Cable giant Comcast could be on its way to acquiring entertainment giant NBC Universal.
The Wrap reports that Comcast is in talks to buy General Electric-owned NBC Universal. According to the report, “[d]eal points were hammered out” during a Tuesday meeting, and “[t]wo individuals informed about the meeting said that a deal had already been completed at a purchase price of $35 billion.”
In a statement, Comcast denied the report: “While we do not normally comment on M&A rumors, the report that Comcast has a deal to purchase NBC Universal is inaccurate.”
If the report is indeed true, what impact would such a deal have on sports fans?
The deal would give NBC a major cable sports presence. While FOX Sports has Fox Sports Net and ABC Sports has been swallowed whole by ESPN, NBC Sports’ only cable counterpart is Universal Sports. During the Olympics, events air on networks ranging from MSNBC and CNBC to Bravo and Oxygen — networks not known for sports coverage.
With Versus, The Golf Channel and a host of regional sports networks, Comcast offers NBC a major opportunity to extend the NBC Sports brand on cable. Notably, NBC and Versus would conceivably have an opportunity to become the poor man’s ESPN/ABC.
Versus would almost certainly air some coverage of future Olympics — the network is a far better fit than MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo and Oxygen. And while NBC and Versus already share talent for NHL coverage, a Comcast/NBC deal would allow for many opportunities for synergy.
