Comcast to purchase Time-Warner Cable

Comcast announced today that it will buy Time-Warner Cable Systems for $45 billion in stocks. The proposed deal could be a winner for Houston Sports fans, especially Astros fans living outside the Houston area.

Time-Warner currently provides cable and internet services throughout the state of Texas, meaning its subscribers should be able to get CSN Houston once the transaction is completed. That is, of course, assuming that CSN Houston stays in business. Either way, I wouldn’t expect to see any immediate results. The purchase will need to be approved by federal regulators and that could prove to be a difficult and lengthy process.

The transaction/merger is also expected to be met with protests from consumer groups. If the two companies unite, the result would be the biggest cable/media and entertainment conglomerate on the planet. Consumer advocates claim that the deal will result in higher prices and fewer options for would-be customers.

The battle for our entertainment dollar just keeps getting crazier. And certain sports fans are caught in the middle. Although Comcast/NBC/Universal is a multi-billion dollar company, CSN Houston is currently in bankruptcy protection proceedings.

Nobody is talking at this early stage of the game. The Astros, Rockets, and Comcast all declined to comment when asked by The Chronicle’s David Barron what the proposed deal would mean for CSN Houston.

photo by Brian Robert Marshall