Is Comcast's SpinCo Another Canal+'s LicenceCo As The Company Remains Silent On The Future Of It's Cable Networks On DStv And The Rest Of The World?

Later in the year, Comcast will be offloading most of its cable networks under the entity SpinCo while retaining NBC, Bravo and Telemundo. Questions hovering around this transaction is how Universal TV, E!, Studio Universal and DreamWorks Channel which are currently seen on MultiChoice's DStv will survive in the long run.

With media companies prioritising streaming outlets and leaving very little content for broadcasters like M-Net has led channels to close or Comedy Central and Telemundo's case little content. In such scenarios, a company can look to offload a network I mean look at SpinCo it claimed it's first victim, Universal Kids.

MultiChoice SA is set to undergo a potential restructuring in the coming months should Canal+ be able to get LicenceCo of the ground. This entity which is owned by Phuthuma Nathi and two historically disadvantaged businesses that will exist to benefit MultiChoice and work closely with them to manage DStv subscriptions and the content.

This doesn't include its services in other countries meaning DStv and Showmax will continue to be properties of MultiChoice while in South Africa only one of the two (Showmax) will form part of the acquired company.

Comcast in its attempt to build SpinCo has been very hush hush about the future of its cable networks in other countries and Sky Group which kind of begs the question. Is SpinCo just like LicenceCo an entity existing to benefit Comcast and working closely with the company to leverage of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation.

Internationally, these networks haven't been too dependant on their studios and SpinCo just feels like Comcast's way of duplicating an existing trait to the United States. I mean they had stated most of the content seen on SpinCo isn't on Peacock and this is how international feeds are aligned.

Besides both entities will have the same investors so there's no reason to think why not in this case. Although, Comcast is losing money from these networks in the United States there is still a lot of dependency in other countries so I'd imagine Comcast's international business will become MultiChoice or LicenceCo.

This is the only way DreamWorks Channel and Telemundo (in Africa) can survive from such a corporate structure.

With more focus shifting toward streaming services, SpinCo doesn't have much options when it comes to programming so I'd imagine them leveraging off Comcast for the foreseeable future. MSNBC and CNBC being news channels can build an identity outside of NBC News.

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