News Comcast to acquire Time Warner - Page 4

Papi · 02-12-2014, 10:38 PM

They both suck, but in my experience Comcast sucks worse.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/02/...-warner-cable/

Comcast is expected to announce on Thursday an agreement to acquire Time Warner Cable for more than $45 billion in stock, a deal that would combine the biggest and second-biggest cable television operators in the country.

For Comcast, which completed its acquisition of NBC Universal, the television and movie powerhouse, from General Electric less than a year ago, the latest deal would be its second big act to radically reshape the media landscape in the United States. And the merger is almost certain to bring to an end a protracted takeover battle that Charter Communications has been waging for Time Warner Cable.

For Time Warner Cable, the deal provides a neat solution to its problems. It will receive just about the $160-a-share price it said was its true value, and possibly more. It will no longer have to slog ahead with a turnaround plan being run by a new chief executive, Rob Marcus. And it will allow it to become part of the company that is already the dominant force in cable television services.

Despite combining the two largest cable operators in the country, a merger may have little impact on consumers. Comcast and Time Warner Cable compete in very few markets. As a result, few consumers will see their choices of cable operators reduced.

Nonetheless, regulators will surely look carefully at the impact on the deal to consumers, and may also focus on whether the combined company will have additional power in negotiations with cable networks, a recent source of tension in the industry.

Comcast has about 22 million television customers, according to the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. Time Warner Cable has about 11 million video subscribers, according to people familiar with the company.

In a bid to appease antitrust regulators, Comcast is expected say it is willing to divest three million of Time Warner Cable’s roughly 11 million pay television subscribers.

It was not immediately clear if Comcast would propose certain markets to divest, but shedding those subscribers should keep Comcast with less than 30 percent national market share for pay television, a level the company believes will satisfy antitrust regulators.

Under the terms of the deal, Time Warner Cable shareholders will receive 2.875 shares of newly issued Comcast common stock for each of their shares, people briefed on the matter said on Wednesday evening. Based on Comcast’s closing price of $55.24 on Wednesday, that values each Time Warner Cable share at about $158.82 each.

If Comcast stock rises on news of the deal, the price could go up, while if the stock falls, it could go down. The deal is set to be announced on Thursday morning.

The deal is subject to approval by both shareholders of both companies. Because it is an all-stock deal with newly issued shares, Comcast will not have to take on any new debt.

Should a deal be completed, Time Warner Cable shareholders will own about a quarter of the combined company.

For Comcast, the deal, extending its leadership in the cable industry, is another transformative step in the evolution of what is now America’s most influential media company. It comes less than a year after Comcast completed the acquisition of NBC Universal And it will further extend Comcast’s lead as the nation’s largest cable operator.

Charter, however, is left in the lurch. Charter is one of the nation’s smaller cable operators, but had big ambitions to compete with Comcast. Last year Liberty Media, the conglomerate backed by billionaire John C. Malone, acquired 27 percent of Charter, and urged the company to pursue deals, a process that could have led Mr. Malone back to the heights of American cable, an industry he once ruled as head of TCI, then the country’s largest operator.

Beginning last year, Charter made overtures to Time Warner Cable, privately offering a succession of higher prices, all of which were rejected. Last month, Charter went public with an offer of $132.50 per share for Time Warner Cable, which Mr. Marcus dismissed as inadequate. He countered by saying the company would consider a bid of $160 per share, which Comcast has now nearly matched.

On Tuesday, Charter nominated a full slate of directors to Time Warner Cable’s board, its most aggressive move to date.

At the same time, Charter was negotiating with Comcast about a deal through which Comcast would acquire certain markets from Time Warner Cable if Charter was about to buy the entire company. Comcast, however, had other plans.

Charter may buy the subscribers that Comcast has pledged to divest, giving it added scale but not nearly the boost it had hoped when it set its eyes on acquiring all of Time Warner Cable.

Though the companies are set to announce the deal, it could still come undone. Shareholders of either company could vote it down, though that seems unlikely.

Charter could still play spoiler with a new bid, though that seems unlikely too, given its limited financial resources.

Or Comcast shares could collapse, leading Time Warner Cable shareholders to shun a deal.

