Comcast leverages Adobe Primetime to streamline distribution
and monetization of pay-TV service to millions of subscribers
across desktops and devices
Every day, millions of Americans use Comcast to enjoy their favorite TV shows, surf
the web, or connect with family and friends. Comcast is the largest mass media and
communications company in the world, with 23 million cable subscribers. As the
number of screens in a typical household grows, customers are increasingly interested
in carrying their entertainment with them and watching television shows whenever
and wherever they want.
“We’ve seen a shift from vertically siloed services to services that combine digital cable, Internet,
and television,” says Sree Kotay, chief software architect at Comcast. “Television isn’t just about a
box in the living room anymore. Viewers want to watch their favorite shows on computers, game
consoles, and mobile devices, and we need to deliver.” By providing consistent, high-quality services
across devices with Adobe Primetime, Comcast can quickly reach new audiences and deliver more
value for pay TV.
Comcast Corporation
Instant entertainment
Comcast Corporation
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
www.comcast.com
Adobe Primetime Success Story
Results
• Raised the customer rating on the
iTunes app from 2.5 stars to 4 stars
• Increased customer app and video
engagement
• Streamlined dynamic ad insertion
and blackout workfows
• Accelerated product development
time and reduced time to market
• Established a consistent
infrastructure to simplify video
production
Something for every device
Every year, Comcast customers bring new devices to the digital ecosystem. When working with
such a large variety of endpoints, having a consistent infrastructure is essential to scaling quickly.
Standardizing on Adobe Primetime enables Comcast to easily deliver video to almost any screen.
Comcast uses a unified Adobe Primetime digital rights management (DRM) and player framework to
deliver studio-quality content. “Working with a common format through Adobe Primetime allows us
to quickly bring our services to new devices,” says Allen Broome, vice president of IP video engineering
at Comcast.
Having established digital video workflows over the past 15 years, Comcast needed a solution that
could easily fit within existing infrastructure. The modular approach makes Adobe Primetime
more cost-effective compared to custom solutions, and enables Comcast to take advantage of new
technologies faster.
Adobe Primetime includes scalable, efficient DRM workflows that meet studio-mandated requirements
for securing programming developed by content providers. By providing a consistent DRM solution
across all video, Comcast can improve operational efficiency. “Developers don’t need to understand the
complexities of DRM to apply it correctly, keeping the focus on delivering a superior user experience,”
says Broome.
Next-generation programming
Comcast currently uses Adobe Primetime as the core of all of its IP-based video playback, including
interactive TV experiences through its next-generation XFINITY X1 Platform. No matter how viewers
access programming, they get the same great video features, which can include secondary audio
options, closed captioning, or even alternate angles.
The video platform built using Adobe Primetime also shows greater performance on devices, with
fewer errors, faster startup times, quick downloads, and more consistent streaming experiences. The
result has been a noticeable boost in customer satisfaction. “After implementing Adobe Primetime,
the iTunes app rating jumped from 2.5 to 4 stars,” says Kotay. “We’re also seeing increased app and
video engagement, indicating that we’re providing a stronger customer experience.”
Expanding revenue streams
Comcast is focusing on leveraging the analytics and monetization capabilities in Adobe Primetime
to create tailored ad and content experience. “We see personalization as a key driver for future growth,”
says Broome. “Adobe Primetime opens doors to deliver personalized advertisements and content
to audiences.”
Challenge
• Reaching viewers across fxed and
mobile devices with consistent
experiences
• Extending services to improve
customer satisfaction and revenues
Solution
Used Adobe Primetime to develop a
consistent video production platform
for high-quality video and dynamic
ad insertion across all devices
Systems at a glance
Adobe Primetime
“Working with a common format through Adobe Primetime
allows us to quickly bring our services to new devices.”
Allen Broome, vice president of IP video engineering, Comcast
Adobe Systems Incorporated
345 Park Avenue
San Jose, CA 95110-2704
USA
www.adobe.com
© 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
Adobe and the Adobe logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
91087829 6/14
The ad decisioning capability in Adobe Primetime is used to automate regional blackouts in which
broadcasting contracts prevent live programming, such as sporting events, from being broadcast in
certain regions. Adobe Primetime handles blackouts by seamlessly switching to alternate content.
Working with dynamic blackout events eliminates the need to switch content for each region, creating
efficiencies for engineers while improving compliance with carriage agreements.
Comcast also uses Adobe Primetime to expand into new service areas. For example, the company
can reach new young audiences with its Xfinity on Campus service, which will be available on select
university campuses. “To continue to stay on top, we need to follow our audiences wherever they go,”
says Broome. “Adobe Primetime gives us a unified video platform that helps us quickly and easily
bring high-quality video to new audiences and devices.”
“Afer implementing Adobe Primetime,
the iTunes app rating jumped from 2.5
to 4 stars. We’re also seeing increased
app and video engagement, indicating
that we’re providing a stronger
customer experience.”
Sree Kotay, chief sofware architect, Comcast
Dynamic ad insertion enables Comcast to seamlessly weave ads or replace
content for signifcant boosts to production efciency.
