Comcast And Fandango Enable Movie Ticket Buying Via Set-Top Box

Comcast’s Xfinity unit and Fandango announced Wednesday (May 30) that they are giving movie fans the ability to find local show times and movie tickets via their television, thanks to an integration between the two.

In a press release, Comcast said that with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” Xfinity X1 customers can say “Get tickets” into their X1 voice remote while watching the movie trailer to search more than 30,000 U.S. movie theaters. Comcast said this is the first time this capability is available on a set-top box.

The companies expect to extend this feature to additional new releases throughout the year.

“Fandango is the perfect partner to help us give customers a fun, easy way to go right from watching TV at home to enjoying the newest releases in the movie theater,” Nancy Spears, vice president of strategy and execution for Comcast Cable, said in the press release. “Xfinity X1 enables us to continually explore one-of-a-kind experiences that complement the TV viewing experience, allowing viewers to interact with content where and when it is convenient for them. We’re launching this experience starting with ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ in conjunction with the film’s trailer and look forward to further enhancing additional movie titles with this functionality throughout the year.”

X1 customers who watch the latest “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” trailer on Xfinity On Demand will see an on-screen notification prompting them to say “Get tickets” into their voice remote to initiate the online ticket-buying process.

They can then view a list of show times at nearby theaters and have the times sent to their mobile phone to complete the purchase via Fandango’s mobile app or website.

“At Fandango, we are always looking for innovative ways to super serve movie fans when they are engaging with movie content, so they can easily act on their interest and purchase a ticket to the theater on the platforms and devices they use,” said Mark Young, SVP and head of business development and strategy for Fandango. “We’re thrilled to team up with Xfinity to offer millions of X1 customers across the country a convenient new way to use their TV set and voice-activated remote to buy movie tickets right from their living rooms.”

Prior to the release of the latest Jurassic movie, Xfinity TV customers can watch the older movies in a new section of Xfinity on Demand or by speaking “Jurassic World” into the voice remote.