Monday, April 28, 2014

Comcast and Charter Reach Agreement on Divestitures

Comcast Corporation and Charter Communications today announced that the companies have reached an agreement on a series of tax-efficient transactions, whereby the combined Comcast-Time Warner Cable entity, following completion of Comcast's previously announced merger with Time Warner Cable, will divest systems resulting in a net reduction of approximately 3.9 million video customers.

The divestiture follows through on Comcast's willingness to reduce its post-merger managed subscriber total to less than 30 percent of total national MVPD subscribers, while maintaining the compelling strategic and financial rationale of its proposed merger with Time Warner Cable.

Pursuant to the Agreement, and following the close of the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger, Charter will acquire approximately 1.4 million existing Time Warner Cable subscribers, increasing Charter's current residential and commercial video customer base from 4.4 million to approximately 5.7 million, and making Charter the second largest cable operator in the United States. Charter and Comcast will also each transfer approximately 1.6 million customers respectively. In addition, Charter, through a tax free reorganization, will form a new holding company (New Charter) that will own 100% of Charter, and acquire an approximate 33 percent stake in a new publicly-traded cable provider to be spun-off by Comcast serving approximately 2.5 million customers ("SpinCo"). Charter will provide management services to SpinCo. In aggregate, today's announced transactions will significantly enhance Charter's scale and improve both companies geographic footprint, driving operational efficiencies for Comcast, Charter and SpinCo.

The Agreement has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and Time Warner Cable's Board has consented to the Agreement as required under the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger agreement.

The Agreement will be executed via three separate transactions, which are subject to the completion of the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger:

  • Comcast will divest Time Warner Cable systems serving approximately 1.4 million existing Time Warner Cable customers directly to Charter for cash. Charter expects to fund the purchase with proceeds from debt, and to have approximately a 5 times debt to EBITDA leverage ratio at closing.
  • Comcast and Charter will transfer assets serving approximately 1.6 million existing Time Warner Cable customers and 1.6 million Charter customers in a tax-efficient like kind exchange, improving the geographic presence of both companies, leading to greater operational efficiencies, improved technology deployment and enhanced customer service.

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