Comcast recently made bid to acquire NBC Universal Co. and numerous satellite TV providers are concerned about the potential online loophole that may be created by the matching.
As owners of NBC content Comcast could conceivably argue that they have exclusive rights to streaming the content online. This would give them a substantial advantage over other pay-TV providers like DISH Network and DirecTV.
Fortunately, the FCC, who has yet to approve the acquisition, allows for interested parties to voice concerns they have regarding pending mergers and acquisitions. “Our concern is Comcast using the NBC programming that it would own to be anti-competitive in pay-TV market,” says vice president of regulatory affairs for DirecTV, Stacy Fuller.
Comcast isn’t particularly worried about the satellite providers’ objections and feels they’ve already been addressed with agreements made between Comcast and independent NBC stations. David Cohen, executive vice president at Comcast, says they have agreed not to move sports and premier entertainment from NBC. “If those shows appeared on NBC stations, they would also be available to satellite-TV customers,” Cohen said.
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