A new cable startup looking to take on Comcast and other traditional cable providers just launched a partnership sure to please football fans.
Layer3 TV, a Denver-based startup with nearly $100 million in funding, just reached an agreement with the NFL to distribute NFL Network and NFL RedZone to its customers. In September, Layer3 TV began service in the Chicago area--its first market--and it's also currently live in the Washington metro area.
The move is significant, in part, because many traditional cable users have been reluctant to drop their service because of the ability to watch live sports. The addition of NFL Network's Thursday Night football games, and perhaps more importantly, the addition of the popular NFL Red Zone channel, gives Layer3 TV another tool to entice sports fans.
Layer3 TV isn't a cord cutting service; it's similar in price to regular cable, costing around $80 to $150, depending on if you want add-ons like HBO. It gives you access to 200 HD channels, and the ability to store up to 2,000 shows. But the main difference to Comcast and other providers is Layer3 TV claims to offer improved customer service, along with a recommendation algorithm that helps you find what to watch, and a 4K compatible set top box.
The NFL Network will be included in Layer3 TV's allHD Platinum package, and the NFL RedZone will be on the Sports & Info tier.
“Layer3 TV’s subscribers can now get all NFL Network games and original programming as well as all the action from Sundays during the regular season on NFL RedZone,” Lindsay Gardner, Chief Content Officer of Layer3 TV, said in a statement. “Our subscribers deserve the best, so combining NFL Network and NFL RedZone with Layer3 TV’s best-in-class picture quality and innovative technology will deliver NFL fans a crystal clear, in-home experience that won’t go unnoticed.”
Layer3 TV was founded in 2013 by Jeff Binder, a former Chicagoan and executive at Motorola, along with Dave Fellows, a former CTO at Comcast and AT&T Broadband.
