HIDIVE, the AMC Network‘s fan-centric anime streaming service, announced its participation in Comcast‘s “Free This Week” program, a new “content sampling initiative” aimed at bringing new customers to the app. From Monday, October 20 to Sunday, October 26, 2025, non-subscribers will have access to HIDIVE’s robust lineup of premium, fan-favorite simulcast and English-dubbed anime titles. The news follows HIDIVE’s recent debut on Comcast platforms such as X1, Xumo Stream Box, Xumo TV, and Flex.
“Free This Week” is Comcast’s year-long content sampling program that offers Xfinity customers access to a rotating selection of premium networks and streaming services. Available across X1, Xumo Stream Box, Xumo TV, and Flex platforms—with select content accessible through the Xfinity Stream app—the initiative provides added value and discovery opportunities for customers. As detailed in the press release, Xfinity customers are getting a week of “complimentary access to HIDIVE’s expansive anime catalog” as part of the year-long initiative.
“Anime is incredibly popular and HIDIVE’s ability to consistently deliver the best of the genre has made it one of our fastest growing streaming services,” said Amy Leasca, Executive Vice President of Partner Management & Strategy at AMC Networks in a press release provided to The Beat. “We’re thrilled to partner with Comcast to bring HIDIVE’s expansive catalog to even more viewers through their ‘Free This Week’ initiative.”
With anime’s worldwide appeal at an all-time high, HIDIVE distinguishes itself as a go-to destination for groundbreaking titles that engage fans old and new. After launching on Comcast platforms earlier this year—via app on July 22 and linear channel on August 12—the partnership reflects AMC Networks’ continued commitment to growing HIDIVE’s audience through strategic distribution.
Launched in 2017, HIDIVE is one of only a few legal U.S.-based streaming services dedicated to anime and is Crunchyroll‘s most significant competitor. As of January 2024, it was the fourth-most-watched streaming service, according to a survey done by Polygon (via CBR).
HIDIVE is home to over 500 hours of subbed and dubbed anime, including popular exclusives such as Sword of the Demon Hunter, I Parry Everything, Jellyfish Can’t Sing in the Night, Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty, Loner Life in Another World, and From Bureaucrate Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated. In addition to its popular exclusives, HIDIVE carries the license for Reincarnated as a Sword, Made in Abyss, The Dreaming Boy Is a Realist, The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess, and Dark Gathering.
HIDIVE is a relatively affordable option for new and old anime fans alike. Subscriptions to the streaming service start at $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually, which is slightly less than Crunchyroll’s $7.99 “Fan” tier. Crunchyroll’s higher plans, “Mega Fan” and “Ultimate Fan,” expand access with offline viewing and its 50+ title “Game Vault,” offering a variety of RPGs and visual novels.
To access HIDIVE during “Free This Week,” Xfinity customers can simply speak “Free This Week” into their Xfinity Voice Remote or visit the “Free This Week” destination on their device.
Source: HIDIVE PR
For more information about HIDIVE, visit www.hidive.com. For more information about Xfinity’s “Free This Week” experience, visit www.xfinity.com/hub/free-tv-movies/free-tv-week.
