USA: Comcast and Time Warner Cable merge to control 30% of the U.S. pay-TV market

U.S. cable operators Comcast Corporation and TWC (Time Warner Cable), numbers one and two of the pay-TV sector in the United States, announced their merger on 13/02/2014. The project, based on shares, values TWC at $45.2b (about €33b). It is subject to approval from U.S. antitrust authorities.

Comcast has about 22 million subscribers, whilst TWC has about 11 million. To facilitate the acceptance of the merger by the regulatory authorities, Comcast plans to cut three million subscribers, so that the new group does not exceed 30 million subscribers, and remain right around 30% of the pay-tv market in the United States. The new cable operator will be directed by Neil Smit, CEO of Comcast Corporation.

The Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator and internet service provider in the United States and the third largest fixed-line operator in the country. Since 2011, the conglomerate has owned the broadcaster NBC Universal and its network of sports channels, NBC Sports.

Comcast, whose headquarters are located in Philadelphia (PA, USA), owns the city's franchises in the NBA (North…