Updated
Updated · Quartz · Jul 30
Comcast Bought Sky in 2018, Expanding Beyond Its 1963 U.S. Cable Roots
Updated
Updated · Quartz · Jul 30

Comcast Bought Sky in 2018, Expanding Beyond Its 1963 U.S. Cable Roots

3 articles · Updated · Quartz · Jul 30

Summary

  • Sky became part of Comcast in 2018, giving the Philadelphia-based media and telecom group a European pay-TV and streaming business focused on the UK, Germany and Italy.
  • Comcast’s core operations still center on two main segments: Comcast Cable under the Xfinity brand and NBCUniversal, which it acquired in stages between 2011 and 2013.
  • 1963 marks Comcast’s founding as American Cable Systems in Mississippi; it later grew through acquisitions into the largest U.S. cable TV operator and residential internet provider by subscribers.
  • Broadband now drives much of the cable division’s growth as traditional pay-TV subscriptions decline, while NBCUniversal adds broadcast, cable networks, film and theme parks to Comcast’s portfolio.

Insights

Will splitting NBCUniversal and Sky unlock value for Comcast, or expose both businesses to fiercer competition and tougher standalone economics?
Can a standalone NBCUniversal thrive on Peacock, sports, and theme parks while Comcast doubles down on broadband, wireless, and DOCSIS 4.0?
Is Comcast’s NBCUniversal CFO hire the clearest sign yet that its media empire is being rebuilt for life after the spin-off?