Comcast Corporation (previously listed as Comcast Holdings ) is a global American telecommunications conglomerate headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the second largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world with revenue and the second largest pay-TV company after AT & amp; T, the largest cable TV company and the largest home Internet service provider in the United States, and the three largest home phone service providers. Comcast services US residential and commercial customers in 40 states and in the District of Columbia. As the owner of the international media company NBCUniversal since 2011, Comcast is a producer of widescreen films and television programs devoted to theatrical and cable television and aerial shows, respectively.
Comcast owns and operates Xfinity cable/telecommunication services, over-the-air national network broadcast channels (NBC and Telemundo), several cable-only channels (including MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, NBCSN, and E !, among others) studio Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks & amp; Resorts. It also has significant ownership in digital distribution, such as thePlatform, which it acquired in 2006. In February 2014, the company agreed to join Time Warner Cable in a $ 45.2 billion equity swap deal, under the terms of the agreement, Comcast is to acquire 100% of Time Warner Cable. However, on April 24, 2015, Comcast terminated the agreement. Comcast and Charter Communications signed an agreement to hold an exclusive discussion with Sprint at the end of June 2017.
Comcast has been criticized for various reasons; customer satisfaction is often among the lowest in the cable industry. In addition, Comcast has violated net neutrality practices in the past; and, despite Comcast's Commitment to the narrow neutral definition of neutrality, critics advocate a definition that precludes the distinction between Comcast's personal network services and the rest of the Internet. Critics also point to the lack of competition in most of Comcast's service areas; there is limited competition among cable providers. Furthermore, given the power of Comcast's negotiations as a major ISP, some suspect that Comcast may avail the paid peering agreement to unfairly affect the speed of end-user connections. And its ownership of content production (in NBCUniversal) and content distribution (as ISP) has raised antitrust concerns. These issues, in addition to others, led to Comcast being dubbed the "Worst Company in America" ​​by The Consumerist in 2010 and 2014.
Video Comcast
Overview
Leadership
Comcast is sometimes described as a family business. Brian L. Roberts, chairman, president, and CEO of Comcast, is the son of one of the founders of Ralph Roberts. Roberts owns or controls about 1% of all Comcast shares but all Class B superserving shares, which gives it "33% of irrevocable voting votes over the company". Legal expert Susan P. Crawford says this gives her "effective control over [Comcast's] every step". In 2010, he was one of the highest paid executives in the United States, with a total compensation of approximately $ 31 million.
Company office
Comcast is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and also has corporate offices in Atlanta, Detroit, Denver, Manchester, New Hampshire and New York City. On January 3, 2005, Comcast announced that it would become a major tenant at the new Comcast Center in downtown Philadelphia. The skyscraper 975 ft (297 m) is the tallest building in Pennsylvania. Comcast has started construction on the 1,121 feet (342 m) second skyscraper, which borders Comcast's headquarters in summer 2014.
Employee relations
Companies are often criticized by the media and their own staff for their poor policy regarding employee relations. A 2012 Reddit post written by an anonymous Comcast call center employee who wants to share their negative experiences with the public that gets the attention of the publications including The Huffington Post. The 2014 investigation series published by The Verge involves interviews with 150 Comcast employees. It seeks to examine why the company has been so heavily criticized by its customers, the media and even its own staff members. This series claims some of the issues are internal issues and that Comcast's staff endure unreasonable corporate policies. According to the report: "customer service has been replaced by an obsession with sales; technicians lack staff when technical support is poorly trained, and companies are hobbled by internal fragmentation." A widely read article written by an anonymous call center employee working for Comcast appeared in November 2014 at Cracked . Titled "Five Nightmares You Live While Working For The Worst Company in America," the article also states that Comcast is obsessed with sales, does not train its employees properly and concludes that "a system of making good customer service impossible."
