TWC Begins To Pitch Pre-Loaded Samsung Tablets

As expected, Time Warner Cable is starting to use Samsung Galaxy Tablets as bait to lure new customers and to entice existing subscribers to upgrade their services.

Under the holiday promotion, which runs through January 18, TWC is offering the $199 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3  to new TWC subs who sign up for the MSO’s “Better” or “Best Triple Plays,” “Better” and “Best Double Plays,” and/or its Ultimate high-speed Internet tier. Customers who upgrade to SignatureHome or Signature Home Premium View will receive a Samsung Note 8.0 Tablet ($399 value).

Those tablets will come pre-loaded with three apps: TWC WiFi (a Wi-Fi hotspot finder), TWC TV (a TV Everywhere app with access to 300 live TV channels and more than 5,000 VOD titles), and MyTWC, which provides account management features and an equipment troubleshooter.

But those customers won’t get their mitts on those devices right away. “Eligibility requirements include proof of switch for new subscribers and 60 days good standing,” TWC pointed out.

TWC brought up the customer acquisition and win-back promotion last week as it discussed lackluster third quarter results that were amplified by the MSO’s retransmission spat with CBS.

On the call, TWC chief operating officer Rob Marcus noted that the company will also target DSL customers aggressively with a new $14.95 high-speed data offering, stating a goal to convert at least 500,000 DSL customers to TWC broadband in the next 18 months.