Comcast 2012 Annual Report Download - page 33

Table of Contents
Each of NBCUniversal’
s businesses also faces substantial and increasing competition from providers of similar types of content, as
well as from other forms of entertainment and recreational activities. NBCUniversal must compete to obtain talent, programming and
other resources required in operating these businesses. For example, our cable networks, broadcast television networks and owned
local broadcast television stations compete for viewers with other similar networks and stations, as well as with other forms of
entertainment and content available in the home, such as video games, DVDs and websites. More recently, NBCUniversal has
begun competing for viewers with digital distribution services, such as Netflix and Amazon, some of which have their own high-
quality original content. In addition, our cable networks compete with other cable networks and programming providers for carriage of
their programming by multichannel video providers. Our filmed entertainment business competes with other film studios and
independent producers for sources of financing for the production of its films, for the exhibition of its films in theaters and for shelf
space in retail stores for its DVDs. It also competes for consumers with other film producers and distributors and all other forms of
entertainment inside and outside the home. Our theme parks business also competes with other multi-
park entertainment
companies.
In addition, our cable communications business, cable networks, broadcast television networks and owned local broadcast television
stations compete for the sale of advertising time with other television networks and stations, as well as with all other advertising
platforms, such as radio stations, print media and websites.
For a more detailed description of the competition facing all of our businesses, see “Business – Competition”
above. There can be no
assurance that we will be able to compete effectively against existing or new competitors or that competition will not have an adverse
effect on our businesses.
Changes in consumer behavior driven by new technologies may adversely affect our businesses.
We operate in a highly competitive, consumer-
driven and rapidly changing environment. New technologies, particularly alternative
methods for the distribution, sale and viewing of content, have been, and will likely continue to be, developed that further increase
the number of competitors that all our businesses face and that drive changes in consumer behavior. These technologies may affect
the demand for all of our products and services, as the number of entertainment choices available to, and the manner in which they
are delivered to, consumers continue to increase and evolve. Our failure to effectively anticipate or adapt to emerging technologies
or changes in consumer behavior could have an adverse effect on our businesses.
Newer services and technologies that may compete with our video services include digital distribution services and devices that offer
Internet video streaming and downloading of movies, television shows and other video programming that can be viewed on television
sets and computers, as well as other devices such as smartphones and tablets. Some of these services charge a nominal or no fee
for access to their content, which could adversely affect the demand for our video services, including for premium networks and our
DVR, On Demand and streaming services. In addition, consumers are increasingly interested in accessing information,
entertainment and communication services outside the home, and newer services in wireless Internet technology, such as 3G and
4G wireless broadband services and Wi-
Fi networks, and devices such as wireless data cards, tablets, smartphones and mobile
wireless routers that connect to such devices, may compete with our high
-
speed Internet services. Our voice services are facing
increased competition from wireless and Internet-
based phone services as more people choose to replace their traditional wireline
phone service with these phone services. The success of any of these ongoing and future developments may have an adverse effect
on our cable communications’ competitive position, business and results of operations.
New technologies also are affecting consumer behavior in ways that affect how content is viewed as consumers seek more control
over when, where and how they consume content, which may have a negative impact on our business and results of operations. For
example, the increased availability of DVRs, video-on-demand
Comcast 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K
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