Disney will soon own 100% of the streaming service Hulu | Digital Trends

November 2, 2023November 1, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As part of a buyout move that’s been several months in the making, Disney will soon purchase Comcast’s 33% stake in Hulu, becoming the sole owner of the popular streaming service.

The Walt Disney Company, which already owns the other two-thirds of Hulu thanks to its 2019 purchase of 20th Century Fox, made an announcement today that updates the timeline for its acquisition. In the statement, Disney said it expects to pay Comcast Corp.’s NBC Universal approximately $8.61 billion. The purchase amount is to be based on an appraisal of Hulu’s value conducted on September 30, 2023.

Comcast Is Facing a $100 Million Lawsuit Over Its Service Plan | WIRED

August 3, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

YOU DON’T NEED us to tell you that Comcast has a bad reputation when it comes to customer service. For seven years in a row Comcast ranked at the bottom of 24/7 Wall St.’s annual customer satisfaction poll. Now the company’s business practices may land it in court.

This week Washington state filed a $100 million lawsuit against Comcast, accusing the company of 1.8 million violations of the the state’s Consumer Protection Act. The state isn’t suing Comcast for bad customer service per se, but for the sorts of misleading claims and practices that have given Comcast such a poor public image. (Comcast denies any wrongdoing.)

Comcast’s Netflix Deal Could Open a New Front in Net Neutrality War | WIRED

July 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Watching Netflix using Comcast is about to get a little easier.

The longtime rivals recently confirmed that Comcast’s X1 interactive television box will offer Netflix, obviating the need for a smart TV or third-party device like a Roku or Chromecast. The two companies said little more than the combination arrives “later this year,” and it remains to be seen whether you’ll pay a separate fee to use Netflix. The answer almost certainly is yes. The bigger question is whether you’ll also need Comcast Internet service to watch Netflix over X1—and, if so, whether watching Netflix will eat into your Internet data plan.

MoffettNathanson streaming TV report | Business Insider

May 13, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

People just aren’t watching — or paying for — TV the way they used to.

The number of people paying cable and satellite giants like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and DirecTV for TV service fell during the first three months of the year, according to a new report from MoffettNathanson, a media and telecommunications research firm.

It’s the first time that the industry has lost subscribers during that time, which is traditionally a strong period for pay TV, according to the research note. Last year, pay TV companies added 271,000 subscribers in the first quarter, and in the same period in 2013, they added 208,000 subscribers, according to the firm.

Comcast abandons $45bn Time Warner Cable deal | BBC News

April 24, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

“Today, we move on,” said Comcast chairman Brian L Roberts.

“We structured this deal so that if the government didn’t agree, we could walk away.”

In March last year, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) launched an antitrust probe into the deal.

“The companies’ decision to abandon this deal is the best outcome for American consumers,” said Attorney General Eric Holder in a statement.

“This is a victory not only for the Department of Justice, but also for providers of content and streaming services who work to bring innovative products to consumers across America and around the world.”

The deal was also being scrutinised by the Federal Communications Commission, and had been criticised by some politicians and various consumer and industry groups.

Shares in Comcast declined slightly on the news, whereas Time Warner Cable’s were up slightly.

Comcast is turning your home router into a public Wi-Fi hotspot | Money.cnn.com

June 17, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you’re a Comcast cable customer, your home’s private Wi-Fi router is being turned into a public hotspot. It’s potentially creepy and annoying. But the upside is Internet everywhere.It’s been one year since Comcast CMCSA started its monster project to blanket residential and commercial areas with continuous Wi-Fi coverage. Imagine waves of wireless Internet emitting from every home, business and public waiting area.Comcast has been swapping out customers’ old routers with new ones capable of doubling as public hotspots. So far, the company has turned 3 million home devices into public ones. By year’s end it plans to activate that feature on the other 5 million already installed.