Entertainment giant Comcast (CMCSA) has a marvelous competitive proposition on its hands. It not only handles streaming content through its Peacock and Universal arms, but also, it handles the broadband internet bandwidth required to actually see streaming video to begin with. The problem with that, though, is that many new competitors have entered the broadband space of late, and it turns out one of the biggest has been recently identified. Comcast investors got nervous, and sent Comcast shares sliding nearly 2.5% in Friday morning’s trading.
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Trade AMZN with leverageOne of the biggest threats to Comcast’s market share is none other than T-Mobile (TMUS). T-Mobile has been active in the home internet market for years now, and offers surprisingly easy access to 4G LTE and 5G networks, depending on the location. That sheer availability is giving Comcast—which is still largely a geographic phenomenon due to its cable focus—a run for its money.
T-Mobile’s option is known as fixed wireless access (FWA), and it turns out that most major mobile service providers are offering it as an option. While there are some differences based, again, on location, T-Mobile’s home internet options are proving a welcome entrant in places where Comcast will not go. It is also proving a viable alternative to Comcast in areas where Comcast will go, and this represents a significant competitive threat.
Universal Loses Starz
Meanwhile, a deal with Starz Entertainment Corp. (STRZ) is on the rocks as Starz reconsiders its deal with Universal. Starz had what was known as a Pay 2 agreement with Universal, and now, it has a deal no longer. The Universal titles were certainly popular, but it turns out they were entirely too popular, as they aired heavily on Amazon (AMZN). And with substantial subscriber overlap, that meant the content was already heavily viewed before it got to Starz.
Starz’s customers did not much care for the reruns, and that led Starz to a new plan. Now, Starz will “…reinvest and acquire high-performing titles at superior economics.” In fact, reports suggest that Starz may be considering merger and acquisition (M&A) activity to get there. However, Starz asserts that “…we do not need M&A to maximize shareholder value.”
Is Comcast Stock a Good Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on CMCSA stock based on four Buys, nine Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 23.39% loss in its share price over the past year, the average CMCSA price target of $33.04 per share implies 29.07% upside potential.
