SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " comcast " 70 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Sign in to save shuffle history.
In Comcast’s “Legendary February,” Live Sports Drew Fans—But at a High Price
Comcast’s NBCUniversal went all-in on sports in February. The bet was wildly successful—and wildly expensive. Over a month that the company dubbed “Legendary February,” NBCUniversal aired Super Bowl LX, the Milan Cortina Olympics and National Basketball Association games live across its TV chan
Netflix reportedly closes in on Warner Bros deal
The streaming giant has emerged as the top bidder ahead of rivals Comcast and Paramount Skydance, reports say.
Comcast Flags $1B 4Q Charge For Layoffs, Restructuring In Connectivity
As it continues to feel the squeeze on broadband and pay-TV, Comcast has taken a $1 billion charge ahead of layoffs and restructuring.
Shirley Jones Named Entertainment Commissioning Head At ‘SNL UK’s Sky In Restructure; Barbara Lee To Exit
Comcast’s UK-owned pay-TV giant Sky is reshuffling its unscripted pack. Shirley Jones has been promoted to the newly created role of Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the SNL UK network, with Bar...
Someone Made a Terrific Deal in the Peacock/YouTube Premium Partnership…But Who?
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) I hope everyone around the world suffering from record heat waves is doing okay. The temperature is already up in Southern California, but obviously not nearly as bad as parts of Europe. With a super El Nińo coming this year, I worry it will get even worse. Yes, we know what’s causing this heat—it’s the carbon, duh—but we really aren’t making enough progress. I’m not “environmental strategy guy”, but if I were, I’d have some ideas of what I’d try. Honestly, for years I’ve been intrigued by the work of the folks at MEER—whose plan, super simply, is to put up mirrors to reflect heat (while continuing the important work of decarbonization)—but I’m frustrated this idea hasn’t made more progress. (Other geo-engineering groups seem to get better press.) With heat like this—cancelling events, hurting economies and, most importantly, killing people—it seems like the time to push solutions! The “mirrors on the ground” solution has barely been tried.1 While entertainment companies may not “feel the heat”, lots of outdoors/experiential industries—concerts, theme parks and so on—will. Even movie theaters could benefit, since mirrors could help lower AC costs, which I imagine is not an insignificant expense, especially in the hotter areas of the country. So I do think the entertainment industry should prioritize this issue. Anyways, let’s get back into the entertainment strategy. I was about to write, “Hey, this week we don’t have any mergers and entertainment news to dive into,” but that’s not really true, since we had more updates on Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. But the big story of the week involves a streamer and a Big Tech platform bundling their respective streamers. So I’ll write about the updates on Paramount buying Warner Bros., Versant making some moves, and a whole lot more. But we start with a surprising deal: Peacock licensing their content to YouTube Premium. Let’s dive in! Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Peacock’s Pricey Premium Partnership The story of the week is Comcast’s2 NBC-Universal’s Peacock making a deal with Google’s YouTube’s YouTube Premium subscription product to embed their content. And I’ll say this up front: Someone made a terrific deal. The question is who. And I’ll be honest: I don’t know. Let me explain why, including why this deal exists, the pros and cons for each side, the biggest unknown, and what that says about the streaming wars. Customers Love Bundles (But YouTube Has Its Own Issues) We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Why customers love bundles… But why I’m worried about YouTube’s integration... How Peacock is trading scale for control… And the reason they likely made this deal... The odd budget math for this deal... Whether or not I think the Paramount-Skydance/WBD deal is more likely after the latest settlement... Versant making moves and why that’s good for Hollywood… Another distributor going out of business… ...and a whole lot more! ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
Comcast is spinning out its media business. Deutsche Bank says it's time to buy the stock
Comcast is planning to spin off NBCUniversal, which makes the stock more attractive to own, according to Deutsche Bank.
Comcast Business 2026 Cybersecurity Threat Report: 79.3 Billion Events Show AI Pressurizing the Threat Landscape
Comcast Business has released its 2026 Cybersecurity Threat Report, an analysis of 79.3 billion cybersecurity events detected across its cybersecurity custom...
