
#TIME WARNER CABLE SPIKE TV TV#
When Viacom noticed this subtle shift, it called out to Charter Spectrum™, urging the provider to keep the 23 channels in the basic Select TV package, so that they could be accessible to a larger number of viewers, who preferred to go for the lower, and therefore, more inexpensive tier. However, this move was not “agreed upon” in its contract with the owner. That is why it tried to shift Viacom’s 23 cable networks to higher-tier Silver and Gold plans. At present, Spectrum cable is available to more than 102.7 million people in the nation, with the customer count building day by day.ĭue to this sudden rise in pay-tv subscribers, Charter had to deal with the growing programming costs, while keeping the Spectrum packages affordable enough for all its customers. Why is Spectrum Dropping Channels?Īfter it acquired Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks back in 2016, Charter saw a monumental increase in its footprint across the U.S. Viacom duel, finally reaching a verdict at the end. If you are a Spectrum subscriber and are worried whether this carriage battle will affect your daily entertainment quota, then latch on to this post and read about the main points of the Spectrum vs. One of the most famous clashes that you might have come across in recent times is between Charter Communications® and Viacom. The company also has 18 local news channels, 13 local sports channels, and seven local lifestyle channels.There has always been a tussle between cable carriers and programmers when it comes to the distribution of content. Like most cable operators, TWC is the leading broadband provider in its markets. TWC’s footprint includes Manhattan and much of Los Angeles. But consumer advocates would flip over a deal that increases Comcast CEO Brian Roberts’ control over media content and distribution. CBS’ drubbing of TWC in their 32-day contract impasse this past summer underscored the view that cable operators - facing growing competition from satellite and telco video providers - can’t afford to let popular channels go dark. They say that the video business is mature, and distributors need more clout to resist demands by broadcast and cable networks for higher payments.

Most analysts believe that the time is ripe for some cable consolidation. TWC has a market value of $37B, and a buyer likely would have to pay a premium over that. Charter, with 4.3M video subscribers, has been talking to Bank of America, Barclays, and Deutsche Bank about potential debt arrangements. That story follows a Wall Street Journal report this morning that Charter - galvanized by its top shareholder, Liberty Media’s John Malone - is close to landing the funds it would need to make an offer for TWC. If they combined, Comcast would have about 35% of all multichannel video subscribers. Comcast has 21.6M video subscribers while TWC has 11.6M.

While the companies aren’t in active discussions, the owner of NBCUniversal is looking at the obstacles a deal might face at the FCC and the Justice Department. CNBC’s David Faber reports that Comcast shareholders want it to go after Time Warner Cable.

The stock is +8.3% in early trading following reports that Comcast and Charter Communications are seriously considering possible bids for the No.
