Comcast is prepping an all stock buyout of Time Warner Cable for $159 per share. The official announcement was made today. What does this mean for Apple’s plans to include Time Warner Cable as a supplier of content for its Apple TV set-top box?
As noted by Barron’s, TWC currently has 277.9 million shares outstanding, which would give the proposed deal a value of $45.2 billion. The publication also pointed out that the news, if true, officially ends speculation of a partial or complete buyout bid from cable giant Charter Communications.
Comcast is said to be willing to shed three million subscribers to ease any regulatory issues arising from the takeover. The Federal Communications Commission will likely look closely at the deal, examining it for any possibility of monopoly-related issues.
At this time, it isn’t clear what this means for Apple’s reported discussions with Time Warner Cable to partner with them for their Apple TV set-top box. Apple has been negotiating with TWC, hoping to streamline the process of bringing its new digital interface to television viewers.
Time Warner Cable has been viewed as Apple’s best chance for a partnership, while Comcast has been slow to warm to the idea of an Apple partnership.
