The stars have aligned for the $14 billion NBC-Vivendi merger. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week gave its approval. Barry Diller’s InterActiveCorp and other parties have resolved remaining disputes. All major obstacles to completion of the deal have been removed, reports say.
The completion of the huge merger, which combines General Electric’s NBC unit and Vivendi Universal's entertainment assets, is now said to be a formality and only weeks away. The deal will create a new entertainment giant to be called NBC Universal.
The new combined company will have an annual revenue of $13 billion and include the NBC broadcast network, the Universal movie and television studios, 14 TV stations and interests in five theme parks, as well as such cable networks as USA, CNBC and Bravo.
