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Microsoft announces landmark TWC deal to bring 300 live TV channels to the Xbox 360

Microsoft announces landmark TWC deal to bring 300 live TV channels to the Xbox 360
Microsoft announced a landmark deal with Time Warner Cable, to let U.S. subscribers watch up to 300 live TV channels on the Xbox 360.
Microsoft announced a landmark deal with Time Warner Cable, to let U.S. subscribers watch up to 300 live TV channels on the Xbox 360.
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Microsoft announced a landmark deal with Time Warner Cable, to let U.S. subscribers watch up to 300 live TV channels on the Xbox 360.
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Microsoft announced a landmark deal with Time Warner Cable, to let U.S. subscribers watch up to 300 live TV channels on the Xbox 360.

Remember that 21st century living room revolution? You know, the one that was supposed to have arrived about two years ago, and have been spearheaded by Apple? Well, it's showing some signs of life after all, and one platform just solidified its standing as the most likely to lead the way. Microsoft has announced a big deal with Time Warner Cable (TWC), that will let the company's US cable subscribers stream live TV using the Xbox 360.

Starting "later this [Northern Hemisphere] summer," TWC subscribers who also have an Xbox Live Gold membership will be able to watch up to 300 live TV channels on their Xbox 360s. They will be able to use Kinect to surf channels using voice and gesture, all without a cumbersome cable box.

According to Microsoft, the deal includes popular channels like AMC, BBC World News, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNN, Comedy Central, Food Network, HGTV. Note that Microsoft didn't mention ESPN, TNT, TBS, FOX, or any of the three major broadcast networks (CBS, NBC, or ABC). That doesn't necessarily mean they won't be in the fold, but it stands to reason that they would have been mentioned in the press release if they were part of the deal.

This isn't exactly the radical overhaul of television content delivery that many have been clamoring for. You're still tethered to a traditional cable subscription, and you actually need a second subscription (Xbox Live Gold) to watch that final season of Breaking Bad live on your Xbox. But it's definitely a step in that direction, and can almost let subscribers replace their cable boxes with a gaming console.

Perhaps more importantly, the move sets the stage for the real star of the show, the Xbox One. Microsoft's press release only mentions the One in passing, saying the company will have more to announce on that front "in the coming months." Considering how far past its prime the Xbox 360 is, it's hard to believe this isn't part of a bigger deal to integrate live, cable-box-free TWC content into the (much more TV focused) Xbox One.

Source: Microsoft

7 comments
7 comments
Joe F
The cable box is not what needs replacing. Two subscriptions so I can watch TV on my Xbox? A joke.
sunfly
"a big deal with Time Warner Cable (TWC), that will let the company's US cable subscribers"
You still need a cable box, why change your cable feed from a bad user experience cable box to a bad user experience xbox? This is not the future.
kar
seriously? I use my ceton cablecard tuner in a microsoft pc. i get the full cable programming and no cable box. why on earth would i PAY for another subscription and still use a cable box to ensure full programming? microsoft has become a greedy enemy of the consumer, just like the cable companies, they deserve each other.
SciFi9000
I don't live in the US.....
Derek Howe
Good, ALL tv should come from an internet connection, then I would only have to pay for internet, and ditch cable.
I'm glad they got Time Warner...now they just need to get the rest of em.
Sunfly - You haven't used the Xbox One, so you don't yet know if the User experience is good or bad.
Bruce Sherman
The Xbox interface is just about unusable for doing anything besides their games. I hope they have improved it for this.
Usman Mughal
The deal will be helpful for those, who are not seeing the live broadcasting. The deal has been finalized and the blackberry will also become popular among the people who are not using it. Actually its a good deal to bring HD Live TV Channels together at a handset.