Comcast also earned a reputation as an anti-union. According to one of the company's training manuals, "Comcast does not feel that union representation is in the best interests of its employees, customers, or shareholders". A dispute in 2004 with CWA, a union representing many employees at Comcast's office in Beaverton, Oregon, caused management allegations to intimidate workers, requiring them to attend union meetings and unreasonable disciplinary action for union members. In 2011, Comcast received criticism from the Writers Guild of America for its policy on unions.
Apart from these critiques, Comcast has appeared on some of the "top places to work" list. In 2009, it was included in the CableFAX magazine "Top 10 Places to Work in Cable", citing "its scale, understanding and vision". Similarly, the Philadelphia Business Journal gave Comcast a silver medal among the extra-large companies in Philadelphia, with a gold medal coming into partner organization, Comcast-Spectacor. The Boston Globe found Comcast to be the top place in the city to work in 2009. Employee diversity is also an attribute that characterizes Comcast. In 2008, Black Enterprise rated Comcast among the top 15 companies for the diversity of the workforce. Comcast has also been named the "Top 2014 Workplace" by The Washington Post in their annual feature. The Human Rights Campaign has given Comcast 100 on the Corporate Equality Index and is one of the best places for LGBT people to work
Financial performance
The book value of the company nearly doubled from $ 8.19 per share in 1999 to $ 15 per share in 2009. Revenue grew six-fold from $ 6 billion in 1999 to nearly $ 36 billion in 2009. Net profit margin up from 4.2% in 1999 to 8.4% in 1999. 2009, with operating margin increasing 31% and return on equity doubling to 6.7% within the same time frame. Between 1999 and 2009, the return on capital almost tripled to 7 percent. Comcast reported first-quarter 2012 profit increased 30% due to increased high-speed internet subscribers. In February 2014, Comcast generated 1.1 billion revenue during the first quarter due to the Sochi Olympics.
Lobbying and electoral fundraising
With $ 18.8 million spent in 2013, Comcast has the seventh largest lobbying budget of any individual company or organization in the United States. Comcast hired several former US congressmen as lobbyists. National Cable & amp; The Telecommunications Association, which has several Comcast executives on its board, also represents Comcast and other cable companies as the fifth largest lobbying organization in the United States, spending $ 19.8 million in 2013. Comcast is one of the main supporters of Barack Obama's presidential election, with Comcast vice president David Cohen raised more than $ 2.2 million from 2007 to 2012. Cohen has been described by many sources as influential in the US government, although he is no longer a registered lobbyist, because his time spent lobbing fell from 20% requiring registration official. Comcast's PAC, Comcast Corporation and the NBCUniversal Political Action Committee, are one of the largest PACs in the US, collecting approximately $ 3.7 million from 2011 to 2012 for various candidate campaigns for offices in the Federal Government of the United States. Comcast is also a major supporter of the National Communications and Communications Action Committee, which collects $ 2.6 million from 2011 to 2012. Comcast spends the most money from any organization to support Stop Online Piracy and IP PROTECT bills, spends about $ 5 million to lobby their way.
Comcast also supports lobbying and PAC at the regional level, supporting organizations such as the Tennessee Cable Telecommunications Association and Broadband Communications Association of Washington PAC. Comcast and other cable companies have been lobbying the state government to pass legislation that limits or prohibits any city from offering public broadband services. Urban band restrictions from various scopes have been endorsed in a total of 20 US states.
Philanthropy
Comcast offers cheap internet and cable services to schools, subsidized by common broadband consumers through the US Government's E-Rate program. Critics have noted that many of the strongest supporters of Comcast's business deal have received huge funding from the Comcast Foundation.
Maps Comcast
History
American Cable System
In 1963, Ralph J. Roberts, along with his two business partners, Daniel Aaron and Julian A. Brodsky, bought American Cable Systems as a spin-off company from its parent company, Jerrold Electronics, for US $ 500,000. At that time, American Cable was a small cable operator in Tupelo, Mississippi, with five channels and 12,000 subscribers. Storecast Corporation of America, a marketing firm specializing in the placement of supermarket products, was purchased by American Cable in 1965. With Storecast being a client of Muzak, American Cable bought its first Muzak franchise in Orlando, Florida.
