NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Communications giant Comcast is planning to split itself into two: one media-centered business that would include brands like NBCUniversal and Sky and a separate company focused on broadband and wireless services.
In a Monday announcement, Comcast said the breakup will put both of these operations in a better position to pursue their own priorities and growth. The move arrives as communications companies continue to wrestle with years of cord-cutting, and shifting habits in how consumers now buy subscriptions for anything from their phone plans to streaming budgets more broadly.
鈥淭he world is changing faster than ever,鈥� Comcast Chairman and co-CEO Brian Roberts said on a Monday call 鈥� adding that it 鈥渉as become clear鈥� the company鈥檚 technology and media businesses each 鈥渉ave compelling opportunities in front of them that are distinct in nature and best pursued with dedicated focus.鈥�
Upon the spinoff鈥檚 completion, both businesses would become their own publicly-traded companies. Comcast said it expects to complete the process in about a year, pending regulatory approvals and a final greenlight from its board.
That means consumers shouldn鈥檛 feel immediate impacts. But a host of major brands currently sit under Comcast鈥檚 umbrella 鈥� from internet and wireless provider Xfinity to streaming platform Peacock, NBC News and Universal Studios. And analysts are eyeing what those businesses could look like farther down the road.
What could be in store for NBCUniversal and Comcast
鈥淚n the short term, bundles, pricing, and distribution will likely hold,鈥� said Mike Proulx, a vice president and research director at market research firm Forrester. For NBCUniversal 鈥� set to head the media-centered company Comcast is spinning off 鈥� the split in itself carries little effect on its current business, he noted, and is 鈥渕ore to do with what it becomes longer term.鈥�
Proulx is bracing for future acquisitions in this space, adding that 鈥淐omcast is following a playbook we have already seen.鈥� He pointed to Warner Bros. Discovery, which 鈥� before becoming a takeover target that between Netflix and Skydance-owned Paramount. Paramount eventually became victorious, and is now its $81 billion .
Comcast executives have appeared to so far dismiss the possibility of heading toward a similar fate. When asked on Monday鈥檚 call whether investors should view the separation as a step toward 鈥減otential strategic transactions鈥� for either business, Roberts said: 鈥淎bsolutely not.鈥�
His co-CEO Mike Cavanagh 鈥� who is set to become the chief executive of the NBCUniversal spinoff 鈥� echoed that sentiment. Cavanagh reiterated plans to 鈥渂uild and invest for growth鈥� with more freedom as a standalone business.
Still, analysts like Proulx speculate that even if NBCUniversal doesn鈥檛 become a takeover target, 鈥渋t鈥檒l likely be the company doing the acquiring.鈥�
鈥淎s it stands, traditional TV is dying, and Peacock alone isn鈥檛 enough to compete at scale against the biggest streaming services,鈥� Proulx said via email. 鈥淥ne way or the other, NBCU鈥檚 entertainment business will look different within the next couple of years.鈥�
This isn鈥檛 the first spinoff for Comcast
Like other companies, Comcast in recent years has shifted its business emphasis away from traditional cable toward streaming and other sources of revenue, such as its movie studio, theme parks and home wireless and internet services.
NBCUniversal includes that theme parks division, Universal film and television studios, NBC and Telemundo networks, Peacock, and Bravo 鈥� and with the spinoff, European media business Sky will also be part of that portfolio led by Cavanagh.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia-based Comcast will continue providing internet services to residential and business customers. Comcast鈥檚 former Chief Financial Officer Michael Angelakis will become the CEO of that company following its separation.
Comcast has split off assets before. Monday鈥檚 move arrives just months after the company its separation of Versant Media Group 鈥� which, as first , is the new home of networks like USA, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel, as well as CNBC and MSNBC (now MS NOW). Movie ticketing platform Fandango and the Rotten Tomatoes movie rating site were also included.
Once the latest split is complete, Comcast shareholders will own shares in both Comcast and NBCUniversal. Comcast expects to keep a stake of up to 19.9% ownership position in NBCUniversal for up to one year after the spinoff is complete.
Comcast jumped more than 6% following Monday鈥檚 announcement. Shares still are down over 10% since the start of 2026.
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