Comcast: VOD Usage Surges During Jonas

The massive snowstorm over the weekend that ravaged the northeastern U.S. was expected to produce a flurry of over-the-top video and VOD activity as consumers hunkered down, but VOD usage on Saturday night surged to record levels for Comcast.

Per the MSO, Xfinity on Demand set a record for views with 1.29 million people watching concurrently on Saturday, breaking the number set during last year’s Watchathon.

Comcast also said VOD views were up 23% from the previous Saturday, driven by regions impacted by Jonas – views in Pittsburgh were up 38%, in the Northeast, including Boston and Connecticut (up 40%), Philadelphia and New Jersey (up 50%), and Baltimore and Washington, D.C. (up 56%).

Among titles, NBC’s Shades of Blue topped the cable/broadcast show category, while HBO’s Game of Thrones was the most popular in the premium arena. Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans Go was the most watched kids show, Hotel Transylvania on FX was the most viewed free VOD title.

The Intern was the most popular movie rental, though The Martian took it down in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.