Comcast
The company was re-established in Pennsylvania in 1969, under the new name Comcast Corporation . The name "Comcast" is a portmanteau of the words "Communications" and "Broadcast". Comcast's initial public offering took place on June 29, 1972, with a market capitalization of US $ 3.01 million. In 1977, HBO was first launched on the Comcast system with 20,000 customers in western Pennsylvania with a free 5 night preview getting 15% registration rate.
Comcast bought 26% of Group W Cable in 1986, doubling the number of subscribers to 1 million. Also that year, Comcast made an investment of $ 380 million in QVC.
Although Comcast lost the bidding war with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts to buy Storer Communications in 1985, in 1988, he was able to buy 50% of the company's assets in a joint deal with Tele-Communications Inc. Comcast also acquired American Cellular Network Corporation in 1988 for $ 230 million, marking the first time it became a mobile phone operator. Comcast started Comcast's Comcast Communications division.
In February 1990, Ralph Roberts's son, Brian L. Roberts, replaced his father as Comcast president. Comcast Cellular bought the controlling stock at Metrophone Metromedia in 1992.
In 1994, Comcast became the third largest cable operator in the United States, with approximately 3.5 million subscribers after the purchase of American division Maclean-Hunter for $ 1.27 billion. The company's UK branch, Comcast UK Cable Partners, went public while building a cable telecommunication network. With five other media companies, the corporation became the original investor on The Golf Channel. Following a $ 2.1 billion bidding in 1994, Comcast increased QVC ownership from a 15.5% stake into a majority, in a move to prevent QVC from joining CBS. Comcast then sold QVC shares in 2004 to Liberty Media for $ 7.9 billion.
In October 1995, Comcast announced the purchase of cable operations from E. W. Scripps Company for $ 1,575 billion in stock, an agreement to make Comcast no. 3 cable companies at the time with 4.3 million subscribers. Comcast offered internet connection for the first time in 1996, with its share in the launch of the @Home Network. On December 31, 1997, it was available in areas of Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, Orange County, CA, Sarasota and Union, NJ (Comcast no longer serves Orange County, CA). This is immediately launched into all areas of Comcast services. After Excite @ Home went bankrupt in October 2001, Comcast took over providing the internet directly to consumers in January 2002.
In 1996, Comcast Spectacor and Comcast SportsNet were formed as Comcast units. Comcast Spectacor by joining the sports venture company Spectacor Ed Snider and Comcast SportsNet as a Philadelphia regional sports channel launched in 1997. Microsoft invested $ 1 billion in Comcast in 1997. Also that year, Digital TV was launched by Comcast. In partnership with Disney, Comcast gets a 50.1% controlling stake in E! Entertainment.
In February 1998, Comcast sold its UK division to NTL for US $ 600 million, along with a $ 397 million division debt. In addition, Comcast launched the Style Network. The 1997 cable acquisition was Jones Intercable, Inc. with 1 million customers and shares in Prime Communications with 430,000 subscribers.
Comcast sold Comcast Cellular to SBC Communications in 1999 for $ 400 million, releasing them from $ 1.27 billion in debt. Comcast acquired Greater Philadelphia Cablevision in 1999. In March 1999, Comcast offered to buy MediaOne for $ 60 billion. However, MediaOne decides to accept AT & amp; T Corporation for $ 62 billion. Comcast University started in 1999 as well as Comcast Interactive Capital Group to make Internet-related technologies and investments take the first investment in VeriSign.
With AT & amp; T Broadband in 1999, the company agreed to trade the cabling system. This trade was completed in 2000 with Comcast acquiring systems in Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. The trade also features Adelphia so as to receive systems in Florida, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. Lenfest Communications, Inc. with about 1.3 million cable subscribers, the acquisition is closed.
