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WSJ: Sprint is discussing a new deal with Charter/Comcast
Not that long ago, there was a report that the on again/off again merger talks between T-Mobile and Sprint had resumed, but tonight the Wall Street Journal reports they're on hold. That's apparently due to Sprint negotiating exclusively with the combined unit of Charter and Comcast. An unlikely result could be an acquisition of the fourth largest wireless carrier, or the two cable companies could invest in it to help improve the company's network, which they could then use to offer their wireless services instead of Verizon.
Comcast and Charter partner to push into wireless service
In recent years, a number of telecommunication and media giants have attempted some major mergers (sometimes unsuccessfully) to consolidate power -- a move that often leaves customers with less choice. While Comcast and Charter Communications aren't merging, they did announce a new partnership today that aims the considerable power of the two companies right at the wireless industry. The partnership is rather vague for now, but it sounds like the two companies will be working together to make a substantial push into competing directly with Verizon and AT&T.
New York sues Charter over slow internet speeds
There's no question that many American internet providers fall short of expectations, but New York might just hold them accountable for making promises they don't keep. In the wake of a probe that revealed terrible broadband speeds, the state has sued Charter over claims that the cable giant's Spectrum badge (formerly Time Warner Cable) misled customers over the performance they'd get. Subscribers who paid for premium plans (100Mbps and beyond) from 2012 onward frequently got speeds up to 70 percent slower than advertised -- so pokey that they didn't even meet the performance of less expensive tiers. And if you believe investigators, this was very intentional.
US internet providers stop sending piracy warnings
Remember the media industry's vaunted Copyright Alert System? It was supposed to spook pirates by having their internet providers send violation notices, with the threat of penalties like throttling. However, it hasn't exactly panned out. ISPs and media groups have dropped the alert system with an admission that it isn't up to the job. While the program was supposedly successful in "educating" the public on legal music and video options, the MPAA states that it just couldn't handle the "hard-core repeat infringer problem" -- there wasn't much to deter bootleggers.
Verizon is reportedly exploring combination with Charter (updated)
AT&T bought DirecTV for $48.5 billion in 2014 and now it looks like another wireless carrier is interested in getting into the television business. The Wall Street Journal reports that Verizon is exploring a combination with Charter Communications that would bring together millions of customers from the two companies. Charter and Time Warner Cable merged in 2016, a year after the two sides announced a $55 billion deal. This comes ten days after the New York Post suggested either Charter or Comcast could be likely takeover targets for Big Red.
DOJ sues DirecTV for conspiring against LA Dodgers (updated)
The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that it is bringing suit against DirecTV for its role in an alleged collusion scheme involving the broadcast rights to Los Angeles Dodgers games. Specifically, the DOJ asserts that DirecTV and three of its competitors -- Cox, Charter and AT&T -- shared "agreed to and did exchange non-public information about their companies' ongoing negotiations" with SportsNet LA, the only channel authorized to show Dodgers games.
NY Attorney General tells TWC its broadband is 'abysmal'
Late last year, the New York Attorney General's office called on internet customers to submit broadband speeds as a part of its probe into service providers keeping their promises. After the stats were tallied, the AG found one company to be the worse than the others. In a letter from senior enforcement counsel Tim Wu, the office informed Time Warner Cable that speeds customers has submitted were "abysmal."
Nintendo has a new game plan
In case you didn't get the message yet, Nintendo is trying lots of new things. To that extent, it's formalizing some of that in its official charter next month. While most of it is rewording in places, the updated charter includes new references the manufacturing and selling of medical devices and computer software -- the latter possibly being different from the gaming software it's famous for. It also offers a reminder of all the things that Nintendo does that you might not know about, including office equipment and the management of "restaurants, dining halls, cafes". (Where's my Mario Cafe?)
Charter will axe the Time Warner Cable brand
As of today, Charter officially owns both Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks... and the newly expanded telecom giant isn't wasting much time making changes. A spokesman tells Bloomberg that Charter will eventually drop both the Bright House and Time Warner Cable names. Yes, that's right: Time Warner Cable, a name that's synonymous with terrible customer support and sub-par service quality, is going away. It's largely a symbolic move, but likely a welcome one -- especially if you're still trying to remember that Time Warner and Time Warner Cable are separate companies.
Charter acquisition of Time Warner Cable approved by the FCC
It feels like forever since Time Warner Cable agreed to merge with Charter Communications, for an estimated $55 billion. But today, nearly a year after the two companies struck a deal, the Federal Communications Commission has finally granted its approval. The announcement follows FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and the US Justice Department green-lighting the merger in April, which confirmed that it was only a matter of time before it became official.
It's official: Uncle Sam says Charter can buy Time Warner Cable (update)
Charter Communications purchased Time Warner Cable in a deal estimated at $78 billion, and today the US Department of Justice and FCC chairman Tom Wheeler gave the acquisition the green light. The companies agreed to the deal in May 2015, when it was estimated at $55 billion. The approval comes with a few caveats: The DoJ says Charter is not allowed to impede access to streaming content, for one. Wheeler says Charter will not be allowed to impose data caps or charge usage-based prices, nor will it be able to charge interconnection fees.
