Comcast might pursue Netflix if Time Warner Cable deal fails
If Comcast’s (CMCSA) acquisition of Time Warner Cable fails, Comcast could try to purchase Netflix, Cablevision or a number of other attractive targets, BTIG Research analyst Richard Greenfield said in a report Wednesday. Greenfield says U.S. regulators will block Comcast’s pending acquisition of Time Warner Cable (TWC) or set conditions for approval that are too onerous for Comcast to proceed. If the merger goes through, Comcast would control broadband Internet to over 55% of U.S. homes, he said. If Comcast can’t acquire Time Warner Cable, it will direct its M&A resources elsewhere, Greenfield said in a blog post. “Given the strength of Comcast’s balance sheet and an insatiable appetite for acquisitions, we do not believe Comcast would be content with its existing portfolio (no different than after they failed in their 2004 attempt to buy Disney),” he said. Comcast could go after Netflix (NFLX) to expand its…