Xfinity Kicks Off Member Celebration with Three Weeks of Exclusive Entertainment, Sports, Live Experiences and Savings from Comcast NBCUniversal
Comcast’s Xfinity today launched its Xfinity Member Celebration, a limited-time event running through May 10 that delivers three weeks of bonus benefits, swe...
Comcast plans to split into two public companies by spinning of NBCUniversal and Sky
Comcast is planning to split itself into two separate publicly traded companies by spinning off NBCUniversal and Sky
Comcast Completes Fiber Network Expansion in Allen County
Comcast’s Xfinity announced that more than 1,100 additional homes and businesses across Allen County, including communities in Churubusco, Columbia City, Fort Wayne, Huntertown, …
Comcast plans significant job cuts, Bloomberg News reports
Oct 21 (Reuters) - Comcast Corp is planning a significant number of job cuts as part of a restructuring of its cable-TV, broadband and wireless businesses, Bloomberg News reported on
Xfinity and Comcast Business Services Now Available in Beaufort and Edisto, South Carolina
The latest company information, including net asset values, performance, holding & sectors weighting, changes in voting rights, and directors and dealings.
Comcast says it plans to split into two businesses, NBCUniversal and Sky
Current shareholders would receive shares in both companies under the planned split, Comcast said Monday.
Comcast to split cable business from media through NBCUniversal, Sky spinoff
Comcast will split into two publicly traded companies through a spinoff of NBCUniversal and Sky, separating its cash-generating broadband arm from a media and entertainment business under pressure from streaming rivals and industry consolidation. The latest U.S. media industry shake-up follows years of cord-cutting as legacy players chase scale to better compete with Netflix while Paramount Skydance's $110 billion deal for Warner Bros Discovery is set to boost competition. Comcast, which leans on cable for much of its cash flow, is also losing broadband customers to fixed wireless offerings from T-Mobile and Verizon and to fiber rivals building out networks.
Exclusive-NBCUniversal May Enter Video Game Business After Comcast Split, Sources Say
By Echo Wang, Dawn Chmielewski and Milana Vinn June 29 - NBCUniversal is eyeing opportunities in digital gaming and new entertainment franchises as the company weighs options for future growth after its planned spinoff from Comcast, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter.
UK’s ITV to sell media and entertainment unit to Comcast’s Sky for $2.1 billion
UK’s ITV to sell media and entertainment unit to Comcast’s Sky for $2.1 billion
Comcast's Sky to Acquire ITV Networks, Streaming Unit
The ITV Studios production arm will become a standalone business after the planned transaction.
Main Street Sports sues Comcast, Charter for underpaid licensing fees
Main Street has been in the process of winding down its portfolio of regional sports networks since the the NHL and NBA seasons ended earlier this year.
Comcast Business is Deploying Private Wireless Network in Smartlink Headquarters
The network will combine cellular and radio services to enhance wireless coverage in office buildings.
Comcast’s Sky Reaches Terms to Acquire ITV’s Media & Entertainment Unit for $2 Billion
The deal, which includes ITV's linear channels and ITVX streaming platform, could be announced in the next two weeks, according to Reuters
Explaining The Comcast and NBCUniversal Divorce
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) I hope everyone had a happy Fourth of July in America, celebrating the country’s 250th birthday. Frankly, I am bummed the 250th wasn’t a bigger celebration, but that’s a different topic for a different Substack. While it was generally a quiet week on the entertainment/streaming/media business fronts, we still had some interesting news stories. Actually, that kinda undersells one of the stories, a huge, huge, huge divestment that could upend the entertainment landscape... So let’s get right to it. In today’s column, I’ll cover Comcast spinning off the rest of NBCUniversal, an entertainment company investing in an LLM company and an LLM-owner investing in a movie studio, the latest round of threats of digital tariffs, and more. Let’s dive in. