Comcast shares rise on news of NBCUniversal spinoff deal
Comcast rose on the news that the telecom behemoth is spinning off NBCUniversal and Sky from its cable portfolio.
Comcast initially jumped up to 17% in early trading, with the deal leaving management to focus on its core verticals of cable, wireless, and business services.
NBCUniversal and Sky will form a new publicly traded company, similar to Versant Media, the holding company of CNBC and MS NOW that Comcast officially spun off in January. Bravo, one of the most lucrative properties that remained at Comcast, will remain part of NBCUniversal in the deal. The Universal theme parks and studios will also come with the new spinoff entity, along with Telemundo and Peacock.
Mike Cavanagh, the co-CEO of Comcast, will become the CEO for NBCUniversal, according to CNBC.
The spinoff will be completed in about a year, according to a Comcast company statement. Its shareholders will also own shares in NBCUniversal, according to the same statement.