Netflix Joins Lineup of Three U.S. Cable Operators

QUINCY/PRINCETON: Atlantic Broadband, Grande Communications and RCN have announced partnerships with Netflix to enable their customers to find and watch content from Netflix through the same set-top box used to watch live TV.

The Netflix App will be integrated into the TiVo service distributed by the providers. Customers to either Atlantic Broadband, Grande Communications or RCN who subscribed to Netflix will be able to access the service in addition to live TV, on-demand programming and other web content all through a single device. Customers can use their TiVo DVR to browse and watch a selection of commercial-free TV series and movies on Netflix.

The Netflix offering will be available to customers with TiVo service as early as April 28, all at no additional charges beyond the monthly TiVo subscription fees.

"Now, watching Netflix is as easy as changing the channel," said David Isenberg, chief marketing and strategy officer, Atlantic Broadband. "The ever-expanding selection of titles on Netflix is a tremendous complement to Atlantic Broadband's existing portfolio of live TV, HD channels and On Demand programming. Integrating the world's leading Internet TV network with the world's best DVR platform underscores our commitment to delivering customers what they want—instantly." 

"The dynamics of this game-changing relationship are clear: more choices for the viewer via a simple, unified device," stated Jim Holanda, the CEO at RCN and Grande Communications. "RCN and Grande Communications continue an unrelenting focus on delivering the best viewing experience for our customers through smart partnerships, innovation and superior Internet speeds of up to 110Mbps. The ability to seamlessly deliver new volumes of entertainment through industry leaders Netflix and TiVo is yet another way we are providing the best in customer convenience and satisfaction."

"Our view has long been that the marriage of linear television and streaming over-the-top (OTT) TV is the future of television, and Netflix has clearly emerged as a must-have OTT service," added Tom Rogers, TiVo's president and CEO. "Today's announcement underscores the transformative nature of the TiVo technology and its proven ability to enable OTT providers to be seamlessly integrated into a pay-TV platform. TiVo is the common technological thread bridging the gap for the first time here in the U.S. between operators and OTT services to help them deliver a superior and more complete offering to their subscribers. We couldn't be happier to have blazed this trail by providing the first cable operator implementations of Netflix with our European partners Virgin and Com Hem, and we are thrilled be part of today's game-changing announcement that this milestone will also occur in the U.S. We are highly confident that this combined offering will be extremely well-received by Atlantic Broadband, RCN and Grande subscribers alike."

"Atlantic Broadband, Grande Communications and RCN are making it even easier for their customers to watch Netflix on their TVs," said Bill Holmes, the head of business development at Netflix. "These three cable companies are leading innovators, offering more choices and a great experience to their customers. Not only are they the first U.S. cable providers to offer Netflix on their set-top boxes, they have also directly connected their networks to Netflix, enabling a better viewing experience with faster startup times and superior image quality."