Comcast to acquire NBC, so much for online tv viewing

[nageov3t]

I still don't "get it". The opposition is for what "might" happen, not what will happen. And in the end, NBC would not be up for sale, if people actually wanted to watch their shows! But they don't, so why do you give a crap who owns something that no one watches?

comcast is the devil and the fact that NBC has been thinking about charging for hulu for a long time doesn't matter.

 

[spidey07]

Not really. There was a push towards massive diversification which lead to huge conglomerates like GE being formed. Recently we've seen these conglomerates sell off all of their extra businesses because managing them all becomes a nightmare.

Well you're correct. Diversification is good as long as it makes good buisness sense at the time. What seemed like a brillant move can be viewed with hindsight as totally stupid. That's why cxo's make the bucks.

 

[Blackjack200]

comcast is the devil and the fact that NBC has been thinking about charging for hulu for a long time doesn't matter.

I don't mind paying for online content; heck, I pay for netflix primarily to gain access to their instant library. But cable companies are experts at bundling services in ways to get people to pay for stuff they don't want.

Maybe Comcast decides Hulu (or NBC) access is available only to cable subscribers. Maybe they decide to clamp down on the availability of shows that they are also airing on cable.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

What is surprising to me is that Comcast is doing well enough to purchase NBC and that NBC is doing so poorly that it was able to be acquired by Comcast.

Isn't it kind of a conflict of interests when one company owns both the content and the means to deliver the content? All kinds of nastiness is plausible to happen, such as Comcast throttling the other content providers (ABC, FOX, etc.) but allowing NBC to run normally, etc. Seems kind of monopolistic and shady to me, but then again, I'm not real savvy when it comes to business law.

 

[ElFenix]

Diversivication is good for any corporation.

where did you get that idea?

 

[umbrella39]

Comcast could take its toys and go home (i.e. remove all NBC content). If hulu can't survive on advertising alone it will fail. I doubt they will get enough subscribers. Especially with people already sick of the high price of cable.

This. I would not pay one red cent to watch Hulu. I can't imagine many would with the dent cable/directv/dish puts in people's wallets every month.

 

[Ozoned]

The only reason Comcast can buy NBC these days is because the network has been ruined over the last 20 or so years and it's value is diminished.

There is an interesting relationship that has been developed in the recent past that can bring the value of NBC back up.

Broadcast partners Clear Channel and Comcast.

The feeds from Clear Channel, in that partnership, that have to use local markets could go national with the purchase of NBC.

I think there is an extremely motivated buyer hiding somewhere behind the Comcast bureaucracy, and I don't think the motivation is short term profit.