AFRO, CLEO TV Join Comcast Lineup

Comcast Cable will bring two new African American majority-owned independent networks to its lineup in 2019, AFRO and CLEO TV.

“The offerings from both AFRO and CLEO TV serve as an excellent complement to the growing catalog of programming choices we offer about global black communities,” said Keesha Boyd, executive director of multicultural products at Comcast Cable. “We remain committed to delivering a wide array of programming by partnering with independent networks, such as the two we’re announcing today, to better serve our increasingly diverse customer base.”

AFRO, from Afrotainment, delivers top-rated Nollywood and black movies, dramas, sitcoms, music, talk, and late-night comedy shows.

“We are excited to bring AFRO’s live content and growing on-demand catalog of more than 300 hours of original programming to millions of Xfinity customers,” said Yves Bollanga, founder and CEO of Afrotainment. “Comcast’s selection of AFRO, which is a recognition of the rich diversity in black content and culture, solidifies our position as a leader in polycultural black home entertainment in North America.”

TV One’s CLEO TV is a lifestyle and entertainment network for millennial and Gen X women of color, showcasing short-form and long-form content including travel, home design, cooking, talk shows, movies, docu-series, sitcoms and much more.

“We’re at a pivotal moment in history where women are making a huge impact in our society and culture, especially women of color,” said Michelle Rice, TV One’s general manager. “CLEO TV will offer a diverse mix of lifestyle and entertainment content through the unique lens of millennial and young Gen-X women of color, an audience segment that is currently underserved. CLEO TV will leverage the comprehensive media platform of our parent company Urban One, Inc. which includes digital, television and radio divisions that will each play an integral role in bringing this new network to the marketplace. We are grateful to Comcast for the tremendous opportunity to elevate new voices in our industry.”