Ad-Supported Streaming Service Xumo". Broadcasting & Cable. Future US.
  2. Palenchar, Joseph (May 5, 2016). "Xumo Bringing More Free Video Content To More Smart TVs". TWICE. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  3. Spangler, Todd (May 3, 2016). "Time Inc.–Backed Startup Xumo Adds 10 Channels to OTT Service". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  4. "About Us". Viant. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  5. Alex Sherman (February 25, 2020). "Why Comcast agreed to buy Xumo, an ad-supported free streaming service". CNBC. NBCUniversal News Group.
  6. Todd Spangler (February 25, 2020). "Comcast Acquires Xumo Free-Streaming Video Service". Variety. Penske Media Corporation.
  7. "About XUMO". Xumo. Viant Technology/Panasonic. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
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