Comcast begins launch of internet-only TV service

For $15 per month, some Comcast internet subscribers will now be able to watch TV around their house, too. The new deal is for an internet TV service that Comcast is launching today called Stream. Stream allows subscribers to watch live TV from “about a dozen networks,” including all of the big broadcasters — ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox — and HBO. It also includes “thousands” of on-demand movies and TV shows, as well as access to a cloud DVR service to record live broadcasts. The service will initially be available in Comcast’s Greater Boston area, according to the Boston Business Journal, which includes eastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Stream is supposed to become available nationwide next year.

Stream is limited: it only offers access to a small selection of networks (it’s missing key names like ESPN), and it can only be used within the subscriber’s home. But it may still be a compelling offering for people who aren’t interested in a traditional cable subscription. All you need to subscribe to Stream is an existing Comcast internet subscription — you don’t have to subscribe to its TV service at all. And people who aren’t subscribing to cable are probably looking for a cheap, pruned selection of channels. Stream hits a lot of those points, so cord cutters may have a reason to look to Comcast for TV once this service rolls out wider next year.

Disclosure: Comcast is an investor in Vox Media, The Verge’s parent company.