Comcast Bid Could Affect ESPN

Comcast Corp.’s bid to take over the Walt Disney Co., which shocked the business world Wednesday, also could have an impact on the sports world.

If Philadelphia-based Comcast’s takeover attempt is successful, it would obtain ownership of ESPN, and that alone would make the nation’s largest cable television distributor a major player in sports as well.

The impact on sports, however, would not be felt as much in Southern California as it would in Philadelphia and the Washington-Baltimore area, where Comcast has regional sports networks, or in Chicago, where another Comcast regional sports network is in the works.

Also, Comcast owns a majority stake in the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers. And the company has controlling interest in the Golf Channel and Outdoor Life Network.

ESPN officials Thursday declined to comment about the possible takeover. But industry sources speculated that if Comcast was successful, it could use the ESPN brand to promote its regional sports networks and also would have the option of using ESPN daytime and late-night programming on those networks.

Comcast Sportsnet in Philadelphia carries the Phillies, 76ers and Flyers. Comcast Mid-Atlantic, which serves the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas, carries the Orioles, Wizards and Capitals.

If Comcast ends up owning Disney, it is doubtful the company would be able to launch a regional sports network in Southern California.

ESPN failed with its plan to launch ESPN West in 1998, and all of this area’s professional teams have long-term deals with Fox Sports Net.

Any takeover of Disney would include the Mighty Ducks, a franchise Disney already has on the market. But Comcast probably would have to sell the Ducks because NHL rules prohibit ownership of more than one franchise, and Comcast already owns the Flyers.

The Flyers reportedly are considerably more financially viable than the Ducks.

Cox Communication and ESPN have been in a heated battle for months over the rising cost of ESPN -- now about $2 a month per subscriber. Cox has threatened to stop carrying ESPN if it is not allowed to put the network on a pay tier, so only subscribers who want ESPN would have to pay for it.

The negotiations between Comcast and ESPN haven’t been as intense, at least publicly.

Brian Roberts, Comcast president and chief executive, told reporters, “I think ESPN is a marvelous franchise and it’s a lot of the reason that cable has had great success these past many years.... I think there is an opportunity to enhance that product. There’s many ways to do things without just raising rates -- high definition, interactivity, streaming. These are things that Disney is working on, that Comcast is working on.”