Part 9/11:
Among potential bidders, Comcast remains a notable contender, bolstered by its longstanding history of aggressive deals. Industry sources suggest Warner Brothers Discovery might prefer Comcast as the ultimate buyer, partly because of CEO David Zaslav’s historical ties and aspirations of leading bigger media entities, possibly even NBC.
However, Comcast faces substantial hurdles:
Financially, it is in a precarious situation. Its cable business struggles, with stock valuations at historic lows and EBITDA multiples around five.
To secure the acquisition, Comcast would need to offer a $60 billion predominantly debt-financed bid—an enormous financial undertaking that would impact its cash flow and investor confidence.