Comcast reveals interest in Warner Bros. studios and streamer

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NBCUniversal owner Comcast is indeed interested in some of Warner Bros. Discovery’s assets.

During an earnings call last Thursday, Comcast President Mike Cavanagh indicated the company could potentially make a bid for parts of Warner Bros. Discovery, specifically the Warner Bros. film and TV studios and the HBO Max streaming service.

Earlier reports indicated Comcast was considering making a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery after the company officially started looking for offers last week. However, Warner Bros. Discovery’s board has turned down three offers from Paramount, led by David Ellison, which totaled $58 billion for the entire company.

Comcast isn’t interested in buying all of Warner Bros. Discovery, or its many cable channels like CNN, TBS, and Food Network. According to Comcast’s CFO, Michael Cavanagh, they’re only considering a smaller, more focused purchase.

Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, sees potential in combining its studio business with that of Warner Bros. They’re hoping this will help grow their streaming service, Peacock, which recently reported a loss of $217 million.

We regularly evaluate our competitors and potential acquisitions to see how we can improve and grow,” Cavanagh explained to analysts.

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After years of hard work to reach a leadership position, Zaslav is determined to show everyone that he can revitalize the company. He’s focused on reversing three difficult years marked by financial struggles and significant cost reductions aimed at paying down a large debt.

But he added a note of caution, saying the company didn’t feel that a merger was “necessary.”

“The bar is very high for us to pursue any [merger] transactions,” he said.

The sale of assets by Warner Bros. Discovery is happening during a difficult time for the entertainment industry. Companies like Warner and NBCUniversal have traditionally made a lot of money from cable TV subscriptions, but as more people switch to streaming services, those subscriptions are declining.

To solve this problem, Comcast is creating a new, publicly traded company called Versant. This new company will include Comcast’s cable channels like CNBC, MSNBC, USA, and Golf Channel. The creation of Versant is planned to be finished by the end of this year.

Okay, big changes are happening over at MSNBC! They’re getting ready to fully separate from NBC and Comcast, and as part of that, they’re rebranding. They’re ditching the old MSNBC name for something snappier – MS Now – and saying goodbye to that iconic peacock logo. It’s a clear signal they’re moving forward as a completely independent network, and honestly, it feels like a fresh start.

Cavanagh believes Comcast won’t invest further in cable channels, especially since they’re already moving away from that business.

Warner Bros. also owns successful companies like HBO and a major film and television studio. This studio has had a strong year with hit movies such as “Superman” and “The Minecraft Movie.”

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This change is happening about two and a half months after David Ellison’s Skydance Media finished buying Paramount.

Both Warner and NBCUniversal are putting money into their streaming platforms, but they haven’t yet reached the popularity or subscriber numbers of leaders like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney. NBCUniversal’s Peacock has 41 million subscribers, but Comcast has lost billions of dollars on the service in the five years since its launch.

As a huge basketball fan, I’ve been watching what Comcast is doing with Peacock and NBC, and it’s clear they’re betting big on sports. They just started a massive 10-year deal with the NBA – we’re talking $27 billion! – and the first game on NBC last week already pulled in almost 5 million viewers, which is a great sign. They’re really trying to boost those platforms with live sports, and it seems to be working so far.

Experts generally agree that Paramount, led by Ellison, has the strongest chance of acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery. This is largely due to the Ellison family’s strong commitment, significant financial resources, and influential political ties. Larry Ellison, a tech industry leader and one of the world’s wealthiest people (second only to Elon Musk), is supporting his son’s efforts, and he enjoys a friendly relationship with President Trump.

However, Trump has often criticized Comcast’s CEO, Brian Roberts, mainly because Comcast owns MSNBC. Trump believes MSNBC unfairly favors the Democratic Party and acts as its spokesperson.

Because of the current strained relationship, many believe Comcast would encounter significant hurdles in a regulatory review under the Trump administration. The Department of Justice would likely scrutinize any large deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery for potential antitrust issues.

I’ve been hearing a lot of chatter about whether Comcast will face hurdles getting approvals under the Trump administration, but according to sources, those worries might be unfounded. It seems like things could proceed more smoothly than some expect.

Cavanagh believes there are more possibilities than what’s currently being discussed publicly.

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NBCUniversal and Peacock will pay a total of $3.6 million as part of an agreement. This includes $1.5 million to Los Angeles County’s consumer protection agency, $100,000 to cover the costs of the investigation, and $2 million in penalties.

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2025-10-30 19:01