Comcast Cable Communications plans to expand HDTV programming to subscribers in several major markets by the end of this year. Comcast already offers HDTV in Philadelphia. A Comcast official said the deployment was triggered by a rise in the hours of available programming and a drop in the price of HDTV sets.
The Washington Metro/Northern Virginia area will be the first market to see the new deployments, which will begin this summer. Comcast will then extend HDTV to the Maryland suburbs followed by deployments in Detroit and Indianapolis. HDTV will be available in Washington, D.C. in 2003, where offerings will include programming from WETA-HD and Comcast SportsNet.
Comcast SportsNet plans to offer more than 200 events in HD annually starting in 2003, including coverage of the Philadelphia Phillies, Flyers and 76ers, the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Wizards and Capitals. HDTV programming from major broadcast television networks and from cable services HBO and Showtime will also be offered.