The largest US cable provider ( 2001-present)
In 2001, Comcast announced it would acquire the assets of the largest cable television operator at the time, AT & amp; Broadband, worth US $ 44.5 billion. The name proposed for the combined company is "AT & amp; T Comcast", but the company ultimately decided to just save the Comcast name. In 2002, Comcast acquired all of AT & amp; Broadband, making Comcast the largest cable television company in the United States with over 22 million subscribers. It also spurred the start of Comcast's Advertising Sales (using the AT & amp; T groundwork) which would later be renamed Comcast Spotlight. As part of this acquisition, Comcast also acquired the National Digital Television Center in Centennial, Colorado as a wholly owned subsidiary, currently known as Comcast Media Center.
On February 11, 2004, Comcast announced a $ 54 billion bid for The Walt Disney Company, as well as taking $ 12 billion in Disney debt. The deal will make Comcast the largest media conglomerate in the world. However, after a rejection by Disney and an uncertain response from investors, the offer was abandoned in April. The main reason for the purchase effort was for Comcast to acquire 80 percent of Disney shares on ESPN, which Comcast executives called Disney's "most important and valuable asset".
On April 8, 2005, a partnership led by Comcast and Sony Pictures Entertainment completed an agreement to acquire MGM and its affiliated studio, United Artists, and created additional outlets to carry MGM/UA materials for cable and Internet distribution. On October 31, 2005, Comcast officially announced that it has acquired Susquehanna Communications, a provider of broadband Broadshell Central and Broadshell cable and former unit of Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff, for $ 775 million in cash. Under this deal, Comcast acquired approximately 230,000 basic cable subscribers, 71,000 digital cable customers, and 86,000 high-speed Internet subscribers. Comcast previously had about 30 percent of Susquehanna Communications through its Lenfest affiliates. In December 2005, Comcast announced the creation of Comcast Interactive Media, a new division focusing on online media.
In July 2006, Comcast bought the Seattle-based software company thePlatform. This is an entry into a new line of business - selling software to enable companies to manage Internet (and IP-based) media publishing efforts.
On April 3, 2007, Comcast announced it had signed an agreement to acquire a cable system owned and operated by Patriot Media, a private company owned by cable veteran Steven J. Simmons, Spectrum Spectrum Investor and Spire Capital, serving approximately 81,000 video subscribers. Comcast will acquire Patriot for a net cash investment of approximately $ 483 million. By acquiring a niche provider, the deal will fill a hole in the New Jersey service center.
Comcast was announced in May 2007 and launched in September 2008 a dashboard called SmartZone. Hewlett-Packard leads "design, creation, and management". Collaborative and unified collaboration technology comes from open source Zimbra. "SmartZone users will be able to send and receive e-mail, listen to their voicemail messages online and forward the information via e-mail to others, send instant messages and instant video messages and combine their contacts into a single address book". There is also Cloudmark spam and phishing and Trend Micro antivirus protection. The address book is Comcast Plaxo software.
In May 2008, Comcast bought Plaxo to report $ 150 million to $ 170 million.
Comcast won the Worst Company In America ("Golden Poo") Consumerist Award in 2010. Gold trophies in the form of a pile of human waste were sent to Comcast Corporate Headquarters to commemorate an unparalleled level of hostility. flow from their customer base to their business. Verizon's competitors congratulate Comcast on their award through Verizon's Twitter feed. Comcast immediately responded by announcing openly doubting awards, and cited ongoing efforts to improve its customer service. One attempt to change this is a new app called, Tech ETA, which allows customers to see exactly when a technician comes.
Adelphia Purchase
In April 2005, Comcast and Time Warner Cable announced plans to buy a bankrupt Adelphia Cable asset. The two companies paid a total of $ 17.6 billion in an agreement settled in the second quarter of 2006 - after the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) completed a seven-month investigation without objecting. Time Warner Cable became the second largest cable provider in the US, ranking behind Comcast. As part of the deal, Time Warner and Comcast are trading existing customers to consolidate them into larger geographic groups.
In August 2006, Comcast and Time Warner dissolved a 50/50 partnership that controls systems in Houston, Southwest Texas, San Antonio and Kansas City markets under the Time Warner brand. After the dissolution, Comcast acquired the Houston system, and Time Warner defended the others. On January 1, 2007, Comcast officially took over the Houston system, but continued to operate under the Time Warner Cable brand until June 19, 2007.
