Comcast/NBCU May Create More M&A Activity, Transform Content Owners and Distributors

For Comcast's Brian Roberts, acquiring NBC Universal will be the capstone of years of carefully plotting how to control both the distribution of content into homes and the production of it. For Wall Street, the deal has some players are licking their lips at the prospect of a whole range of new assets coming on the market as a result of Comcast's imminent deal to acquire control of NBC Universal. While it's unclear what properties, if any, might change hands once the deal is complete, a whole host of M&A specialists are ready to pounce. But however a couple these players appear on paper, a NBC Uni/Comcast combo could transform the way content owners and distributors do business. It's not just about those trendy cable network assets: Comcast's plan to acquire 51% of NBC Universal also is about seemingly boring things, including VOD and changing business models. A preliminary deal could be unveiled as early as Sunday.