TPI’s Scott Wallsten presented an economic overview of the proposed Comcast-NBCU Transaction in testimony prepared today for the Federal Communications Commission’s Public Forum on the Comcast/NBCU Joint Venture.
Antitrust and Competition
Economic analysis of markets is a core part of what we do. Our research has focused on mergers, vertical integration, and global competition policy. Our experts have deep experience in competition policy.
Press Releases
Aspen Forum Panel to Explore Antitrust and Tech Industries
Technology has been a principal driver of growth and productivity in the U.S.. Antitrust enforcement in technology industries is complex, in part because the sector is characterized by more or less continuous innovation. If economists are able to predict the effects of antitrust actions on innovation, then enforcement agencies can take those actions with greater confidence. If the effects are highly uncertain, however, the lesson for enforcement is quite different. Experts on antitrust and competition issues will discuss these and related issues at the TPI Aspen Forum, scheduled for August 22-24.
Commentaries and Op-Eds
Screening and Simplifying the Competition Arguments in the NBC/Comcast Transaction
The proposed joint venture between Comcast Corporation and NBC Universal is a significant transaction in a significant market. The transaction will create a large media and distribution company, including the programming assets of both NBC, a leading national programmer, and Comcast, which owns several cable networks and some regional sports networks, and the distribution assets of NBC (namely, its owned-and-operated broadcast television stations). This new company will be majority-owned by Comcast, which in its own right is the nation�s largest distributor of multi-channel video programming, and Comcast could be in the position, within the next few years, to own 100% of the new joint venture. The size of the transaction is made more important by the markets in which the companies operate: the companies are more than just producers and distributors of entertainment and sports programming, which are of course important in their own rights, the companies also produce and distribute news and political programming. The mass media has long been considered a market important enough not only to draw scrutiny from antitrust authorities but also to justify the attention of a specialized regulator, using sector-specific regulation designed to achieve specific outcomes.
Press Releases
NBC/Comcast Should be Judged only on Antitrust Concerns
Antitrust analysis of the proposed merger between Comcast and NBC Universal should focus only on its effect on competition in relevant markets and resulting harm to consumers, states James Speta in “Screening and Simplifying the Competition Arguments in the NBC/Comcast Transaction” released today by the Technology Policy Institute.
Press Releases
Google-AdMob: A Bad Precedent
TPI President Thomas Lenard published a piece on Forbes.com discussing the expected involvement of federal regulators in Google’s acquisition of AdMob. In the piece, Lenard warns of possible shortcomings of traditional merger analysis if applied to the fast-moving mobile advertising market and urges regulators to carefully consider the long-term effects of antitrust action on innovation in this space. The entire piece can be found at Forbes.com.