Comcast, NBC deal could be 'too big'
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
By: Peter Crimmins
pcrimmins@whyy.org
Now that GE has reclaimed 20% of NBC back from a French media company, it is expected to sell the whole package to Philadelphia-based Comcast.
Combined with NBC, Comcast could become the country's largest media conglomerate.
On the surface it looks like a match made in conglomerate heaven. A giant cable distribution company desperate for content meets one of the biggest television programming companies in the world. Cue the wedding bells. But some analysts think Comcast hasn't done a great job with the smaller media companies it already own.
Kevin Werbach of the Wharton School says a company that owns both the pipeline and the content could end up in some tight spots.
Werbach: When a user goes to Comcast – they are not interested in seeing one network in the stable of channels – they want the whole panoply. Comcast has to deal with other programmers – if it controls one of the largest ones it complicates those negotiations.
With NBC, Comcast will own the rights to broadcast everything from the Olympics and Oprah.
Comcast will own NBC.. Say goodbye to your free Hulu!!