Comcast Completes NBCU Consolidation

Agreed in February to acquire additional 49% of programming partnership

By Mike Farrell, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/19/2013 6:01:15 PM

Comcast said late Tuesday that it has completed its acquisition of the remaining 49% interest in NBCUniversal it didn't already own from General Electric Co. for about $16.7 billion.

Comcast first announced its intention to acquire GE's interest in NBCU in February. In addition, Comcast said it would acquire the properties used by the programmer at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan and CNBC's headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. for about $1.4 billion.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday, Comcast said the consideration for the 49% stake included $10.0 billion in cash on hand; about $725 million of 5.25% cumulative preferred stock issued by NBCUniversal Enterprise, Inc.; $4 billion of senior unsecured debt securities; $750 million of cash funded through its commercial paper program; and $1.25 billion of cash funded through NBCUniversal Enterprise's $1.35 billion credit facility, which was amended on March 19.