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Most: Comcast/NBCU Breakup!!!! If I had to describe my reaction to Comcast spinning out NBCUniversal, it feels like a relationship ending, either breaking up or divorcing. Comcast’s decision to spin off the rest of NBCUniversal, after spinning off some of its cable assets into Versant last year, really does feel like a family breaking up under “irreconcilable differences”. Of my stereotypes of the entertainment moguls, my go-to for Comcast CEO Brian Roberts—heir to the Comcast fortune, but a man who’s been at the helm for 24 years now, and president for twelve years before that—is that he likes building empires. He cut his teeth acquiring cable rivals in the 1990s and tried to buy Disney repeatedly, then settled for NBCUniversal after a long court battle. (Contrast this with Rupert Murdoch, a man who also loved to buy, but would also sell when the price is right. Murdoch made Fox out of nothing, but then sold 20th Century Fox to Disney, arguably at the top of the market. So I understood why he sold.) But I don’t understand Roberts’ motivation to sell now. I have some explanations but no single, super-satisfying explanation. Strategically, it would just make more sense to have kept NBCUniversal in-house, especially for a one-time empire builder like Comcast. Yet one powerful force—arguably the decider in modern capitalism—likely overwhelmed all other considerations. At first, I thought I’d arrange my thoughts as a “Five Why” analysis, digging through each layer of the puzzle. But instead, I found myself asking, “But…why?” (And I only ended up with four sections.) So let’s look at Comcast from that angle. Then, at the end, I’ll give my biggest strategic recommendation for every company in Hollywood. It’s obvious, but sometimes, the obvious strategy is the most ignored. But…Why? The Stock Market, Conglomerations, and Sum of the Parts Analysis We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Why Comcast could never get a “tech company” valuation The not-so-secret motivation for Comcast What Versant has to do with all of this The key strategic advice I think every entertainment exec should follow (though it’s really obvious) Some big AI investment news… Whether we’ll see digital tariffs… And more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
Comcast’s Sky to Buy ITV’s Media & Entertainment Unit in $2.1 Billion Deal
ITV’s linear channels and ITVX streaming platform will remain free-to-air, while Sky News and ITV News will stay editorially distinct
Comcast says it will spin off NBCUniversal
Comcast’s media businesses, including NBC, Peacock and Universal, are moving one step closer to a sale.
Comcast To Separate NBCUniverisal Media And Technology Businesses
Comcast will separate the NBCUniverisal and Sky Media business and technology businesses into two public companies.
Universal Pictures Appears to Be Getting Cold Feet on Elon Musk Movie
The Comcast-owned studio is not yet committing to rolling out Alex Gibney's movie that it paid millions to acquire for non-North American release before the political winds shifted.
Comcast’s Xfinity Launches National Video Plans; The Best Entertainment Experience for One Simple Price
Xfinity announced the launch of all-new video plans, designed to deliver simplicity, transparency, and unbeatable value for customers.
Comcast stock surges as it announces plans to spin off media business
Comcast said it plans to separate its media and technology businesses into two publicly traded companies.
Comcast to split into two companies, spin off NBCUniversal and Sky
The move announced Monday will separate Comcast’s media and entertainment assets from its broadband and wireless business.
Comcast co-CEO on media business spinoff: We have the freedom now to explore adjacent businesses
Comcast co-CEOs Brian Roberts and Mike Cavanagh discuss the company's decision to spin off their media business.
Comcast CEO on media business spin off: 'Our philosophy has always been to invest for growth'
Comcast chairman and co-CEO Brian Roberts calls CNBC to discuss the company's decision to spin off their media business.
Comcast is splitting its entertainment and telecoms businesses into two separate companies
The american company Comcast has begun the process of splitting into two companies: Comcast and NBCUniversal.
Top 10: CEOs in Media & Entertainment
Business Chief looks at the top 10 CEOs in media and entertainment, including AMC's Kristin Dolan, Xbox’s Asha Sharma and Comcast's Michael Cavanagh
Comcast planning significant jobs cuts as part of reorganization
Comcast Corp. is planning a significant number of job cuts as part of an overall restructuring of its cable-TV, broadband and wireless businesses, according to people familiar with the company’s
Comcast Announces Plans to Separate Media and Technology Businesses Into Two Leading Public Companies
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) today announced its intention to separate into two independent publicly traded companies through a tax-free spin-off of N...
Comcast Split Shows Bigger Is No Longer Seen As Better In The Media Business
Comcast's plan to split into two smaller companies may mark the unofficial end of "all under one roof" consolidation in media.
