Trade Group Says Comcast-Fox Worse Than Disney-Fox
PITTSBURGH, May 23, 2018 – American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement regarding Comcast’s reported plan to make an all-cash offer for the parts of Twenty-First Century Fox that Rupert Murdoch’s company has agreed to sell to Walt Disney:
“News that Comcast is preparing an offer for the programming assets Fox has agreed to sell to Disney is not good for consumers and competition. ACA has already raised concerns that Disney’s owning the Fox programming will harm consumers by increasing prices and limiting choice.
“Comcast/NBCU’s owning these assets is even more harmful. Comcast already has the incentive and ability to leverage NBCU programming to harm consumers and competition. What’s more, the conditions the FCC once used to rein in Comcast/NBCU’s propensity for bad acts have expired. As a result, Comcast can keep raising the price for consumers for its television, sports, and cable programming by threatening to withhold all of this programming at once. And, by being able to carry NBCU programming at more favorable rates and terms than it charges rivals, Comcast can also harm its competition to totally dominate the market.
“If Fox agrees to sell to Comcast, these problems get only worse because the combined company would own the vast majority of regional sports networks (RSNs) across the country and increase its roster of popular national programming networks. ACA will join with consumers and others fighting against higher prices and anticompetitive practices to stop such a deal.”
About the American Cable Association: Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing about 800 smaller and medium-sized, independent cable companies who provide broadband services for nearly 7 million cable subscribers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA’s members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their business. For more information, visit https://acaconnects.org/