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Comcast completes deal for NBCU

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 29 Jan 2011 3:25 User comments (3)

Comcast completes deal for NBCU Comcast has completed its acquisition of NBC Universal this week, gaining a 51 percent stake for $13.45 billion.
NBCU is in charge of NBC, the fourth-highest ranked broadcaster in the U.S, Universal Pictures, the Universal theme parks, and popular cable channels like E!, Bravo and USA.

The FCC and US Department of Justice, facing criticism that the deal would allow Comcast to favor its own cable subscribers, has imposed numerous conditions that will force Comcast to keep NBCU content "as a single package to online competitors on terms comparable to those reached with more established rivals such as Dish Network Corp. and DirecTV," says the AP.

Furthermore, Comcast will have to match any new deals for programming between traditional media firms and online video providers, if it has a comparable program. For example, if Viacom makes a reality show available via Netflix, NBCU will have to make a comparable show available.



As part of the deal, Comcast bought the stake from GE for $6.2 billion in cash, and gave its cable channels (like E! and Bravo) to NBCU. Those channels were worth $7.25 billion.

The long-time logo has also been changed, with NBCUniversal removing the space between "NBC" and "Universal" and getting rid of the colorful peacock and globe silhouette.

As a bonus, all 25,000 NBCU employees were given 25 Comcast shares and a family pass to Universal theme park.

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3 user comments

129.1.2011 16:47

Aha yes... poor Comcast. Everyone will pick on them. Just like they picked on them them when they throttles movie streams like from Netflicks. They cried foul but shut up when they were asked why they didn't throttle there own paid for movie streams.

Business as usual. They are always 'getting screwed' by someone making them go broke but then where did they get all this money??? Obviously, business was way better than what they let it on to be.

229.1.2011 23:56

Once again the public gets the shaft, while the big corps. get the big check.

33.2.2011 09:05

Isn't this why the "tax cuts" were "extended" for two more years? So government just has one more way to spy on us?

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