Appearing on the cable business network CNBC, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts tried to allay fears that the proposed merger with Time Warner Cable is a bad deal for subscribers, selling it instead as “pro-competitive” and “pro-consumer.”
On February 12, news broke that the two largest cable providers in the nation were looking to merge, with Comcast announcing a $45 billion bid to acquire the number two provider. This raised fears that service would suffer as the provider gets bigger.
Several news outlets painted the merger as a bad idea. CBS, for instance, said that the “likely outcome is that the deal won’t be good for individuals.”
From fears of a lack of competitive pricing to worsening customer service, many say the merger is a bad idea, Politico highlights.
However, the Comcast CEO disagrees with the criticisms.
“It’s a really special transaction,” Roberts said on the February 13 broadcast. “The deal is pro-competitive. It’s pro-consumer,” he said, emphasizing that the combined company could bring “better products, faster Internet,” and “TV everywhere.”
Roberts also insisted that because Comcast service doesn’t overlap with Time Warner’s, there is “no reduction in competition.”
“We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think we could get it approved,” Roberts said.