Comcast President Says Partnership with Disney on ESPN ‘Very Improbable,’ Discusses Potential NBA Bid
Comcast President Says Partnership with Disney on ESPN ‘Very Improbable,’ Discusses Potential NBA Bid
The relationship between Disney and Comcast is… complex, to say the least. The House of Mouse is currently expected to buy the 33% stake of Hulu that Comcast currently owns, but a very public discourse regarding the valuation of that stake has caused some eyebrow-raising over the past year in media circles.
Still, companies spar over valuations all the time, and it’s unlikely that the business relationship between the two companies is frayed to the breaking point. In fact, some industry analysts believe that Comcast and Disney might decide to partner again, as Disney is seeking allies to help it launch a streaming version of ESPN and its sibling channels that won’t require a cable or satellite subscription.
Speaking during Comcast’s second-quarter earnings report, the company’s president Mike Cavanagh said that he felt it was “highly improbable” that Comcast would partner with Disney on ESPN. Comcast would certainly be a sensible partner, as Bank of America managing director Jessica Reif Ehrlich suggested last week, but it seems that a cooling-off period is needed between the two companies before they can make more major business movies together.
It’s not all that surprising that Comcast would be hesitant to engage in multi-billion dollar dealings with Disney again. The discourse over Hulu has gotten acrimonious at times, as Comcast has made it very clear that it thinks it would receive a very generous sum for its share of the streamer was it available at auction. Disney is expected to pay somewhere north of $8.5 billion for Comcast’s stake in Hulu, a sale that most expect to take place next year.
Cavanagh was much more positive about bidding on the rights to the NBA when they become available after the 2024-25 season. It seems highly likely that Comcast will at least bid on a package of games for its NBCUniversal channels, and potentially Peacock as well. The league is reportedly looking to sell a streaming-only package of games, and Comcast has already secured two exclusive NFL games for its streaming platform this season.
If Peacock did secure a bundle of NBA games, it would be offering contests from three of the top four major sports leagues in the United States. The service carries an MLB game every Sunday and also offers Big Ten and Notre Dame football, cycling, tennis, golf, and much more. Oh, did we mention the service will also be carrying every event of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris?
Offering that many sports on Peacock might well mean that a partnership with Disney on ESPN could raise some antitrust concerns, which could be one reason Comcast is leery about such a relationship. It doesn’t sound like it’s in the cards either way, but a return of the NBA to NBC-owned stations could be a distinct possibility in 2025.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.