NBCUniversal
The media began reporting in late September 2009 that Comcast was in talks to buy NBCUniversal. Comcast denied the rumors at first, while NBC would not comment on them. However, CNBC itself reported on Oct. 1 that General Electric is considering spinning NBCUniversal into a separate company that will incorporate NBC television networks and cable properties such as USA Network, Syfy and MSNBC, as well as Universal Studios, with Comcast's content assets.. GE will retain 49% control over the new company, while Comcast owns 51%. Vivendi, who owns 20%, must sell his shares to GE. It was reported that under the current agreement with GE that it will happen in November or December. It was also reported that Time Warner would be interested in bidding, until CEO Jeffrey L. Bewkes immediately denied interest, leaving Comcast as the sole bidder. On November 1, 2009, The New York Times reported Comcast was getting closer to a deal to buy NBCUniversal and that the official announcement could take several weeks to come.
Following a temporary agreement on December 1, the parties announced that Comcast would buy a 51% controlling stake in NBCUniversal for $ 6.5 billion in cash and $ 7.3 billion in programming on December 3. GE will take over the remaining 49% stake in NBCUniversal, using $ 5.8 billion to buy 20% of Vivendi's minority stake at NBCUniversal. On January 18, 2011, the FCC approved the deal by voting 4 to 1. The sale was completed on January 28, 2011. At the end of December 2012, Comcast added the NBC peacock symbol to their new logo. On February 12, 2013, Comcast announced its intention to acquire the remaining 49% of General Electric's interest at NBCUniversal, which Comcast completed on March 19, 2013.
Time Warner Cable
On February 12, 2014, Los Angeles Times reported that Comcast was trying to acquire Time Warner Cable in a deal worth $ 45.2 billion. On February 13, it was reported that Time Warner Cable approved the acquisition. This is to add some metropolitan areas to Comcast's portfolio, such as New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Charlotte, San Diego, and San Antonio. Time Warner Cable and Comcast aim to merge into one company by the end of 2014 and both have praised the deal, emphasizing enhanced joint telecommunications network capabilities, and for "creating operational efficiency and economies of scale".
In 2014, critics expressed concern that the deal would give Comcast greater negotiating power in a number of areas, including rebroadcast fees with television channels, and peering treaties with ISPs.
Critics noted in 2013 that Tom Wheeler, head of the FCC, which must approve the deal, is the former head of both the largest cable-tagging organization, National Cable & Telecommunications Association, and as the largest wireless lobby, CTIA - The Wireless Association. According to Comico's Politico , donated to almost every member of Congress who has control in organizing it. " The US Senate Judiciary Committee convened a meeting on April 9, 2014. The House Judiciary Committee planned its own session. On March 6, 2014, the United States Department of Justice's Antitrust Division confirmed that it was investigating the deal. In March 2014, divisional chairman, William Baer, ​​resigned because he was involved in the acquisition of Comcast NBCUniversal before. Several state public prosecutors have announced support for federal investigations. On April 24, 2015, Jonathan Sallet, general counsel of F.C.C., said that he would recommend the trial before an administrative law judge, equivalent to the collapse of the deal.
In August 2015, Comcast announced to accelerate the internet for low-income customers from 5 megabits per second (mbps) to 10 Mbit/s, provide free wireless routers, and initiate initiatives to improve Internet access for low-income citizens. In September of that year, Comcast also launched Watchable, a YouTube competitor. The move was seen by Variety in an effort to attract the cable cuts market.
DreamWorks animation
In April 2016, Comcast confirmed that the NBCUniversal division will earn DreamWorks Animation for $ 3.8 billion. The deal closes on August 22, 2016. Universal Pictures will take over the distribution of the DreamWorks Animation movie beginning in 2019 with How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World when the DreamWorks Animation deal with 20th Century Fox ended.
