Effect on Universal Studios Parks under Comcast Ownership?

[bostonlva]

Well since comcast is the WORST business ever, who is dead last in customer service,etc...... What will become of our beloved parks once the keys are handed over to comcast?

[raptor6]

A simple and humble word of advice: you should really post a link next time for issues like this one.

 

Or at least quote Screamscape:

 

Good news and Bad News time. The Good News is that G.E. has come to an agreement to buy Vivendi’s 20% stake in the NBC Universal. The Bad News is that this puts all the pieces in play for G.E. to them sell off 51% of NBC Universal to Comcast, a company well known for being voted more than once as having THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE in the country. No joke… they were ranked as THE WORST in the 2004 and 2007 American Customer Satisfaction Index survey… coming in below even the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.). This is a company who’s general mistreatment of their customers was so bad it drove a 75-year old grandmother into a fit a rage so bad that she grabbed a hammer from home, stormed into her local Comcast office and began to smash up the keyboards, computers and telephones in the office until the police arrived to arrest her. Honestly, the thought that Comcast could soon be given the keys to the Universal Theme Parks just scares the hell out of me.

 

The Grandma Hammer Story and her Comcast rage.

 

With that said, even though Comcast might run the Universal Empire, I'll give them a fair chance until they prove that they are not fit to be in charge. With their track record, however, it might happen sooner rather than later.

[Jew]

It's way too early to speculate at this point. For all we know, Comcast could have no interest in the parks and sell them off. Or stay completely hands off and let the theme park people do their own thing, which could lead to the parks improving. Or change the parks over to the "comcast culture" and make them worse.

[themeparkman25]

I thought Blackstone, the now owners of BEC, were the majority owners in the Universal properties? So I am sure that if Comcast was to try to alter operations, there would be some kind of checks and balances with the other owners.

[Jew]

Blackstone only owns 50% of Universal Orlando.

[RCFreak]

And the deal may be official, but the approval from the FTC and FCC is not, so who knows if by some miracle they deny the deal.

[Homeboy23]

^^ I would hope that Blackstone can take more control over the parks.

[Homer]

I think this post from Westcoaster would sum it up quite nicely:

 

How it will work:

Universal Studios Theme Park POWERTICKET®.

 

Single user 1 day general admission*** - $44.99*

Receive $5 off if purchased through Comcast online or participating partners, valid any day!**

 

 

$4.99 Kids Pass for access to 4 great family attractions****

$9.99 Family Pass for access to 8 great family attractions*****

$14.99 Thrill Pass for access to 6 extreme thrill rides

$20.99 Unlimited all you can ride pass

 

Skip the lines with Ride on Demand® for an additional fee of $14.99

 

Tickets can be printed with the Print At Home® service for a $4.99 fee, sent via USPS for a $7.99 fee or held at will call for a $11.99 fee.

*Does not reflect $12.99 event service fee, also subject to $3.99 convenience fee

**$5 mail in rebate, please have W2 and proof of citizenship available at front gate, mail in rebate of $5 will take 6-8 weeks to process. Discount valid between the hours of 9:00am and 11:00am on Tuesdays in October

***General admission grants 1 person access to Universal Studios for 1 day. Rides, shows, and other attractions not included

****Kids pass does not include use of family attractions

*****Family pass does not include use of kiddie land

Please note: all ride passes are limited to 1 attraction per hour or 7 rides per day, including the Unlimited Pass

 

All prices subject to change and require purchaser to return to the park at full price within 90 days of ticket purchase or they will incur a $30 termination of contract fee.

 

Seriously not the biggest fan of this news. Its frightening how much money Comcast has since in some areas, it's basically the only choice for cable TV that isn't satellite and internet.

[Homeboy23]

^

 

They left out one:

 

Buy a season pass for $69.99 *

 

* An additional $50 will be charged after 6 months.

[coasterfreaky]

Its one thing to see a park be rescued by a larger entity, but its quite another to consider a successful park chain be swallowed up by a behemoth cable operation.

 

The Universal parks are pretty successful by most means of measure, so even if Comcast were to play a big role in the parks, I just can't see them tinkering around things too much. I'm not sure what it is that Comcast can bring to the table that would be an improvement over the current situation, which apparently isn't all that bad.

[DirkFunk]

Amusement parks are way outside their core competency. With that said, I don't see them pushing hard to replace management and install their own folks unless they see the parks as a financial drain. I wouldn't expect any drastic changes any time soon.

[BaMiTsPaT]

^ I agree. i don't think that Comcast gained control over Universal with the goal of altering their theme parks in a massive way. I believe they will let the theme park people do their jobs as before but only time will tell...

[PriestofSyrinx]

What Im more worried about is not so Theme park Related,

 

Im just worried that Comcast will jack up the price on NBC and MSNBC (Just like they did when they purchased Verses Network) so that DirecTV, Dish, Time Warner Cable, etc. will have to charge more for its basic service, thus making Comcast the lowest price on the market again. Or even worse, not being able to get the channel at all

 

But I hope that the Government will realize that a TV CABLE PROVIDER taking control of one of the Big Four Networks (CBS,ABC,Fox,NBC) would go against anti-trust laws

[jedimaster1227]

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2009/12/comcast-chief-sees-growth-potential-in-universals-theme-parks.html

 

Sounds like Comcast execs may be planning to hang on to NBC Universal's theme parks.

 

In a conference call to discuss its deal with General Electric Co., Comcast CEO Brian Roberts praised Universal's theme-parks division, calling it "one of just two major international theme-park brands."

 

"Stable, industry-leading margins, lots of cross-promotional opportunities, they recently made a significant investment in a new set of attractions around the Harry Potter world they are building at Universal in Orlando. And we will clearly benefit from these investments in an improved economy," Roberts said. "Again, a relatively small part of the business that can be poised for some nice growth."

 

Although it does sound like Roberts is praising the benefits more than the business, I do think that this is a more positive sign that they intend to keep the parks' ongoing development in motion.