Premium streaming services continue like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus continue to gain subscribers. However, in the past year, we have seen free, ad-supported streaming video services take off in popularity as well. One of the oldest of these kinds of services is Xumo, and it has been gaining popularity and viewers during the recent coronavirus pandemic. So what is Xumo? Here’s everything you need to know!
Read more: Best video streaming services
If you just want to jump in and check out the service (remember, it’s free), you can watch Xumo right now on its website at the link below.
What is Xumo?
Founded way back in 2011, Xumo is a streaming service with thousands of movies and TV shows available for free on a variety of devices and platforms. It’s entirely free of charge and makes money by inserting video advertisements in the same ad slots as broadcast television.
It’s currently available in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico.
In early 2020, Xumo was acquired by Comcast. In January 2021, Comcast announced that Xumo has 24 million monthly active users.
How does it work?
Like most streaming services, all you need to do is access the service from a computer, phone, or other supported device, select the movie or TV show you want to watch, and start streaming.
In the case of Xumo, you can browse through over 190 channels of streaming content to find what you want to watch. You can filter the channel lineup so you can watch content in different categories. You can also adjust the lineup so it shows channels in alphabetical order, or in terms of their popularity. You can also tap or click on the On-Demand section and browse through a number of different content categories.
Does the service run commercials?
Yes. In order to support itself, TV shows and movies on Xumo do run ads before and during their content. However, on average the amount of commercials is less than that of broadcast and basic cable TV shows.
Is Xumo worth it?
Since the service is free to access, there’s no harm in just trying out Xumo to see if it’s worth checking out. While you will have to deal with commercials while watching movies and TV shows, you don’t have to pay a dime.
That said, you should keep in mind that most of Xumo’s content consists of older shows and movies. If you want the latest streaming content, you will still have to check out paid services like Netflix, Disney Plus, and others.
What platforms does Xumo support?
You can stream Xumo shows and movies from a variety of different platforms. You can download the Xumo apps for iOS and Android to watch its content on mobile devices. It’s also available on Roku streaming sticks, set-top boxes, and TVs that have the Roku OS installed. The same goes for Amazon Fire TV-based sticks, set-top boxes, and TVs. The service also is available on Android TV-based devices such as the Nvidia Shield set-top box.
Xumo supports casting to TVs via Google Chromecast and devices that have Chromecast built-in. It’s available for the Apple TV set-top boxes. You can stream the service on Samsung, Sony, and Vizio smart TVs. LG Smart TV users can download either the Channel Plus or LG Channels app (depending on your location) which are powered by Xumo.
PC owners can use their web browser to surf over to the Xumo.tv site to sign up and watch content. Finally, Xumo is preloaded on the Comcast Xfinity and Flex cable TV boxes.
Xumo movie lineup
The selection of movies on Xumo changes quite a bit. As a result, the movie lineup, both on its streaming channels and its on-demand library, will be different every month. You can watch everything from dramas to comedies to sci-fi films and independent movies on the service. While most of Xumo’s movies are older films, the service has started to dip its toes into offering exclusive original movies, starting with the indie film White Elephant.
The 24/7 streaming channels also have dedicated channels for different movie genres. Recently, the channel lineup included Hallmark Movies and More, with a selection of films from the family-friendly Hallmark Channel.
Xumo TV show lineup
The selection of TV shows on Xumo is a bit more stable. You will find a lot of older TV dramas and series on the service, plus a few more recent shows. It includes classic 1980s shows like 21 Jump Street and Hunter, alongside UK shows like Secret Diary of a Call Girl and more.
The channels section of Xumo has dedicated channels for Shout Factory TV, ConTV, and more. There are also live sports and news channels to surf through, including ABC, CBS, and other news channels.
Best alternatives
Xumo is certainly not alone when it comes to free streaming services. Here’s a look at just a few of its rivals.
Crackle
One of the oldest of the free streaming services, Crackle not only has a solid amount of movies and TV shows to watch for free, it also has a number of exclusive original films and series to stream as well. It also offers some extra features if you sign up for a free account, including parental controls.
Pluto TV
Like Xumo, Pluto TV also offers on-demand access to thousands of TV shows and movies and hundreds of “channels” that stream content 24/7. You can watch live news, movies in a number of different categories, TV shows like Star Trek, Three’s Company, and more, including kids and Spanish language channels.
Tubi TV
The Fox-owned Tubi TV offers a lot of new and classic shows and movies to stream on-demand. The service is slowly ramping up its original content, as well. Tubi TV also offers live local news from over 200 Fox TV affiliates across the United States.
IMDb TV
Amazon’s free content streaming service has been gaining traction over the past year. You can watch great recent films on the service, along with terrific television shows like Lost or Mad Men for free. It’s also adding more original content, starting with the UK spy drama Alex Rider. We expect more original shows to be made available over the next year. It’s definitely one to watch.
Peacock
NBCUniversal’s recently launched Peacock streaming service lets you watch thousands of movies and television shows for free. It also has channels like Pluto TV that stream content including live news and more. For $4.99 a month, you can access even more movies and shows. You can also pay $9.99 a month to enjoy the service ad-free.
Other FAQs
Q: Does Xumo offer streams in 4K?
A: At the moment, the service does not offer 4K streaming shows or movies.
Q: Can you share a Xumo account with friends and family?
A: Yes, you can share your Xumo account with others.
Q: Does Xumo have parental controls?
A: No, the service currently does not offer parental controls. Since it does show movies and TV series that have mature content, parents should be more vigilant when they allow their kids to access Xumo.
Q: Does the service feature advertisements?
A: Yes, there are ads while streaming shows and movies on the service. They usually last about the same as a standard broadcast TV commercial break, if not shorter.
Q: Does Xumo work offline?
A: Unfortunately, the service’s mobile apps do not currently support downloads of its shows. However, that feature could be added at a later date.
Q: What internet speeds are required to access Xumo?
A: The service recommends download speeds of at least 10Mbps for the best experience.