Mobile service
In September 2016, Comcast confirmed that they have reached a partnership with Verizon Wireless to launch the mobile network as MVNO. The new service, described as "Wi-Fi and MVNO-integrated products", is expected to be launched in mid-2017. Wireless partnerships and additions will allow Comcast to offer four-fold game services. Including Comcast's Home Security offerings, customers now have the Quintuple Play option. This service was officially announced on April 6, 2017, as Xfinity Mobile.
Minorities in Amblin Partners
On February 15, 2017 Comcast (through NBC Universal Universal Studios division) acquired a minority stake in Amblin Partners (parent company of Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures), strengthening the relationship between Universal and Amblin, and reuniting the minority percentage of the DreamWorks Pictures label with DreamWorks Animation.
Full ownership of Universal Studios Japan
On February 28, 2017, Comcast (via NBCUniversal) announced that it will acquire the remaining 49% stake in Universal Studios Japan theme park that is not owned.
21st Century Fox
On November 16, 2017, it was reported that Comcast was trying to buy 21st Century Fox, following the news 10 days earlier that The Walt Disney Company negotiated with Fox to get the same asset. Like Disney, the deal includes 20th Century Fox, cable entertainment and satellite broadcasting networks including FX Networks, National Geographic Partners, Fox Sports Networks, and international channels like Star India and Sky UK. This does not include Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Television Stations, Fox Sports, and Fox News units, all of which will be split into new independent companies.
However, on December 11, 2017, Comcast officially dropped the offer, saying that "We never got the level of engagement needed to make a definitive bid." On December 14 Disney officially confirmed the acquisition of 21st Century Fox for $ 52.4 billion in stock, which is still under review from the United States Department of Justice's Antitrust Division.
On February 5, 2018, a new report by CNBC claimed that despite the Disney/Fox deal, Comcast was considering offering Disney for $ 52.4 billion after the merger of AT & amp; T-Time Warner runs, after the Justice Department's Anti-Court Division sued to block the merger on November 20, 2017.
On May 7, 2018, Comcast announced a potential offer to Disney's bid to acquire Fox after speaking to investment banks about making a $ 60 billion cash offer, awaiting approval of the merger of AT & amp; T-Time Warner. On May 15, several Fox investors expressed interest in signing an agreement with Comcast for offering all their money as opposed to a $ 52.2 billion Disney stock offering. On June 13, Comcast officially announced a $ 65 billion counter-offer to acquire 21st Century Fox assets offered by Disney for purchase.
Lionsgate acquisition possibility
In January 2018, after the proposed 21st Century Fox acquisition and its assets by The Walt Disney Company, it was reported that Lionsgate is undergoing a bidding war for possible acquisitions, with Amazon.com, CBS Corporation, Comcast itself, Verizon Communications, and Viacom having made offers. If Comcast acquires Lionsgate, Lionsgate's film assets (Summit Entertainment, CodeBlack Films, consortium Globalgate Entertainment, Pantelion Films and Grindstone Entertainment Group) will join Universal Pictures to form a more competitive film studio with a larger film library, while Lionsgate's television assets will joined the NBCUniversal Television Group. NBCUniversal will enter the pay TV business by taking over the Starz Inc. division. owned by Lionsgate which includes the Starz and Celestial Tiger Entertainment Asian joint venture network with Saban Capital Group and Celestial Pictures. NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises will have a Pantaya streaming service launched in 2017 with Hemisphere Media Group along with a joint venture of Pantelion Films with Televisa which will be the twin companies for Telemundo's own Telemundo Films movie division. Meanwhile, Britain's Lionsgate division will join Universal Pictures UK to form a new British film and television division of Lionsgate UK (Primal Media, Potboiler Television and Elevation Sales) assets and Universal Working Title Films. The acquisition, however, will not include a 45% Lionsgate stake in independent movie distributor Roadside Attractions, since NBCUniversal has another independent film distributor, currently operating the Feature Focus division, nor will it include Lionsgate's 50% stake in the Pop joint venture television network with CBS Corporation, because NBCUniversal already has a television channel that focuses on pop culture (like Pop) called E !.
However, Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns has stated in an interview with CNBC that Lionsgate is mostly interested in joining CBS and Viacom.
Division and subsidiary
Comcast Cable (Xfinity)
Comcast Cable is the cable television division of Comcast Corporation, which provides cable television, broadband internet, and landline phones under the Xfinity brand. Comcast Cable also provides connections to small to medium businesses through the Comcast Business brand, and Fortune 1000 companies through the Comcast Enterprise brand.
NBCUniversal
Comcast delivers third-party television programming content to its own customers, and also produces first-party content on its own for subscribers and customers from other competing television services. Comcast's wholly or partially owned programs include Comcast Newsmakers, Comcast Network, Comcast SportsNet, SportsNet New York, MLB Networks, Comcast Sports Southeast/Charter Sports Southeast, NBC Sports Network, The Golf Channel, Syfy, and USA Network. On May 19, 2009, Disney and ESPN announced an agreement to enable Comcast Corporation to bring ESPNU and ESPN3 channels. The US Olympic Committee and Comcast intend to join the creation of the US Olympic Network, which is scheduled to be launched after the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. The plan was later suspended by the US Olympic Committee. The US Olympic Committee and Comcast have concluded plans to create the U.S. Olympic Network.
Comcast's content network and assets also include E!, Oxygen, Golf Channel, NBCSN, Universal Kids, Bravo, and Comcast SportsNets regionally. When Comcast took ownership of the majority at NBCUniversal, a large number of cable networks were added to this list. The NHL Comcast Agreement requires them to create a US version of the NHL Network, which was launched in October 2007.
Comcast also has many local channels. Comcast also has various networks known as Comcast Network, available exclusively to Comcast and Cablevision customers. This channel features news, sports, and entertainment and place emphasis in Philadelphia and the Baltimore/Washington area, D.C., although this channel is also available in New York, Pittsburgh and Richmond. In August 2004, Comcast started a channel called Comcast Entertainment Television, for Comcast Colorado's customers, and focused on life in Colorado. It also brings several National Hockey League and National Basketball Association matches when Altitude Sports & amp; Entertainment brings NHL or NBA. In January 2006, CET became the main channel for the Colorado Emergency Alert System in the Denver Metro Area. In 2006, Comcast helped find the New York SportsNet channel, acquiring a minority stake. Other partners in the project are New York Mets and Time Warner Cable.
DreamWorks animation
On April 28, 2016, NBCUniversal bought DreamWorks Animation, along with its main IP including Shrek , How To Train Your Dragon , Kung Fu Panda , and Madagascar .
Professional sports
In 1996, Comcast purchased a controlling stake in Spectacor from its founder, Ed Snider. Ownership Comcast Spectacor now includes the NHL Philadelphia Flyers hockey team and their home arena in Philadelphia. For several years, Comcast became the majority owner of Comcast SportsNet, as well as Golf Channel and NBCSN (formerly Network Life Open, then Versus). In 2002, Comcast paid University of Maryland $ 25 million to name the rights to a new basketball arena built on the College Park campus, XFINITY Center. Before being renamed to Comcast cable subsidiary, XFINITY Center is called Comcast Center since it opened in 2002 to July 2014.
Business capital
Comcast established its first venture capital fund in January 1999, as Comcast Interactive Capital. Around 2011, after the acquisition of NBC Universal 2009, Comcast Interactive Capital was merged with The Peacock Equity Fund , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal venture capital. The combined company, Comcast Ventures, supports companies like FanDuel and Vox Media, for example.