Morgan Stanley, Allen & Company and Citigroup had been advising Time Warner Cable on its defense from Charter, with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison providing legal advice. Centerview Partners and the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Skadden also advised Time Warner Cable.

JPMorgan Chase, Barclays and the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, among others, advised Comcast.

crossbow · 04-19-2014, 12:31 PM

I am just about done with cable TV now. The overwhelming onslaught of commercials makes watching anything impossible to enjoy.

kcxiv · 04-19-2014, 01:06 PM

They are only ****ing themselves the more expensive it becomes the more and more people will just pirate tv shows and movie. T hey do it now, but i rather watch it on tv or dvr it, but if that shit gets out of hand, ill just download everything. I dont mind paying for cable as i do but the monthly bill for just expanded channels or whatever direct tv calls it, is like 100 bucks a month. Its getting out of hand!

The real kicker is i dont watch more then 15-20 channels. Thats probably going overboard its more or less 10-13 maybe. Yet i gotta pay for a bunch of shit i dont watch.

**sd4chiefs** · 04-19-2014, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crossbow

I am just about done with cable TV now. The overwhelming onslaught of commercials makes watching anything impossible to enjoy.

I hardly ever watch anything live anymore. I record it and then FF though the commercials.

kcxiv · 04-21-2014, 09:49 PM

netflix matched Comcasts offer to buy Time Warner. lol

my bad they are opposing it? i dont quite understand all this.

Garcia Bronco · 04-21-2014, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

This should not be allowed to happen.

exactly...this is nuts. GE shouldn't own all this shit.

BryanBusby · 04-21-2014, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fruit Ninja

netflix matched Comcasts offer to buy Time Warner. lol

my bad they are opposing it? i dont quite understand all this.

I'm assuming they are just opposing the merger because Netflix doesn't have anywhere close to enough capital to put in a strong bid to acquire TWC.

Netflix would be opposing it on the grounds that one less company in the game gives them less bargain chips when it comes to the dumb ass tariffs they are now basically being forced to pay.

TEX · 04-22-2014, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

yup

they can also choose to jack with prices for certain channels whenever they feel like it

too much power for any particular company is bad

all this consolidation throughout american markets is bad imo

Yep. Its never good for the customer, yet they claim that it will be. All that ever happens is prices go up and the customer gets less or stuff they dont want/watch.

oldandslow · 04-22-2014, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEX

Yep. Its never good for the customer, yet they claim that it will be. All that ever happens is prices go up and the customer gets less or stuff they dont want/watch.

Thank Reagan and Clinton. The former started deregulating media, the latter finished it.

D's & R's - opposite sides of the same coin.

