Non-exclusive cable franchise agreement with Comcast is up for renewal in 2025

The City of Boulder has a non-exclusive cable franchise agreement with Comcast that is up for renewal on April 30, 2025. The agreement is specific to Comcast’s provision of television service and, although it is transmitted through the same infrastructure, is unrelated to the provision of telephone or internet service.

The franchise gives Comcast access to city right-of-way for its cable infrastructure but does not give Comcast exclusive rights to provide cable in Boulder. In return, Boulder gets a franchise fee equivalent to 5 percent of gross revenue. The fee generates approximately $900,000 per year. Boulder also collects a 50-cent fee on each subscriber to pay for capital costs for three public channels, the city’s Channel 8, Boulder Valley School District’s Channel 22 and the University of Colorado’s Channel 63.

The renewal period is the time that the City can negotiate new terms. The City will utilize community feedback to inform negotiations that could start as soon as May 2023.

Community members are encouraged to provide input on the city’s Be Heard Boulder engagement platform through Monday, March. 27. The questionnaire gathers input on Comcast's technical quality, local public access television, and if there are TV services, facilities, or capabilities that are not currently available but should be in the future.