Comcast May Yet Switch On Apple TV

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Comcast isn’t putting out the welcome mat for an Apple TV service. But the cable giant may not be able to block its way, either.

NBCUniversal, which Comcast owns, is the only broadcast-network owner not in discussions with Apple. But it may be forced to the negotiating table because of agreements Comcast made with regulators when it first took a stake in NBCU in 2011. That would be a coup for Apple as some consider NBC and cable channels such as USA Network and MSNBC key to the success of any TV package. This could actually be of benefit to NBCU since it is thought Apple will have had to pay well to secure rights to content. But anything that helps Apple’s service could be bad for Comcast’s cable business, putting pressure on margins. In play is the merger consent decree, which was designed to prevent Comcast from intentionally hindering the performance of NBCU for the benefit of its cable business. It contains language requiring NBCU to negotiate with any online video distributor, provided the distributor has already done a deal with another “similarly situated” provider such as Walt Disney or 21st Century Fox. In that case, NBCU would have to make “comparable programming” available to the online distributor on similar economic terms. That suggests Comcast may be biding its time, awaiting news that a competitor has signed a deal with Apple, or that it is prepared to go into arbitration with regulators.


Comcast May Yet Switch On Apple TV