Comcast Adds Real Vision’s $15 Finance and Investing Channel to X1 VOD Lineup

By Todd Spangler

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Comcast’s customers with X1 can now subscribe to Real Vision, a millennial-targeted video-on-demand service for investors, traders and entrepreneurs — marking the latest VOD addition to the cable operator’s menu.

Real Vision features 15 original series including interviews, analysis and documentaries focused on “democratizing” financial intelligence. A subscription to Real Vision costs $14.99 per month after a free seven-day trial. X1 customers can sign up through directly through the set-top.

Real Vision went live on the X1 set-top platform last week. It joins Comcast’s lineup of third-party video services available through X1, which include Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Tubi.

“We’re excited to count Real Vision among the growing number of choices available to Xfinity X1 customers,” Michael Imbesi, Comcast Cable’s VP of movies and pay-per-view programming, said in a statement. “X1 customers value the platform’s unique, integrated experience that enables instant voice search across networks, studios and streaming services such as Real Vision, all in one place.”

Real Vision’s programming features business and finance leaders including Kyle Bass, Jim Rogers, Mark Cuban, Stanley Druckenmiller, Jim Chanos, Mike Steinhardt and Mike Novogratz. On average, according to Real Vision, its videos are watched to 87% completion.

The Comcast deal expands the reach of Real Vision, which also has distribution deals with websites Investing.com, Invstr and Interactive Brokers and is available through connected-device platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Xumo, and Amazon Fire TV. In addition to the SVOD service, Real Vision offers access to some free content.

Real Vision was co-founded by CEO Raoul Pal — a former Goldman Sachs hedge-fund manager — and ad-industry veteran Damian Horner, addressing what they saw as a gap in financial media tailored to younger audiences. The company has about 100 full-time employees, including about 60 in New York City.

Since first launching in September 2014, Real Vision has accrued close to 50,000 paid subscribers across its products, according to Pal. The company is not yet profitable.

“We’re edgy and young,” said Pal, saying Real Vision doesn’t compete with traditional financial cable networks like CNBC or Bloomberg. “Everybody else does live news. We do analysis and deep dives.”