Atlantic Broadband/ MetroCast $200 Million Deal Highlights Ongoing Cable Consolidation

Consolidation in the pay-TV market isn’t limited to tier 1 companies, as an announcement from tier 2 cable operators Atlantic Broadband and MetroCast Communications illustrates. Atlantic Broadband, owned by Canada’s Cogeco Cable, said it has reached an agreement to acquire “substantially all of the assets” of MetroCast’s Connecticut operations for $200 million. According to its website, MetroCast also operates in New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia. Atlantic Broadband plans to launch new residential services such as TiVo as well as business services such as Metro Ethernet in MetroCast’s serving area. Atlantic Broadband is the 13th largest cable operator in the US, serving 224,000 television service customers in four operating regions: Western Pennsylvania, Miami Beach, Maryland/Delaware and Aiken (SC). MetroCast Connecticut’s network passes close to 70,000 homes and businesses, according to Atlantic Broadband’s press release. The Connecticut operations serve approximately 23,000 TV, 22,000 Internet and 8,000 phone customers.