Netflix Could Get Smooth ’Cards’ Out of Comcast’s Merger

Comcast’s bid for Time Warner Cable may spare Netflix from having to continue paying for smooth display of content.

Regulators weighing the merger asked Comcast about its February agreement with Netflix that requires it to pay for fast delivery over the cable provider’s service. The questions show officials are preparing to help Web video companies that have asked the regulators to prohibit such payments, said Craig Moffett, an analyst with MoffettNathanson in New York. “I don’t think there’s any question about it -- the big winner in the Comcast merger is Netflix,” Moffett said. Regulators can demand conditions as a price for approving the acquisition.