Comcast To Buy Time Warner Cable In $44.2 Billion All-Stock Deal 303
symbolset writes "CNBC and many others report Time Warner Cable has agreed to be acquired by Comcast for $44.2 billion. From the article: 'The agreement comes more than eight months after Charter Communictions and Liberty Media made their first foray to try and negotiate a deal to acquire Time Warner Cable (a story broken by CNBC) and follows months of conversations between Time Warner Cable and Comcast about the prospect of a Comcast acquisition of the company. '"
ogahdno (Score:2, Insightful)
/nuffsaid
SEC block? (Score:4, Insightful)
In terms of competition, verizon buying time-warner is a much bigger deal than the blocked attempt of at&t buying t-mobile. This purchase can't possibly be allowed to proceed.
Re:SEC block? (Score:4, Insightful)
Remember kids (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Antitrust lawsuit? (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think there area any areas where both TW and Comcast operate. So it won't change the number of choices for anyone.
This is true.
You will just replace one shitty company with an even shittier company.
increase of rates (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, they have to pay for the purchase somehow, and you cant expect them to take it out of current profits/bank accounts.
Re:ogahdno (Score:2, Insightful)
Agreed!
I love my Time Warner service. Comcast will find a way to ruin it.
Re:Antitrust lawsuit? (Score:4, Insightful)
Ah, but suck is additive ... which means you'll probably end up with an entity which sucks more than either could possibly be on their own.
Re:Antitrust lawsuit? (Score:5, Insightful)
What this will do is create a powerhouse negotiator with the content companies as they would represent about 1/3 of all cable households. Who really hates this deal is those content companies, and the satellite companies. If allowed, Comcast will have the power to negotiate substantially lower TV subscription costs than Direct/Dish, and take money out of the content producer/broadcasters coffers.
The other side is internet... but I'm not sure that this is going to affect their DSL/FIOS competitors that much. Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I think this is likely a secondary concern that lags behind the concerns of the networks/sat providers.
Re:ogahdno (Score:5, Insightful)
Agreed!
I love my Time Warner service. Comcast will find a way to ruin it.
At what point do we begin to want Government Interference?
Right about now actually.
There's the whole "localized monopoly" thing. But this beast is just about the sole provider for a huge swath of the US now, and people's ability to choose providers is in jeopardy.
Re:ogahdno (Score:3, Insightful)
What the fuck justice department? You sue over the US Airways/American Airlines merger, but they're just gonna fucking greenlight this one? Goddamn lobbyists! Fuck you, Comcast, fuck you!
Re:ogahdno (Score:4, Insightful)