Read the memo sent to Comcast employees about media spinoff plans
In a memo shared with Comcast employees, the company's co-CEOs spoke of both units' "great business prospects" and "strong balance sheets."
Comcast's Sky Acquires ITV Media and Entertainment For $2 Billion
Comcast’s European satellite TV operator Sky July 6 announced it has agreed to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment from ITV plc for a total consideration of up to £1.6 billion ($2 billion) in cash, debt and net working capital. In addition to £1.2 billion in cash and up to £0.2 billion in performance-related earn-out, the … Continue reading "Comcast’s Sky Acquires ITV Media and Entertainment For $2 Billion"
Comcast and Amazon Bring Amazon Luna Cloud Gaming to Xfinity’s Entertainment Devices
Comcast and Amazon announced the launch of Amazon Luna, a cloud gaming service, on millions of Xfinity TV and streaming devices across the U.S.
Comcast and NBCUniversal are splitting up. Now what?
Comcast's decision to spin off NBCUniversal into a separate, publicly traded company raised questions about the future of the studio.
Comcast’s Sky to Buy ITV’s Media and Entertainment Unit for Up to $2.14 Billion
Comcast’s Sky has agreed to buy ITV’s media and entertainment business in a deal that will see ITV spin ITV Studios off into a separate London-listed business.
Comcast announces it will spin off media and tech wings into separate public companies
Comcast said Monday it plans to separate its media and technology businesses into two publicly traded companies.
Comcast is spinning off NBCUniversal media and entertainment assets
Comcast is spinning off its NBCUniversal entertainment and media assets into a separate publicly traded company.
Comcast’s Sky Agrees to Acquire ITV Media and Entertainment
The £1.6 billion ($2.14 billion) deal will give the combined company more than 70% of the U.K. ad market and face extensive regulator scrutiny
UK's ITV to sell media and entertainment unit to Comcast's Sky for $2.1 billion
British broadcaster ITV said on Monday it had agreed to sell its media and entertainment division to Comcast's Sky for £1.6 billion ($2.13 billion).
Comcast cuts NBCUniversal loose. Netflix and Apple may want a look.
Comcast spent 25 years arguing that media and broadband belonged together. Now it's breaking them apart.
A sports district mega-development opposed by the Phillies, Eagles, and Comcast Spectacor appears to be dead
Developer Hines left the project last year, and now the zoning that enabled the project is being repealed.
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Lombardo College of Business Graduation Set for 5 p.m. on May 9
Jason Wicht ’98, executive vice president of growth strategy and operations at Comcast, will address graduates.
Comcast Plans Company Split, Sending Shares Soaring 22%
The spinoff of NBCUniversal and Sky will separate the company’s connectivity business from its film, theme park and streaming operations.
NBCUniversal may enter video game business after Comcast split, sources say
NBCUniversal is eyeing opportunities in digital gaming and new entertainment franchises as the company weighs options for future growth after its planned spinoff from Comcast , according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter.
Bella’s Bites Serves Up Family-Inspired Flavor Powered by Comcast Business
To celebrate Small Business Month, Comcast Business, the largest connectivity provider to small businesses in the U.S., is inviting residents and visitors to...
Comcast earnings highlight NBCUniversal strength ahead of planned split
Comcast said earlier this year it would split the cable businesses from the media business, creating two separate publicly traded companies.
With new bids, Warner Bros. Discovery looks to narrow the auction field
Paramount, Comcast and Netflix are poised to submit a second bid on Monday, kicking the auction into high-gear.
Comcast's Sky to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment unit for up to £1.6B
Sky (Comcast) to buy ITV’s Media & Entertainment unit for up to £1.6B, targeting £200M synergies and a £2.1B content deal—get the key terms now.
Comcast Eyes Spinoff of NBCUniversal From Its Core Cable Business
All things being equal, the Comcast-NBCU marriage of the distribution and content assets will have been relatively short-lived.
Comcast sheds more broadband customers as wireless competition mounts
Comcast lost more broadband customers than expected in the fourth quarter, as rivals lured away consumers with aggressive offers, piling pressure on the company's mainstay business.
