One of the biggest cable TV provider in the United States, Comcast has been in the news ever since it expressed its desire to take control of one of the most influential media networks in the country, the National Broadcasting Company or NBC. Now, that the deal seems to be all set to materialize, there are growing concerns that the anti trust regulators could scrutinize the terms of the deal very intensely and they could deny Comcast the rights to block access to NBC’s subscription-TV services such as DirecTV.

As per the deal, Comcast will have control over the entire NBC network, including the satellite cable channels under the umbrella of NBC such as Bravo, CNBC and SyFy, thereby gaining sole rights over a quarter of all U.S cable subscriptions. However, as of now all eyes are on the federal regulators, in whose hands, the fate of the deal resides, now that all the formalities are nearly completed.

According to Corie Wright (Policy Counsel, Free Press),

“This is a new administration that has promised to be a tough cop on the beat. Any conditions it exacts should and will be painful because this would be a tremendous consolidation of market power.”

Although the regulators aren’t expected to block the deal entirely, because both the companies are in different business streams, but keeping in mind that Comcast is one of the largest cable TV and ISP in the country and NBC is a major media entity, the regulators would definitely have to take into consideration, the implications that could arise in the markets and the overall economy due to this deal.

Via Associated Press.