Comcast 2011 Annual Report Download - page 16

Voice Services
Our voice services compete against wireline phone companies, including competitive local exchange carriers
(“CLECs”), wireless phone service providers and other VoIP service providers, such as Skype. Certain phone
companies, such as AT&T and Verizon, have substantial capital and other resources, longstanding customer
relationships, and extensive existing facilities and network rights-of-way. A few CLECs also have existing local
networks and significant financial resources.
Business Services
Our business services primarily compete with a variety of phone companies, including CLECs. These compa-
nies either operate their own network infrastructure or rely on reselling another carrier’s network. Phone
companies and CLECs generally lack business cable television offerings. In those situations, we often com-
pete with satellite operators.
Advertising
We compete for the sale of advertising with a wide variety of media, including local television broadcast sta-
tions, national television broadcast networks, national and regional cable networks, online and mobile outlets,
radio stations and print media.
NBCUniversal Segments
Cable Networks and Broadcast Television
Our cable networks, broadcast networks and owned local television stations compete for viewers’ attention
and audience share with all forms of programming provided to viewers, including broadcast and cable net-
works, local television broadcast stations, premium networks, home entertainment, pay-per-view and video
on demand services, online activities, including Internet streaming and downloading and websites providing
social networking and user-generated content, and other forms of entertainment, news and information. In
addition, our cable networks, broadcast networks and owned local television stations compete for advertising
revenue with other national and local media, including other television networks, television stations, online
and mobile outlets, radio stations and print media.
Our cable networks, broadcast networks and owned local television stations compete for the acquisition of
programming and for on-air and creative talent with other cable and broadcast networks and local television
stations. The market for programming is very competitive, particularly for sports programming, where the cost
for such programming is significant.
Our cable networks compete with other cable networks for distribution by multichannel video providers. Our
broadcast networks compete with the other broadcast networks in markets across the United States to
secure affiliations with independently owned television stations, which are necessary to ensure the effective
distribution of network programming to a nationwide audience.
In addition, our cable and broadcast television production operations compete with other production compa-
nies and creators of content for the acquisition of story properties, creative, performing and technical
personnel, exhibition outlets and consumer interest in their products.
Filmed Entertainment
Our filmed entertainment business competes for audiences for its films and other entertainment content with
other major studios, and, to a lesser extent, with independent film producers, as well as with alternative forms
of entertainment. Our competitive position primarily depends on the number of films we produce, their dis-
tribution and marketing success, and consumer response. Our filmed entertainment business also competes
to obtain creative, performing and technical talent, including writers, actors, directors and producers, and
Comcast 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K 14