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Comcast CEO weighed idea of acquiring Roku

(Startup animation by Roku, interactive animation by The Desk)

Comcast’s chief executive has considered a possible acquisition of technology company Roku as part of an overall strategy to build out his company’s streaming television offerings, according to a new report.

The idea was revealed in a lengthy profile on Comcast CEO Brian Roberts published by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. The information was attributed to a single, unnamed source.

Comcast declined to cooperate with the article by providing Roberts for an interview, and officials at Roku declined to comment, the Journal said.

Over the last few years, Comcast has shifted its focus away from its traditional cable television and broadcast operations toward one that goes nearly all-in on streaming.

Roberts has told fellow executives that he doesn’t particularly feel the need to acquire or merge with another company in order to achieve Comcast’s streaming goals, though he has considered a potential buy of Roku or a merger of content with ViacomCBS, the Journal reported.

Comcast operates its own streaming service, Peacock, as well as a streaming platform called Flex.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is an award-winning journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering the business of television and radio broadcasting, streaming services and the overall media industry. In addition to his work as publisher of The Desk, Matthew contributes regularly to StreamTV Insider and KnowTechie, and has worked for several well-known news organizations, including Thomson Reuters, McNaughton Newspapers, Grasswire, Comstock's magazine, KTXL-TV and KGO-TV. Matthew is a member of IRE, a trade organization for investigative reporters and editors, and is based in Northern California.

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