Cablefax The Magazine - July 2015 - 13

2015 Top Ops Awards
content, " says Walker Anderson, senior manager, sales and marketing,
Comcast NBCU. Short fi lms are under-served in that arena, he adds.
The concept itself isn't a coincidence either. Not meant as " a big
competitive play, " the Collective emphasizes Comcast's ability to
program locally and " be distinctive, " Anderson notes. The idea to
create the Collective " was a recognition of the seemingly overlapping
opportunities, resourcefulness and relationships to arrive at this
little ecosystem of content that would be valuable to our customers. "
The response has been encouraging. " Many people who have
watched have never seen a short fi lm or been to these festivals, "
Anderson says. Viewership is growing an average of 20% per month,
topping 9K in February. While Comcast won't divulge specifi cs,
Anderson hints the brief duration of shorts leads to " multiple views
of diverse content, " aka viewers are binging on shorts.
The Collective's fi lm roster is updated regularly as a string of East
Coast fi lm festivals also are collaborating with Xfi nity on the project.
In SD and HD, the fi lms generally remain available for two months;
12-20 titles are uploaded each month, with an emphasis on shorts
from festivals currently underway. For example, if a festival is occurring
in July, shorts from it will be highlighted that month.
In addition to the Atlanta Film Festival, participating festivals include:
Charleston International Film Festival, Homespun Series (Atlanta),
Indie Grits Film Festival (Columbia, S.C.) and several others.
While the festivals are East Coast-based, the fi lms are wide in origin. " This
FAST FACTS
Fast Facts
uComcast's Central Division is composed of XFINITY
customers in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, South
Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
u Subs can access Film Festival Collective content using
voice commands by saying " Festival Collective " to their
X1 remote app and voice guide remote.
unique brand of programming... has included more than 120 short fi lms,
highlighting the work of regional, national and international fi lmmakers, "
says Alex Horwitz, VP of Public Relations for Comcast's South Region.
In addition to seeking partner festivals, Anderson says Comcast is looking
to expand the content mix. So, for example, in addition to shorts,
viewers might be able to watch programs about shorts, such as interview
shows. " We will try " new content and " see how it does, " he says.
While Comcast has yet to make an announcement, it seems a good
bet that if the Collective continues to prove successful other regions
will create similar programs throughout Comcast's footprint.
- Seth Arenstein
CONGRATULATIONS
CABLE ONE ASSOCIATES!
Recipients of the Cablefax
Independent Customer Service Award
and congratulations to all of the
2015 Cablefax TopOps Honorees.
Cablefax: The Magazine
July 2015
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13
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Cablefax The Magazine - July 2015

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