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Thursday, October 1, 2009

Rumor Alert - Comcast Buying NBC


Quickly denied, but certainly a possibility, Comcast may be bidding to take NBC away from General Electric. About five years ago, Comcast was unsuccessful in its bid for Disney/ABC, so a NBC acquisition is certainly not out of the question. Still, because it is still so early in the process, denials are aplenty. "'While we do not normally comment on M&A rumors, the report that Comcast has a deal to purchase NBC Universal is inaccurate,' the spokesman said." What else are they supposed to say.

The issue of NBC being sold is not going away because of Vivendi's plan to sell its 20% ownership of the company. If GE doesn't choose to buy out its partner or spin it off into a separate company, a sale remains a distinct possibility and Comcast looks like it could be a good buyer. With its distribution platform coupled with its ownership of other cable networks, NBC, its broadcast and cable operations, would fit nicely into the mix. Will it happen? Stay tuned...