The Merger Of Comcast-NBC Universal Cable

Comcast-NBC Universal on the other hand, is the fusion of three distinct organizations; Comcast Cable (founded in 1963), the National Broadcasting Company (founded in 1939) and Universal Pictures (founded in 1912), who were formed into a singular corporation in April 2013. Much like its rival corporation Disney, Comcast-NBC Universal is divided into similar divisions including television, theme parks and resorts and motion pictures. In contrast to Disney, Comcast-NBC Universal seeks to aim beyond the mainstream family market and creates media which appeals to all demographics. Examples of this include their animation division, Illumination Entertainment producing kid-friendly hits such as Despicable Me, their theme parks which gravitate towards families with older children and NBC’s primetime

In terms of their financial performance, Comcast has greatly benefited from the recent merger resulting in a nearly twofold increase in stock value over the past decade despite taking a dip in 2008-09 during the financial crisis. Unlike Disney, Comcast saw a meager 10% increase in net income and a 3% increase in diluted earnings per share , as they were a smaller firm on the cusp of the NBC Universal buyout. Following the financial crisis, Comcast-NBC Universal experienced swift successes in its many divisions such as its film division with box office successes such as Jurassic World and its parks and resorts with the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at three of their theme parks. Despite these successes, Comcast has been perceived as second fiddle compared to Disney who dominated the entertainment industry for nearly a century. Comcast-NBC Universal is under the current leadership of Stephen “Steve” Burke who assumed control of all three firms when the merger began in January