Comcast reportedly scouting new media deals

Cable giant Comcast is talking to several new-media companies about possible deals as it looks to improve its position amid declining television viewership, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday evening.

Comcast has reportedly explored the idea of doing a deal with BuzzFeed, Vice Media and Business Insider. It already has an investment in Vox Media — which owns its eponymous website as well as several other properties — that it could conceivably increase.

{mosads}The talks are reportedly in very early stages — and no deal may ultimately come to fruition.

For Comcast, the firms could present an opportunity to further expand its business beyond traditional TV service. The cable service provider has seen its business change as television viewership has declined; on Thursday, Comcast announced that it had more Internet subscribers than cable customers by a narrow margin.

A deal could also give the new-media companies an opportunity to expand their content to television.

BuzzFeed founder Jonah Peretti said last month that the company was interested in getting into the television business, “but we want to do it in a different way.”

Vice already has a documentary show on HBO — but may be looking to do more. The Journal reported that one possible deal being discussed with Comcast would give Vice a dedicated cable channel from NBCUniversal’s stable. Another plan might be to spin off a channel to Vice. The web media company is reportedly not interested in a sale.

Comcast is fresh off of its failed attempt to merge with Time Warner Cable. If regulators had not killed it, that deal would have created a cable behemoth.