Comcast Said to Plan Web Video Service, Merger Opponent Says

Comcast plans to offer Internet video programming to compete with cable TV services, undermining its argument that buying Time Warner Cable won’t reduce competition, merger opponents told California regulators.

The California Office of Ratepayer Advocates, in urging the $45.2 billion deal be rejected, cited Comcast documents it recently obtained. Asked for comment, Comcast referred to documents it filed with US regulators saying it has considered and rejected such a service. The ratepayer advocates, California’s independent consumer-advocacy office, asked the state’s Public Utilities Commission to consider the documents containing Comcast’s online video plans before voting on the merger, which may be as early as May 7. The documents were found among millions of pages submitted by the companies to US regulators. Comcast has argued that the merger won’t reduce competition because it serves different areas than Time Warner Cable. A Comcast online video service might compete for Time Warner Cable customers in such cities as Los Angeles, the second-largest US TV market, the ratepayer advocates said in a March 17 filing.