With NBC Deal, Comcast’s Pipes Just Got Smarter

Comcast and GE said this morning that the two firms would merge Comcast’s entertainment properties with GE’s NBC Universal to create a joint venture valued at $37.25 billion. Comcast will have a 51 percent stake in the joint venture and GE will hold a 49 percent stake. The purchase gives the cable and Internet service provider access to popular cable networks such as E! Online, USA Bravo and the Golf Channel; web sites such as Hulu and iVillage; Universal Studios and a few theme parks. It also gives Comcast some of the smartest pipes around as ISPs worry about becoming dumb pipes that merely carry other companies’ content. Read more over at Gigaom.

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