Amazon starts selling Comcast cable TV and internet
Amazon has moved into some unexpected areas recently, like a physical bookstore, and apparently the spot on its list is cable TV. TV Predictions was first to notice the Amazon Cable Store, which so far is only stocked with Comcast's Xfinity TV and Internet services for customers living within areas it covers. According to Comcast, the site offers easy ordering and simplified pricing that is identical to its new customer offers sold elsewhere, so what's really new is the storefront. There's also a dedicated support team for the site, equipped to cover everything from sales to followup via phone, email chat and social media -- which is hopefully enough channels to avoid some of the installation nightmares we've all heard about.
BBC vows to make more cuts in response to government review
The BBC's Royal Charter isn't due for renewal until the end 2016, but it's already come under fire from the UK government over how it's funded and its perceived public value. Ministers have suggested extending the standard licence fee to include subscriptions and asked whether TV, radio and online services are damaging commercial competitors. This led to Director-General Tony Hall outlining plans for a more "open" BBC last month, but he's back today with a fresh round of commitments (and suggestions) aimed at convincing the public it can do what is asked of it.
Netflix is totally cool with Charter buying Time Warner Cable
Charter Communications has Netflix's support for its $55 billion proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable after promising the streaming service settlement-free "peering" through 2018. Peering, according to The Internet Peering Playbook, is a local routing optimization method that allows two networks to exchange traffic without incurring transit fees. On Tuesday, Charter reportedly filed a document with the FCC stating that it wouldn't charge any website for faster access until at least December 31st, 2018. Netflix also filed a document stating that it would not oppose the acquisition as it had last year's Comcast-TWC merger.
Comcast says Charter/TWC deal 'makes all the sense in the world'
If Comcast had any bitter feelings about the collapse of its Time Warner Cable merger, following today's announcement of a $55 billion Charter/Time Warner deal, it's not making them public. "This deal makes all the sense in the world," Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in a statement this morning. "I would like to congratulate all the parties." On the face of it, the statement seems surprisingly gracious, especially after Comcast spent more than a year fighting for regulatory approval in its attempt at gobbling up Time Warner Cable. But it's not hard to imagine Roberts making nice through gritted teeth. Comcast's merger was enormously unpopular by regulators and the public alike, primarily because it would have severely reduce competition by combining America's No. 1 and No. 2 cable providers. As the fourth largest cable player in the U.S., Charter has a much higher chance of its deal going through without raising monopoly alarms.
Charter is reportedly close to buying Time Warner Cable
Charter's interest in buying Time Warner Cable appears to be more than just a passing fancy. Bloomberg sources claim that the cable company is on the cusp of reaching a deal to buy TWC for $195 per share. The finer details of the buyout aren't available, but Charter would fold both its new acquisition and Bright House into a single mega-entity. Reportedly, Charter could announce the purchase as early as Tuesday -- if so, it's not wasting much time following Comcast's failed TWC deal.
With Comcast out, Charter eyes Time Warner Cable merger again
Comcast is out, but that doesn't mean Time Warner Cable is off the market. Charter, which already cast a losing bid for the provider in 2014, is considering trying to acquire TWC again, according to the Washington Post. Charter's continued interest isn't much of a surprise. In February CEO Tom Rutledge said that if the Comcast deal fell through, he might make another offer. Being the fourth largest cable TV provider, it might not be subject to the same level of regulatory scrutiny as Comcast, which is the nation's largest. But, Charter already began moving on a consolation prize last month in Bright House Networks. So getting approval to swallow up the second largest pay-TV provider in the country won't be easy if it does decide to carry through with a bid. There's also no guarantee that Time Warner Cable will accept a bid from Charter, which had its original offer of roughly $130 per share rebuffed in 2013.
Charter buys a cable company to make up for losing Time Warner
Charter lost out on its chance to snatch Time Warner Cable before Comcast made its move, so it's settling for the next best thing. The company just unveiled plans to acquire Bright House Networks, a cable provider that's mostly big in Florida, for about $10.4 billion. Reportedly, the move is about getting "strategic flexibility" and solidifying Charter's position as the second-largest cable company in the US. In other words, it wants to both improve its clout in relation to Comcast (even if the two don't have competing networks) and streamline its costs. That last part is important in an era where services like Netflix are diminishing the importance of conventional TV. If Charter can't have TWC, it can at least prepare for a future where it can't depend on expensive programming bundles to turn a profit. [Image credit: AP Photo/Matt Rourke]
Comcast proposes giving up 3.9 million customers to clinch its TWC merger
Comcast said it would be willing to shed customers to secure its buyout of Time Warner Cable, and today it's backing up those words with (tentative) deeds. The media behemoth has reached a deal that will see it offload 3.9 million subscribers -- mostly in the Midwest, check after the break to see where -- if the merger goes through. About 1.4 million of those would go to Charter; the remaining 2.5 million will go to a spin-off company where Charter will have a one-third stake (Comcast shareholders own the rest). The move should keep Comcast under 30 percent of the TV market and make Charter the second-largest cable provider in the US. In theory, that's good news for those worried that Comcast would carry too much industry clout if it gets TWC under its belt.
Charter customers can finally access Showtime on their mobile devices
If you thought Time Warner Cable was late to the Showtime party, think again. Charter subscribers have been waiting for access since 2011, and now it's finally here. Starting today, customers can join in with the the rest of the cable crowd and stream live (or past) episodes of their favorite Showtime production on its Showtime Anytime app, which is available on iOS, Android, Roku and the web. As long as you have a Showtime subscription, getting your Homeland fix is as easy as signing into the app with your Charter username and password. Additionally, the same programming from Showtime Anytime will be available from Charter.net and the company's TV app in the near future.
