Comcast, NBCUniversal, Twitter form social TV strategic partnership

New collaboration between media and technology leaders enables Xfinity TV users to tune in or record TV shows instantly on Twitter via "See It" feature; NBCUniversal and Twitter launch new advertising partnership

Comcast Corp., NBCUniversal and Twitter today announced a strategic partnership to more directly connect the millions of Twitter users with television viewing. In the first step of the partnership, Comcast engineers created a new feature called "See It" that will give millions of Xfinity TV customers the ability to instantly access TV shows, movies and sports directly from a Tweet. "See It" will debut in November with shows from NBCUniversal's networks.

The companies also announced an advertising partnership with NBCUniversal in Twitter's Amplify program, which drives awareness of TV programs by embedding sponsored, real-time video clips in tweets. Comcast and Twitter are also already exploring additional opportunities to integrate social TV conversations into Comcast's X1 platform - the company's entertainment operating system.

'See It' and Twitter

Each day, Twitter plays host to the real-time conversation around the live broadcast of television shows. With "See It," Xfinity TV customers who discover new shows and movies in their Twitter feeds will be able to tune in to those programs with the click of a button. The "See It" button will enable a menu of consumption options, including being able to:

• tune to live TV or start a show On Demand on their set-top box
• tune in to a show online or on their mobile device
• set DVRs
• set a reminder
• buy theater tickets through Fandango

" 'See It' is a simple, yet powerful feature that creates an instant online remote control," said Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast. "Comcast is taking a leap forward in social TV by enabling Twitter users to more easily find and view the shows they want to watch and discover new shows. Twitter complements the live viewing experience and is an ideal partner for Comcast and NBCUniversal."

"Twitter is where television viewers come to talk about what they're watching on TV when they're watching it. Millions of users are exposed to the live conversation that unfolds on Twitter while a show is on the air and, now, with 'See It,' they'll be able to tune in directly from a tweet," said Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter. "It's a great example of Comcast's leadership in bringing TV to new platforms."

This season, NBCUniversal television shows on the following networks will use "See It" on Twitter: NBC, NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), CNBC, MSNBC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, Oxygen, E!, Esquire Network and The Golf Channel. Shows include: "The Voice" (NBC), "The Blacklist" (NBC), "Chicago Fire" (NBC), "The Michael J. Fox Show" (NBC), "Sunday Night Football" (NBC), "Access Hollywood," NHL, Premier League Soccer, Sochi Olympics (NBC and NBCSN), "Today" (NBC), "Psych" (USA) and "Suits" (USA), among others.