Paramount throws in more cash in bid for Warner; Comcast wants to combine assets with NBCUniversal
Jockeying for HBO-owner Warner Bros. Discovery has intensified as the auction appears to enter its home stretch.
From Our Partners: The Hidden Devices Putting Your Small Business at Risk
During Small Business Month 2026 alone, Comcast Business detected and blocked 230 cyber threats targeting small businesses per second. That finding carries added weight across the Eastside.
Comcast to split its cable business from media through NBCUniversal and Sky spinoff
Comcast said it plans to split into two publicly traded companies through a tax-free spinoff of NBCUniversal and Sky, separating its broadband and wireless business from its media and entertainment assets.
Xfinity and Comcast Business Services Now Available in Beaufort and Edisto, South Carolina
BEAUFORT & EDISTO, S.C., September 15, 2026--Comcast expands Xfinity Internet, connecting more than 1,000 new homes and businesses in Beaufort and Edisto, South Carolina to multi-gigabit speeds.
Comcast's Sky to Buy ITV's Media and Entertainment Unit for $2.1 Billion
Comcast-owned Sky Group has reportedly agreed to acquire the media and entertainment business unit of U.K.-based ITV for $2.1 billion. The deal is expected to be officially announced in two weeks. Satellite operator Sky will absorb ITV’s broadcast network, linear free-to-air channels, and the ITVX subscription streaming service with 900,000 paid subscribers and 16.4 million … Continue reading "Comcast’s Sky to Buy ITV’s Media and Entertainment Unit for $2.1 Billion"
Comcast’s Sky to Buy ITV’s Media & Entertainment Unit in $2.1 Billion Deal
ITV’s linear channels and ITVX streaming platform will remain free-to-air, while Sky News and ITV News will stay editorially distinct
Comcast Resets Connectivity Business As Legal And Sports Stakes Rise
Comcast (NasdaqGS:CMCSA) is overhauling its connectivity business, appointing Steve Croney as CEO of Connectivity & Platforms. The company is shifting its broadband and wireless approach, including simplified pricing and new partnership models. A recent patent ruling resulted in a US$240 million judgment against Comcast. Comcast is rolling out RealTime4K streaming and other products ahead of major sports broadcasts such as the Olympics and the Super Bowl. For you as an investor, the story...
Chicago native Joe Musso hosting new post-round golf show at CBS Sports
In 2011, Musso interned at Comcast SportsNet — with David Kaplan's help — jumpstarting a career that now has him hosting "Scorecard."
The States Try to Topple WarnerMount…Thus Begins the Local Antitrust Era
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Well, it looks like it’s time for another strategy column. Can I finally avoid writing about M&A? No, it seems I cannot. Admittedly, I’m a week early with this column, since I usually put it out every other week. But this news couldn’t wait. This will make three “Most Important Stories” in a row with a merger or acquisition as its centerpiece. First, Roku-Fox (an acquisition), then Comcast-NBCUniversal (a divestment!), and now the State AGs and the WGA’s lawsuits against Paramount’s pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery (antitrust). M&A is usually the “most important” topic any given week, simply because a giant company merging or breaking up (or preventing those outcomes) can have the biggest impact on the streaming board. If you think about these companies as players in a game, changing the number of players is one of the biggest changes you can make. I shouldn’t really complain, either, since this lawsuit is very good news for customers and suppliers (econ speak for talent, workers and indie studios in Hollywood). So let me answer some questions about this potential trial, along with (shudder) making some heavily caveated predictions. I’ll also look at whether Hollywood must consolidate, whether or not the states can win, trouble at X-Box, Netflix’s YouTube binge, and more. Plus, I have five images that visualize this merger and the harm, including three brand new data looks you’ve never seen before. