Canadian MSO Shaw Communications said it has expanded its white-label version of Comcast’s X1 platform across Western Canada.
The operator launched the platform, which it has branded as BlueSky TV, in Calgary back in January.
RELATED: Shaw launches white label X1 service, BlueSky TV
Shaw is pricing a skinny-bundle version of the service with its 150 Mbps internet tier and pricing the double play at $79.90 for the first year. New customers also receive complementary access to CraveTV and The Movie Network package, which includes HBO Canada.
BlueSky TV will include a number of features found in the native X1, including the voice remote, the children’s programming area KidZone, as well as the various metadata-filled sports bells and whistles.
"Talking to your television—and having it listen—is simply a magical experience that makes watching TV more enjoyable," said Shaw President Jay Mehr, in a statement. "BlueSky TV makes it easier than ever to stop scrolling and start watching the content you love with an experience you won't want to live without."
Shaw is following Cox Communications, which began last year deploying its white label version of X1 in the U.S., which it calls “Contour.” Canada’s Rogers Communications announced last month that it is also licensing the platform.
Speaking to investors in November, Matthew Strauss, executive VP and general manager of video services for Comcast, said licensing the platform isn’t highly profitable in a direct sense. But expanding the platform to other footprints enables broader data collection and improved advanced advertising capabilities.
“It gives us scale and allows us to have more R&D and more exposure outside our footprint,” he added.