Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA), which has become accustomed to the power that comes with being number one, is being shown what it's like to be off the top of the pile as the new owner of NBCUniversal. Univision claims that it probably finished the February sweeps as the number 4 network--ahead of NBC--among adults 18 to 34 and "people 12-34."
Anyway, Comcast Chairman-CEO Brian Roberts apparently knows he's in for a rollercoaster ride now that he's a broadcaster, telling Bloomberg West that "we put almost no value in the acquisition for the value of NBC because it is a tough job."
Also in the fun world of programming, HBO has expanded its library of Internet content to include 1,400 titles, a more than twofold increase over the 600 titles it previously offered subscribers from Comcast Xfinity, Verizon (NYSE: VZ) FiOS, Cox Advanced TV and AT&T (NYSE: T) U-Verse. Pay attention: Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC-WI) is still missing from that list, according to Variety.
It's all part of the premium channel's effort to remain relevant in an era of decreased video viewership among traditional pay TV service providers. "The combination of HBO's linear channels, HBO On Demand and now the expanded HBO Go gives our subscribers an unmatched value proposition," said HBO Co-President Eric Kessler.
For more:
- Marketwatch has this story
- Variety has this story
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