• Comcast Sets Massive Binge-Viewing "Watchathon" for March 25-31

    Binge-viewing will get another big bounce when Comcast holds its first-ever "Watchathon Week" March 25-31, allowing Xfinity TV subscribers to access over 3,500 episodes from 100 TV series on 30 different premium, ad-supported cable and broadcast networks. All VOD-enabled Xfinity subscribers will be able to access the programs, via Xfinity On Demand, Xfinity.com and the Xfinity TV Player app on iOS and Android devices.

    In assembling the huge content selection for the Watchathon, Comcast has clearly leveraged its clout as the biggest distributor of TV programming in the U.S. Programs included are The Sopranos, Sex & The City, Dexter, The Wire, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, Girls, Spartacus, Duck Dynasty, Mad Men, Revolution, The Walking Dead, Touch, Chicago Fire, Psych, Parenthood and The Americans.

    Networks participating in the Watchathon include HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ and CINEMAX, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS, A&E, AMC, BBC America, BET, Comedy Central, Discovery, FX, HISTORY, IFC, Lifetime, LOGOTV, MTV, mun2, National Geographic, Syfy, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, TV Land, USA and WE.

    The Watchathon is not just a bonus for Comcast's subscribers, it's also an opportunity for the company to highlight the breadth of its on-demand catalog and improvements in its multi-platform services. As such it will be another big test for concurrent TV Everywhere access. Comcast is also launching a dedicated Watchathon microsite to help viewers navigate content choices. Subsequent to the Watchathon, Comcast will have a "Catch-Up of the Week" series that will highlight certain shows from specific networks.