Will A Comcast-Disney Merger Affect BASS?

Today cable TV power Comcast Corp. announced that it proposed to The Walt Disney Co. that they merge the two companies. "The combination would create one of the world's leading entertainment and communications companies with an unparalleled distribution platform and an extraordinary portfolio of content assets," Comcast stated.

Comcast valued Disney at $66 billion, a far cry from the $40 million or so ESPN (which is owned by ABC, which is owned by Disney) paid to buy BASS. However, if the transaction goes through, it leaves the fate of BASS – and possibly FLW Outdoors TV – up in the air, at least temporarily. For example:

> Will Comcast-Disney sell off parts of itself to help pay for the transaction and streamline the merger, as is commonly done? If so, will BASS be one of those parts?

> Since Comcast owns the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), will that then become the home of televised Bassmaster events? At one point it was said that airing of these events on ESPN2 was a stop-gap measure until ESPN could launch or acquire its own outdoors-only network, to be called ESPN Outdoors. Will OLN become ESPN Outdoors?

> If so, will FLW Outdoors events be permitted to remain on OLN/ESPN Outdoors, and will FLW want to remain there?

> With Comcast already slightly in the outdoors with OLN, does that mean better things for BASS? Or will BASS suffer from being an even smaller appendage of an even bigger mega-corporation?

Many hurdles have to be overcome before any transaction goes forward, in part because Disney CEO Michael Eisner isn't in favor of the merger. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts wrote a letter to Eisner dated today in which he stated: "I am writing following our conversation earlier this week in which I proposed that we enter into discussions to merge Disney and Comcast to create a premier entertainment and communications company. It is unfortunate that you are not willing to do so. Given this, the only way for us to proceed is to make a public proposal directly to you and your board."

BassFan will of course follow the story as it unfolds.