With NBCU, Comcast Eyes $10 Billion Ad Haul

While local and national advertising accounts for around 5 percent of Comcast's overall revenue haul, Comcast chief operating officer Steve Burke said that a merger of Comcast and NBCU assets would command some $10 billion in annual ad sales revenue.

"Advertising has got to be the biggest headline," Burke said. "We signed the deal when advertising was going backwards. Now we're seeing it going up, and that's a big deal." Burke added that he was optimistic that Comcast would clear the regulatory hurdles that stand between it and a consummated NBCU deal. "We have been there before where you feel everything goes against you," Burke said, in a nod to Comcast's fruitless 2004 bid to scarf up The Walt Disney Co. for $54 billion. "This time everything is going our way." Burke has been leading the charge to close out the NBCU transaction since it was first announced in December 2009. Under the new structure, Burke will run the suite of broadcast and cable networks, which includes flagship NBC as well as high-performance cable channels USA Network, Bravo, Syfy and Oxygen. Upon completion of the deal, Comcast will own a 51 percent stake in NBCU. Current parent GE will hold the remaining 49 percent share.