Technology

How Comcast will look after buying DreamWorks Animation The Associated Press

FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 13, 2014, file photo, Tom Williams, chairman and chief executive officer of the Universal Parks and Resorts, leaves after a ceremony to announce the Universal Beijing theme park in Beijing. Comcast, in a deal announced Thursday, April 28, 2016, is buying DreamWorks Animation, the film company behind the “Shrek,” “Madagascar” and “Kung Fu Panda” franchises, strengthening its presence in the important and growing business of children’s entertainment. Comcast also owns Universal theme parks in Florida and California and the Wet ‘n Wild water park in Orlando, Florida. It has a majority stake in Universal Studios Japan and plans to open a theme park in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

FILE – In this Monday, Oct. 13, 2014, file photo, Tom Williams, chairman and chief executive officer of the Universal Parks and Resorts, leaves after a ceremony to announce the Universal Beijing theme park in Beijing. Comcast, in a deal announced Thursday, April 28, 2016, is buying DreamWorks Animation, the film company behind the “Shrek,” “Madagascar” and “Kung Fu Panda” franchises, strengthening its presence in the important and growing business of children’s entertainment. Comcast also owns Universal theme parks in Florida and California and the Wet ‘n Wild water park in Orlando, Florida. It has a majority stake in Universal Studios Japan and plans to open a theme park in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

With DreamWorks Animation, Comcast adds several movie franchises — among them, “Shrek,” ”Madagascar” and “Kung Fu Panda” — to its growing entertainment empire.

Though the bulk of its business remains in cable TV services, Comcast also has television channels and theme parks, mostly through its purchase of NBCUniversal from General Electric.

Here’s a look at Comcast’s various businesses:

— CABLE SERVICES: Comcast got its start providing cable TV services and grew to be the nation’s largest cable provider, though it trails AT&T in overall TV subscribers following the phone company’s purchase of satellite provider DirecTV last year. Comcast’s cable services, which include high-speed Internet and phone services, generate about two-thirds of the company’s revenue and income. It has more than 22 million TV customers.

— TELEVISION: Comcast owns the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks and operates 27 local TV stations. The company also owns such cable channels as CNBC, MSNBC, USA, Syfy, E! and Bravo. Sports networks include NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel and a few regional networks that cover hometown teams.

— MOVIES: Even without DreamWorks Animation, Comcast already has a large TV and movie production business. It owns the Universal Pictures, Illumination and Focus Features studio brands. Major Universal franchises include “Jurassic Park,” ”Despicable Me,” ”Fast & Furious” and the Jason Bourne films.

— THEME PARKS: Comcast owns Universal theme parks in Florida and California and the Wet ‘n Wild water park in Orlando, Florida. It has a majority stake in Universal Studios Japan and plans to open a theme park in Beijing. The theme parks include rides devoted to Harry Potter under license from rival studio Warner Bros.

— ONLINE: Comcast has a hodgepodge of Internet businesses. Comcast bought the movie ticketing business Fandango in 2007 and bought the M-Go online movie service this year — from a joint venture that included DreamWorks Animation. M-Go is now FandangoNow. Through Fandango, Comcast is getting movie rating services Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes from Warner Bros. Meanwhile, the DreamWorks deal gives Comcast a controlling interest in AwesomenessTV, an online video service that targets younger viewers.

— SPORTS: Through Comcast Spectacor, the Philadelphia-based company owns the Flyers hockey team and the Wells Fargo Center arena in Philadelphia.

 

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