The long-rumored Comcast/NBC deal is one step closer to coming to fruition.
General Electric has reached a tentative agreement to purchase Vivendi’s 20% stake in NBC Universal, reports the New York Times. The agreement “[helps] clear the path” for GE to sell a controlling stake in NBC Universal to Comcast.
While “much remains to be negotiated … many analysts and people close to the talks expect a deal to be forged soon.”
Any deal would have to be approved by the FCC and either the Justice Department or Federal Trade Commission, “a process which could take six months to one year.”
A Comcast/NBC deal would have a significant impact on sports media, as NBC Sports would be under the same corporate umbrella as Versus, The Golf Channel, and the various Comcast-owned regional sports networks.
