Comcast's broadband subscriber loss widens as rivals slash prices

In its latest earnings release, Comcast disclosed that broadband subscribers declined by 144,000 in the third quarter, a loss greater than the 116,800 analysts had anticipated and larger than the 91,000 drop a year earlier. The decline reflects aggressive price competition from carriers such as AT&T and a growing number of independent fiber operators, prompting the company to contemplate significant layoffs to restructure the connectivity segment.

Conversely, the company's media arm, NBCUniversal, delivered a 13% rise in quarterly revenue to $5.36 billion, driven by successful content like "The Odyssey," which became the studio's highest-grossing film, and strong Peacock viewership of World Cup and "Love Island USA." Peacock turned a $217 million loss from a year ago into a $261 million pre-tax profit, while the theme-park division saw a 4.4% revenue dip to $2.60 billion, missing forecasts, partly due to weaker demand in Orlando and reduced Chinese tourism to Japan.

Overall, adjusted earnings came in at $1.07 per share, beating the $0.98 estimate. NBCUniversal is scheduled to separate from Comcast in a spinoff by mid-2027.