Comcast takes control of NBC Universal

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

The nation’s largest cable-TV company, Comcast Corp., took control of NBC Universal after the government shackled its behavior in the coming years to protect online video services such as Net-flix and Hulu.

The deal closed shortly before midnight Friday.

The takeover gave the cable-hookup company 51 percent control of NBC Universal, which owns the nation’s fourth-ranked broadcaster, NBC; the Universal Pictures movie studio and related theme parks; and a bevy of cable channels including Bravo, E! and USA.

The combination had raised fears that Comcast might abuse its control of NBC Universal to favor its most-valuable customers: the 23 million who rely on it for cable TV service and the 17 million who pay for Internet connections.

But the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission imposed conditions that prevent Comcast from keeping to itself NBC Universal’s popular shows such as “The Office” and movies including “Despicable Me” for the next several years.

Regulators forced Comcast to make the full suite of NBC Universal content available as a single package to online competitors on terms comparable to those reached with more- established rivals such as Dish Network Corp. and DirecTV.

NBC Universal also is expected to match new deals for smaller chunks of programming between other media firms and online video providers if it has comparable programming on hand.