Grinchy Comcast Finally Enables HBO Go, Showtime Anytime On Amazon Fire TV

When it comes to American mega-businesses, Comcast doesn’t exactly have a sterling reputation. Its reputation is quite the opposite in fact, twice earning the top honors in The Consumerist’s Worst Company in America competition. You can blame poor customer service, a lack of humor, and wasting $32 million of its own money on the failed Time Warner Cable acquisition for Comcast’s typically “grinchy” behavior.

The behavior also extended to allowing third-party streaming services to piggyback on its Internet connections. While HBO Go has been available for quite some time for the Amazon Fire TV, customers that have Comcast Internet have been unable to access the service. That changes today, as we can finally say that Comcast’s usual sourness is turning a bit sweeter for Amazon Fire TV owners.

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Comcast Xfinity customers that have either a Fire TV or Fire TV stick can now access HBO Go and Showtime Anytime on their devices. Comcast customers simply need to sign in to the respective apps with their Xfinity credentials to gain instant access to each network’s programming. Comcast is also quick to point out that it offers a wealth of HBO and Comcast content via its Xfinity On Demand and Xfinity TV Go services, which may explain why the company has been reticent to throw Amazon Fire TV customers a bone in the past.

“Our customers have access to one of the largest content libraries in the world,” said Comcast in a statement. “We’ll continue to make opportunities available for them to watch when and where they want.”

As of this writing, HBO Go is still blocked for Comcast users that have a PlayStation 4.

Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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