Comcast dropping Time Warner merger plans!

[goaliebob99]

From seeking Alpha! The merger is dead!


• Bloomberg reports Comcast (CMCSA +2.2%) plans to drop its hotly-contested efforts to merge with Time Warner Cable (TWC +0.7%), and could make an announcement as soon as tomorrow. Comcast has moved higher in response.
• The report comes a day after the WSJ reported the FCC staff recommends a hearing on the deal, and a week after Bloomberg reported DOJ antitrust lawyers are leaning against it.
• Charter (CHTR +0.4%), which has suggested it's interested in TWC if the Comcast deal falls through, has moved slightly higher.

 

[JamesJ]

Blah, I dont know what to think as a time warner customer...while all this happens it seems as though Time warner is just sitting there doing nothing for their customers.

 

[riffjim4069]

I'm pretty sure we all knew this merger wasn't going to be approved...

 

[EarDemon]

Blah, I dont know what to think as a time warner customer...while all this happens it seems as though Time warner is just sitting there doing nothing for their customers.

I wouldn't call increasing internet speeds in various markets around the country to 300+Mbps and rolling out the enhanced DVR doing nothing.

And before anyone says it, from what I understand there is A LOT that goes into the Maxx upgrades, node splits, CMTS upgrades and much more. These upgrades aren't going to happen in their entire service footprint over night. NYC and LA were first. Charlotte, Raleigh, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, San Diego, KC and Oceanic are in progress or slated to be upgraded in 2015. With much of Texas, California, Hawaii and the Carolina's upgraded, that just leaves the Northeast and MidWest the two major regions left.

 

[JamesJ]

yes rolling out a DVR that can record more then 2 shows 1 year to 2 years later then everyone else (heck its not available where I am yet) and increasing speeds only because Google fiber is making them in certain areas is doing nothing...its pretty plain that time warner wants out of the cable game! I will agree with you that it doesnt take overnight to do this stuff, but they are way behind the 8 ball. I like my On Demand, but the PQ is not as good as Directv, and the fact they dont even have auto tune HD up and running yet all over is pretty sad. Am I saying I am leaving Time Warner, no But I wish they would roll this stuff out faster then they are.

 

[dishcomm]

From seeking Alpha! The merger is dead!


• Bloomberg reports Comcast (CMCSA +2.2%) plans to drop its hotly-contested efforts to merge with Time Warner Cable (TWC +0.7%), and could make an announcement as soon as tomorrow. Comcast has moved higher in response.
• The report comes a day after the WSJ reported the FCC staff recommends a hearing on the deal, and a week after Bloomberg reported DOJ antitrust lawyers are leaning against it.
• Charter (CHTR +0.4%), which has suggested it's interested in TWC if the Comcast deal falls through, has moved slightly higher.

Good....
This merger, most others like it( large companies becoming larger to gobble up market share and create defacto monopolies) are so anti consumer, it is almost laughable.
I hope that thing with AT&T and Directv never goes through either.

 

[EarDemon]

NYC and LA aren't Google Fiber markets, neither are some of the other areas. At least when Time Warner makes an upgrade it happens though out the entire service area of that region. Unlike Verizon who wires one street with Fios and skips over the next.

I've had Auto HD for about 2 years now, when my area received the National Channel Line Up, just got Enhanced DVR last week, picture quality for the most part is on par with DirecTV, MPEG 4 is being used for some of the less popular channels (international channels and NHL CI/NBA LP/MLB EI/MLS DK). No competition here, Verizon won't even extend their crappy 3Mb DSL service down my street that's delivered via remote terminals when the folks around the corner from me can get it. Not that I would want it anyway. Verizon has deployed Fios in my market but only in the affluent more populated towns, and even those aren't 100%. From what little I've read on the subject, Google seems more focused on servicing within city limits then actual markets. I live in a rural town with a population of 3,000, 20 miles outside of Buffalo, NY, 60 miles from Rochester, NY and get my cable services out of Rochester. When Maxx gets deployed in Rochester, I know my little podunk town will get it. I don't have to worry about being passed over because I don't live in downtown high rise with no property, or some snoody suburb where the 'beautiful people' reside.

 

[dishcomm]

I wouldn't call increasing internet speeds in various markets around the country to 300+Mbps and rolling out the enhanced DVR doing nothing.

And before anyone says it, from what I understand there is A LOT that goes into the Maxx upgrades, node splits, CMTS upgrades and much more. These upgrades aren't going to happen in their entire service footprint over night. NYC and LA were first. Charlotte, Raleigh, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, San Diego, KC and Oceanic are in progress or slated to be upgraded in 2015. With much of Texas, California, Hawaii and the Carolina's upgraded, that just leaves the Northeast and MidWest the two major regions left.

Here's the problem. Time Warner isn't really Time Warner in all the places where the customer pays their bill to Time Warner.
Bear with me.
In many areas, such as the last three places I have lived, Time Warner took over a smaller company...
IN each case, the systems are using the same old junk main plant or it was replaced a few times with nothing special.
Per your mention of 300+ MBPS...UI can tell you with a high degree of certainty, there will be areas in which I previously resided that will NEVER have that kind of service. Or at least not in the next 20 years.
For example, I used to live on Hilton Head Island. The Island once owned the local CATV Co,...Then it was taken over by a company called Adelphia. That company was raided by it's now incarcerated top brass, then was taken over by Hargray Comm....Then Time Warner. I can tell you that system is JUNK.....I was down there a few weeks ago. My friend there's internet is plodding....

 

[dishcomm]

NYC and LA aren't Google Fiber markets, neither are some of the other areas. At least when Time Warner makes an upgrade it happens though out the entire service area of that region. Unlike Verizon who wires one street with Fios and skips over the next.

I've had Auto HD for about 2 years now, when my area received the National Channel Line Up, just got Enhanced DVR last week, picture quality for the most part is on par with DirecTV, MPEG 4 is being used for some of the less popular channels (international channels and NHL CI/NBA LP/MLB EI/MLS DK). No competition here, Verizon won't even extend their crappy 3Mb DSL service down my street that's delivered via remote terminals when the folks around the corner from me can get it. Not that I would want it anyway. Verizon has deployed Fios in my market but only in the affluent more populated towns, and even those aren't 100%. From what little I've read on the subject, Google seems more focused on servicing within city limits then actual markets. I live in a rural town with a population of 3,000, 20 miles outside of Buffalo, NY, 60 miles from Rochester, NY and get my cable services out of Rochester. When Maxx gets deployed in Rochester, I know my little podunk town will get it. I don't have to worry about being passed over because I don't live in downtown high rise with no property, or some snoody suburb where the 'beautiful people' reside.

In Charlotte, TWC has a lot of work to do with Google Fiber coming to town. I suppose the same applies to AT&T with the U Verse service

 

[harshness]

Here's the problem. Time Warner isn't really Time Warner in all the places where the customer pays their bill to Time Warner.

This phenomenon isn't unique to Time Warner Cable. It is just as silly as assuming that all FIOS are Verizon.