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Can The States and the WGA Stop Hollywood’s Consolidation (Crisis)? If every other newsletter and news outlet is writing about the same story, I try to avoid writing about it as well, but I can’t ignore a story this consequential. The story of the last year was the fate of Warner Bros. Discovery, and this development potentially extends that saga into 2027. As I tried to figure out my angle, I realized, like my last column, I’m again faced with a series of questions. These questions, though, are much more forward-looking. Will the states win? Will the WGA win? If so, what happens to Warner Bros. Discovery? Either way, will this chill the market for future mergers? So you know what that means: predictions. About the future, no less, the hardest thing to predict.1 Just remember: nothing here comes with a guarantee. And the more confident someone is in their predictions, the less you should trust them. This situation is incredibly fluid, nuanced, uncertain and tenuous. So let’s try to explain what may happen. Question: Why File this Lawsuit? I’ll admit, a few months back, I was fairly pessimistic about the fate of this lawsuit. Rumors had started bubbling up that the state Attorneys General (in particular California) wanted to settle with either some minor divestments (usually CNN) or behavioral remedies. And that tracked for me: the states usually settle lawsuits, like the recent John Deere right-to-repair suit. Yet, they plan to fight this. (As they did the LiveNation-Ticketmaster monopolization trial and the Nexstar-Tegna merger.) Honestly, that also makes a ton of sense. Frankly, this move is just good politics for these State AGs. Most are still running for higher and higher office in blue states—some folks have emphasized that only Democratic AGs joined this suit, but given the Ellison/Trump ties, and fears of retribution, that tracks—and a high profile case like this will help them move up the electoral ladder, especially since Paramount and its leadership (the Ellisons, father and heir) have sided with the other side of the political aisle. That makes them unsympathetic to Democratic voters and Hollywood workers in particular. Why did this lawsuit happen? In addition to the very real concerns about industry consolidation, this is why. That said, I don’t think we would have seen this lawsuit for Netflix and Warner Bros., simply because they’re more sympathetic and aligned with Democrats. But those consolidation concerns are real. The “town”—meaning Hollywood and such—really is seeing the damage of mergers on this industry. That’s why the WGA also filed its own lawsuit in defense of workers as well. (Wildcard: What about Europe? Will they try to stop the deal, too? There have been some rumors out of the UK they may try to fight the deal, and UK enforcers just stopped a Getty Images-Shutterstock tie up, so there is precedence. This argument could go either way, though. On one hand, the EU doesn’t need to step in, cause they states are handling it. On the other hand, this could make the EU’s case easier. Just imagine if both sides coordinated. I’ll simply say, “We’ll see!”) Question: Will The State AGs or the WGA Win? Can the state AGs play David to Paramount-Skydance’s Goliath here? That’s really the whole thing, isn’t it? If you know this result, you could make a lot of money. When things are uncertain, it’s tempting to shrug and say, “Eh” meaning it’s a 50/50 proposition. I wouldn’t, though. When in doubt, you should expect that the merging parties succeed. AT&T did successfully buy Warner Bros., after all, and Disney bought Fox without any challenges. Many judges are extremely sympathetic to mergers, and I’d bet the state AGs get a judge who will allow the merger. (Even Obama-appointed judges often allow mergers.) As I understand it, we’ll see two main attacks. First, theatrical films. The AGs are arguing that, when it comes to share of box office and the number of both “wide releases” and blockbuster (or “tentpole”) films, the merging parties will have over 27% market share. Now, the Supreme Court once ruled from on high that any merger that exceeds 30% is presumptively illegal, but that’s guidance, not an ironclad bar. Still, the states will have to argue that this is close to having too much power, and with that power, this will likely further worsen the theater/studio splits in particular. Indeed, as Matthew Stoller pointed out, “just five studios are responsible for 95% of all blockbusters; if this merger goes through, then Paramount and Disney will control 60% of that.” So yes, movie studios will be very concentrated after this merger. Want me to visualize some of that? Well, here’s the share of films that grossed over $200 million at the domestic box office since 2022. (Note: this isn’t all films released in over 3,000 screens, but it is a good look at market power.) First, here are the 43 films by studio: Notice all the blue (Disney), orange (Universal), and purple (Warner Bros)? Yeah, those studios are powerful, and this combines Paramount with one of them. Here’s the look by studio and share of the films that grossed over $200 million: Now, if you look at that and also think, “Huh, should we break up Disney?” I’m with you. I’ve seen some folks poo-poo this idea that this is a real category, but it is! For an upcoming article, I’ve been pulling data on the share of top 100 films at the box office as a share of total box office, and it’s massive. Here’s the chart: (This analysis