02-12-2014, 10:38 PM
Papi Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Casino cash: $5175522	Comcast to acquire Time Warner They both suck, but in my experience Comcast sucks worse. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/02/...-warner-cable/ Comcast is expected to announce on Thursday an agreement to acquire Time Warner Cable for more than $45 billion in stock, a deal that would combine the biggest and second-biggest cable television operators in the country. For Comcast, which completed its acquisition of NBC Universal, the television and movie powerhouse, from General Electric less than a year ago, the latest deal would be its second big act to radically reshape the media landscape in the United States. And the merger is almost certain to bring to an end a protracted takeover battle that Charter Communications has been waging for Time Warner Cable. For Time Warner Cable, the deal provides a neat solution to its problems. It will receive just about the $160-a-share price it said was its true value, and possibly more. It will no longer have to slog ahead with a turnaround plan being run by a new chief executive, Rob Marcus. And it will allow it to become part of the company that is already the dominant force in cable television services. Despite combining the two largest cable operators in the country, a merger may have little impact on consumers. Comcast and Time Warner Cable compete in very few markets. As a result, few consumers will see their choices of cable operators reduced. Nonetheless, regulators will surely look carefully at the impact on the deal to consumers, and may also focus on whether the combined company will have additional power in negotiations with cable networks, a recent source of tension in the industry. Comcast has about 22 million television customers, according to the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. Time Warner Cable has about 11 million video subscribers, according to people familiar with the company. In a bid to appease antitrust regulators, Comcast is expected say it is willing to divest three million of Time Warner Cable’s roughly 11 million pay television subscribers. It was not immediately clear if Comcast would propose certain markets to divest, but shedding those subscribers should keep Comcast with less than 30 percent national market share for pay television, a level the company believes will satisfy antitrust regulators. Under the terms of the deal, Time Warner Cable shareholders will receive 2.875 shares of newly issued Comcast common stock for each of their shares, people briefed on the matter said on Wednesday evening. Based on Comcast’s closing price of $55.24 on Wednesday, that values each Time Warner Cable share at about $158.82 each. If Comcast stock rises on news of the deal, the price could go up, while if the stock falls, it could go down. The deal is set to be announced on Thursday morning. The deal is subject to approval by both shareholders of both companies. Because it is an all-stock deal with newly issued shares, Comcast will not have to take on any new debt. Should a deal be completed, Time Warner Cable shareholders will own about a quarter of the combined company. For Comcast, the deal, extending its leadership in the cable industry, is another transformative step in the evolution of what is now America’s most influential media company. It comes less than a year after Comcast completed the acquisition of NBC Universal And it will further extend Comcast’s lead as the nation’s largest cable operator. Charter, however, is left in the lurch. Charter is one of the nation’s smaller cable operators, but had big ambitions to compete with Comcast. Last year Liberty Media, the conglomerate backed by billionaire John C. Malone, acquired 27 percent of Charter, and urged the company to pursue deals, a process that could have led Mr. Malone back to the heights of American cable, an industry he once ruled as head of TCI, then the country’s largest operator. Beginning last year, Charter made overtures to Time Warner Cable, privately offering a succession of higher prices, all of which were rejected. Last month, Charter went public with an offer of $132.50 per share for Time Warner Cable, which Mr. Marcus dismissed as inadequate. He countered by saying the company would consider a bid of $160 per share, which Comcast has now nearly matched. On Tuesday, Charter nominated a full slate of directors to Time Warner Cable’s board, its most aggressive move to date. At the same time, Charter was negotiating with Comcast about a deal through which Comcast would acquire certain markets from Time Warner Cable if Charter was about to buy the entire company. Comcast, however, had other plans. Charter may buy the subscribers that Comcast has pledged to divest, giving it added scale but not nearly the boost it had hoped when it set its eyes on acquiring all of Time Warner Cable. Though the companies are set to announce the deal, it could still come undone. Shareholders of either company could vote it down, though that seems unlikely. Charter could still play spoiler with a new bid, though that seems unlikely too, given its limited financial resources. Or Comcast shares could collapse, leading Time Warner Cable shareholders to shun a deal. Morgan Stanley, Allen & Company and Citigroup had been advising Time Warner Cable on its defense from Charter, with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison providing legal advice. Centerview Partners and the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Skadden also advised Time Warner Cable. JPMorgan Chase, Barclays and the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, among others, advised Comcast.
Posts: 1,625

04-19-2014, 12:31 PM	#46
crossbow King of Sarcasm Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: at home Casino cash: $10004900	I am just about done with cable TV now. The overwhelming onslaught of commercials makes watching anything impossible to enjoy. __________________ If the mind were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.
Posts: 2,159

04-19-2014, 01:06 PM	#47
kcxiv In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central Valley, Cali Casino cash: $8807996	They are only ****ing themselves the more expensive it becomes the more and more people will just pirate tv shows and movie. T hey do it now, but i rather watch it on tv or dvr it, but if that shit gets out of hand, ill just download everything. I dont mind paying for cable as i do but the monthly bill for just expanded channels or whatever direct tv calls it, is like 100 bucks a month. Its getting out of hand! The real kicker is i dont watch more then 15-20 channels. Thats probably going overboard its more or less 10-13 maybe. Yet i gotta pay for a bunch of shit i dont watch.
Posts: 29,110

04-21-2014, 09:49 PM	#49
kcxiv In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central Valley, Cali Casino cash: $8807996	netflix matched Comcasts offer to buy Time Warner. lol my bad they are opposing it? i dont quite understand all this.
Posts: 29,110