For more information
www.adobe.com/solutions/
primetime
doc_190967821.pdf
and monetization of pay-TV service to millions of subscribers
across desktops and devices
Every day, millions of Americans use Comcast to enjoy their favorite TV shows, surf
the web, or connect with family and friends. Comcast is the largest mass media and
communications company in the world, with 23 million cable subscribers. As the
number of screens in a typical household grows, customers are increasingly interested
in carrying their entertainment with them and watching television shows whenever
and wherever they want.
“We’ve seen a shift from vertically siloed services to services that combine digital cable, Internet,
and television,” says Sree Kotay, chief software architect at Comcast. “Television isn’t just about a
box in the living room anymore. Viewers want to watch their favorite shows on computers, game
consoles, and mobile devices, and we need to deliver.” By providing consistent, high-quality services
across devices with Adobe Primetime, Comcast can quickly reach new audiences and deliver more
value for pay TV.
Comcast Corporation
Instant entertainment
Comcast Corporation
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
www.comcast.com
Adobe Primetime Success Story
Results
• Raised the customer rating on the
iTunes app from 2.5 stars to 4 stars
• Increased customer app and video
engagement
• Streamlined dynamic ad insertion
and blackout workfows
• Accelerated product development
time and reduced time to market
• Established a consistent
infrastructure to simplify video
production
Something for every device
Every year, Comcast customers bring new devices to the digital ecosystem. When working with
such a large variety of endpoints, having a consistent infrastructure is essential to scaling quickly.
Standardizing on Adobe Primetime enables Comcast to easily deliver video to almost any screen.
Comcast uses a unified Adobe Primetime digital rights management (DRM) and player framework to
deliver studio-quality content. “Working with a common format through Adobe Primetime allows us
to quickly bring our services to new devices,” says Allen Broome, vice president of IP video engineering
at Comcast.
Having established digital video workflows over the past 15 years, Comcast needed a solution that
could easily fit within existing infrastructure. The modular approach makes Adobe Primetime
more cost-effective compared to custom solutions, and enables Comcast to take advantage of new
technologies faster.
Adobe Primetime includes scalable, efficient DRM workflows that meet studio-mandated requirements
for securing programming developed by content providers. By providing a consistent DRM solution
across all video, Comcast can improve operational efficiency. “Developers don’t need to understand the
complexities of DRM to apply it correctly, keeping the focus on delivering a superior user experience,”
says Broome.
Next-generation programming
Comcast currently uses Adobe Primetime as the core of all of its IP-based video playback, including
interactive TV experiences through its next-generation XFINITY X1 Platform. No matter how viewers
access programming, they get the same great video features, which can include secondary audio
options, closed captioning, or even alternate angles.
The video platform built using Adobe Primetime also shows greater performance on devices, with
fewer errors, faster startup times, quick downloads, and more consistent streaming experiences. The
result has been a noticeable boost in customer satisfaction. “After implementing Adobe Primetime,
the iTunes app rating jumped from 2.5 to 4 stars,” says Kotay. “We’re also seeing increased app and
video engagement, indicating that we’re providing a stronger customer experience.”
Expanding revenue streams
Comcast is focusing on leveraging the analytics and monetization capabilities in Adobe Primetime
to create tailored ad and content experience. “We see personalization as a key driver for future growth,”
says Broome. “Adobe Primetime opens doors to deliver personalized advertisements and content
to audiences.”
Challenge
• Reaching viewers across fxed and
mobile devices with consistent
experiences
• Extending services to improve
customer satisfaction and revenues
Solution
Used Adobe Primetime to develop a
consistent video production platform
for high-quality video and dynamic
ad insertion across all devices
Systems at a glance
Adobe Primetime
“Working with a common format through Adobe Primetime
allows us to quickly bring our services to new devices.”
Allen Broome, vice president of IP video engineering, Comcast
Adobe Systems Incorporated
345 Park Avenue
San Jose, CA 95110-2704
USA
www.adobe.com
© 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
Adobe and the Adobe logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
91087829 6/14
The ad decisioning capability in Adobe Primetime is used to automate regional blackouts in which
broadcasting contracts prevent live programming, such as sporting events, from being broadcast in
certain regions. Adobe Primetime handles blackouts by seamlessly switching to alternate content.
Working with dynamic blackout events eliminates the need to switch content for each region, creating
efficiencies for engineers while improving compliance with carriage agreements.
Comcast also uses Adobe Primetime to expand into new service areas. For example, the company
can reach new young audiences with its Xfinity on Campus service, which will be available on select
university campuses. “To continue to stay on top, we need to follow our audiences wherever they go,”
says Broome. “Adobe Primetime gives us a unified video platform that helps us quickly and easily
bring high-quality video to new audiences and devices.”
“Afer implementing Adobe Primetime,
the iTunes app rating jumped from 2.5
to 4 stars. We’re also seeing increased
app and video engagement, indicating
that we’re providing a stronger
customer experience.”
Sree Kotay, chief sofware architect, Comcast
Dynamic ad insertion enables Comcast to seamlessly weave ads or replace
content for signifcant boosts to production efciency.
For more information
www.adobe.com/solutions/
primetime
doc_190967821.pdf