Interview: Xfinity talks Call of Duty partnership and investing in gaming

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is easily the most anticipated games of 2018 thanks to its beloved zombies mode, refined multiplayer, and brand new battle royale mode, Blackout. Next week, fans will be given the chance to play the game in a closed beta and if you’re an Xfinity customer, you’ll be given complimentary access.

We got the chance to talk to Xfinity’s Director of Partnership Marketing, Mark Cruz, about the deal they’ve struck with Activision for the second year in a row. In our interview, we cover Xfinity’s plans for investing in gaming and the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 beta offer. You can view the full interview and details on how to redeem your complimentary Xfinity beta code (if you’re eligible) below.

Do you see this promo as a way to bring in new consumers or reward more loyal gaming customers?

“It’s a little bit of both. The way we look is we believe that our Xfinity internet is an ideal choice for gamers and that is in relation to our fast internet speeds as well as our reliability. So for our current customers, access like this enhances the Xfinity experience. For potential non-customers, it shows them everything we are doing as a brand, not only to reach the audience but truly provided added value and benefit.”

Why did Activision want to use Xfinity as a representative for Call of Duty’s online?

“I can’t speak for Activision but I’d like to think that Xfinity’s reach and scale in the United States give Activision the opportunity to reach some of their biggest fans.”

Did you guys go to Activision or did they come to you? What was that discussion like?

“We initiated the conversation, we believe that Activision was the right partner for us. If you look at the titles that come out every year, Call of Duty is always at the top of the list. As I mentioned, reach and scale, partnering with Activision really helps us maximize our opportunity.”

Is there potential for seeing Xfinity expand these kinds of deals going forward with other franchises?

“There are always opportunities to expand. I can’t tell you who we’re speaking with but we’re speaking with other publishers about the opportunity to offer our internet customers a way into their title. Call of Duty is obviously an FPS, we’re talking with other publishers not in that FPS area but yes, there are always opportunities to expand and we want to do more in this gaming space to build on the success we’ve had with Activision.”

This is a pretty big year for online gaming with Fallout 76, Battlefield V, and Red Dead Redemption 2. Do you guys think something like that could expand beyond beta access or have other tie-ins?

“We’re open to many ideas, really it just comes down to the concept. I’d love for it to include something more than just beta access, what it comes down to is how feasible it is to deliver a good experience more than beta.

We have large partnerships in the eSpots space as well with ESL and we sponsor the Evil Geniuses. I think you’ll see an announcement in the near future around the Philadelphia Fusion Overwatch franchise, obviously the Fusion are doing great, they’re in the grand finals in Brooklyn this weekend. We’re happy to be partners with all those organizations in the eSports space. From a gaming perspective, Xfinity is really trying to make its mark and reach not only the enthusiast gamer but the hardcore segment as well.”

If you’re an Xfinity customer, you can go claim your Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 code on Xfinity.com/callofduty right now. The multiplayer beta will begin on PlayStation 4 next week on August 3rd with Xbox One and PC to follow shortly after on August 10th.

During my conversation with Mark, he also mentioned that they’ll be working with Activision to offer access to Black Ops 4’s battle royale mode, Blackout, during its beta period which is currently scheduled for an unspecified date in September.

“Activision announced a Blackout beta in September and so those dates are still TBD. From our perspective when you talk about expansion, Xfinity customers can look out for more info on the Blackout beta access too. We’ll be looking to provide similar access to Blackout just like we did for multiplayer.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 releases on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on October 12th, 2018. If you’re not an Xfinity customer, you can pre-order the game to get access to the beta.