Comcast is moving forward with a plan to separate its cable networks into a standalone business, according to a report published on Tuesday.

The report, from the Wall Street Journal, said the company will separate its cable networks business into a standalone entity that were responsible for around $7 billion in total revenue during a 12-month period that ended with its most-recent financial quarter.

The announcement of the spin-off could come as soon as Wednesday, the Journal said, citing unnamed sources.

Last month, Comcast executives told investors they were exploring a separation of their cable networks business. The networks include entertainment channels like USA Network, E!, Oxygen True Crime and Syfy, sports-centric Golf Channel and cable news channels CNBC and MSNBC. Bravo, another cable network owned by NBC Universal, will remain with Comcast, as will NBC and other TV assets.

The WSJ said Comcast believes its growth opportunities are rooted in its remaining assets, including broadcast TV, sports rights, theme parks and telecom services, and that the loss of revenue from its cable networks will be absorbed by those other units.

The breaking up of the TV networks into a separate unit could help effectuate a sale of the channels, which is likely to face fewer regulatory hurdles than if they remained under Comcast’s direct ownership. It wasn’t immediately clear from the WSJ’s report and executive comments made last month if Comcast has received any interest from a third-party company or entity in buying the networks.

—

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story erroneously said Bravo was included in the assets to be spun off from Comcast.