looks at The-Number’s top 100 films and total domestic box office each year.) To be clear, tentpoles make up 80.7% of the box office each year, so I do think it’s a genuine market. (To be clear, films grossing over $50 million make up 80% of the domestic box office, and films grossing over $100 million make up 64.1%.) I mean, the top 100 films at the box office make up 95% of each year’s grosses. Worse, the combined studios will likely cut output to flex that market power. Everyone can just look at what happened to Disney and Fox to see the precedent. (With fewer films, the remaining theaters have to give more for those few films that remain.) Here’s an image I’ve used a lot, the share of wide-release films from Disney and Fox over time: The AGs will also argue that this consolidation will also impact the cable industry. In this case, the consolidation is actually worse, but that environment is…complicated. Paramount will argue that the cable industry is shrinking. That said, predictions that cable will “go to zero” also don’t look very well supported by the data, as the declines are shrinking, meaning “cable” or “vMVPDs” will likely stabilize at some point. Can the state Attorneys General win on those two main arguments? I honestly don’t know. Again, I’d bet no, since history in general supports that, but it depends on the judge/jury and how they interpret the arguments. Notably, Paramount won’t face accusations about monopoly power in other areas, like streaming, news, sports rights, or vertical integration. I tend to disagree with leaving out sports rights, but I also see the appeal for a simpler case. The states also aren’t really pushing novel theories about labor harm either, which should help. (By the way, Sean McNulty at The Ankler wrote a great run through of potential options, and Capitol Forum also wrote a great paper on theatrical consolidation. Both these pieces predated the lawsuit. Matthew Stoller is also out with his analysis of the pros and cons of the case too.) In some ways, the WGA’s case is even stronger. Quoting Sean McNulty’s summary: “The WGA is citing WARNAMOUNT as crossing a 30% market share in multiple sectors, a number that the Supreme Court has precedent for deeming “presumptively anticompetitive” in a market. According to the WGA numbers, WARNAMOUNT would have represented: - 35% of film writing jobs between 2021 and 2024 - 36% of TV writing projects between 2022 and 2025 - 38% of overall deals between 2021 and 2024” Notably, antitrust enforcers did win recently in the Penguin-Simon & Schuster merger by focusing on labor impact, so don’t count this thinking out. (Wildcard: Will the states try to get a jury trial? Most likely no, they’ll let a judge handle it. If I’m them, though, I’d try to put this in front of a jury. Juries tend to understand monopoly power in a more realistic way than judges faced with legions of economists.) Question: What if They Win? What if They Lose?
Versant reports first-quarter revenue decline, with bright spots in platforms and licensing
Versant, the portfolio of TV networks spun out from Comcast, reported earnings from its first quarter as an independent company.
Starlink is SpaceX’s Best Business. It Threatens Verizon, AT&T, Comcast.
Powered by a network of 10,000 satellites, Starlink recently hit 12 million subscribers globally including about a quarter in the U.S.
Xfinity Kicks Off Member Celebration with Three Weeks of Exclusive Entertainment, Sports, Live Experiences and Savings from Comcast NBCUniversal
PHILADELPHIA, April 20, 2026--Comcast’s Xfinity today launched its Xfinity Member Celebration, a limited-time event running through May 10 that delivers three weeks of bonus benefits, sweepstakes, and exclusive experiences for Xfinity members. Members can also unlock special Xfinity product offers, featuring savings on mobile devices, smartwatches, and smart home technology, with even more value available at higher membership tiers. The celebration spotlights the unmatched power of Xfinity membe
Comcast Announces Plan To Split Tech And Media Businesses With NBCUniversal Spinoff
The company said it expects the split to be completed within a year, with Comcast’s shareholders owning shares in both companies.
Comcast to Spin Off NBCUniversal Into Standalone Entertainment Company
Comcast announced today that it plans to separate NBCUniversal into its own publicly traded entertainment company, marking one of the biggest corporate restructurings in the company's history. Under the proposed split, NBCUniversal will become an independent entertainment company, separating from C
Comcast's Sky Reaches Terms to Acquire ITV's Media & Entertainment Unit for $2 Billion
The deal, which includes ITV's linear channels and ITVX streaming platform, could be announced in the next two weeks, according to Reuters