Criticism and controversy
In 2004 and 2007, the US Customer Satisfaction Survey (ACSI) survey found that Comcast had the worst customer satisfaction assessment of any company or government agency in the country, including the Internal Revenue Service. ACSI shows that almost half of all cable customers (regardless of company) have registered complaints, and that cable is the only industry that scores under 60 on ACSI. Comcast's Customer Service Rating by ACSI survey shows that the company's customer service has not improved since the survey began in 2001. The survey analysis states that "Comcast is one of the lowest rated companies in ACSI.Because its customer satisfaction is eroded by 7% over the past year, 12%. "The ACSI analysis also addresses this contradiction, stating that" Such price strengths usually come with a degree of monopolistic protection and most cable companies have little competition at the local level, which means that cable companies can do well financially even if their customers do not too satisfied. "
In April 2014, Comcast was awarded the "Worst Company in America" ​​award in 2014; the annual contest by the Consumerist consumer affairs blog that runs a series of reader polls to determine the most unpopular American company. This is the second time Comcast has been awarded this title, the first in 2010.
Comcast spends millions of dollars each year on lobbying. Comcast employs spouses, sons and daughters of mayors, board members, commissioners, and other officials to ensure a preferred market allocation.
Comcast was given "F" for corporate governance practices in 2010, by the Corporate Library, an independent shareholder research organization. According to the Corporate Library, Comcast's board's ability to supervise and control management is highly compromised (at least in 2010) by the fact that some directors work for the company or have a business relationship with it (making them vulnerable to management pressure), and a third of directors are older from 70 years. According to The Wall Street Journal nearly two thirds of the $ 40 million comcast jet company Comcast purchased for a business trip related to the acquisition of NBCU, is to the private home of CEO Brian Roberts or to the resort.
In January 2015, Comcast's subscriber Ricardo Brown received a bill from Comcast with his name changed to "Asshole Brown". Brown's wife, Lisa, believes a Comcast employee changed her name in response to Browns' request to cancel their cable service, an incident in which she refused a cancellation unless she paid a $ 60 fee and instead transferred to a retention specialist. Comcast refused to fix the name on their bills after bringing it to the attention of many customer service outlets for the company by explaining that Ricardo was the official name of the customer, so Browns turned to consumer supporter Christopher Elliott. Elliott posted the facts of the incident, along with a copy of his bill, on his blog. Shortly thereafter, Elliott contacted Comcast and Comcast offered an apology to Browns, a $ 60 refund, and a promise to track and fire responsible employees. The Browns instead demanded a full refund of their negative experience and Comcast agreed to return the family money for the past two years of service and provide the next two years of service at no cost. Comcast released a statement explaining: "We have talked with our customers and apologize for this totally unacceptable and inappropriate change of name.We have no tolerance whatsoever for this type of impolite behavior and are conducting a thorough investigation to determine what happens.We work with our customers to make this right and will take appropriate steps to prevent this from happening again. "
On February 19, 2015, Comcast's customer support representative was caught mis-informing customers that the company was required by law to apply data limits. In the SoundCloud recordings posted on Reddit, Comcast's agent, Lionel, can be heard telling customers, "Every Internet service provider has a data cap, which is mandated by law."
On August 1, 2016, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit against Cable television and Internet giant Comcast Corporation in King County Superior Court, accusing the company's own documents of unfairly deceiving their customers to reduce their income to tens of millions dollar. The FCC issued a $ 2.3 million fines to Comcast after finding that the company was charging customers for services and non-sequential equipment. More than a thousand customers issued a complaint about this unprecedented bill to their bill. In addition, many customers report inappropriate calls and interrogations by customer service representatives. Comcast's executive vice president David Cohen acknowledged that companies need to improve their customer service.
On August 8, 2016, Official Comcast Employee confirmed that Comcast changed channel 1080i to 720p60 format. "The Official Officer comes from several teams in Comcast: Product, Support, Leadership."
In February 2017 Comcast was ordered by its own National Advertising Review Board to stop using claims based on Speedtest.net's data that it has the "fastest internet in America", stating that "OOKLA data only indicates that Xfinity consumers are taking advantage of the free test offered on the Speedtest.net website subscribe to the service level with a higher download speed than Verizon FiOS customers taking advantage of the test. "They are also ordered to stop using claims that the company offers the" unsupported "home WiFi, which is not supported well.
Note
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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