MAM
Comcast bullish even after being turned down by Disney
MUMBAI: Even after the Walt Disney Company gave the thumbs down to Comcast’s unsolicited bid yesterday, the rejected yet bullish cable giant is betting that time will push Disney’s stock price back down to a level that will make its original offer look good.
After hearing that Disney’s board had rejected its hostile bid, Comcast sources were putting out the word that it had no intention of increasing the bid on its own. One source which was close to the cable giant was quoted in the BusinessWeek Online saying, “We’re not going to be bidding against ourselves. We think we put a pretty fair bid on the table the first time.”
In one media report Comcast chairman Brian Roberts made it clear that he’s “a disciplined buyer,” ready “to walk away from the deal.” Another media report said that it was likely that Comcast would increase their bid to something closer to a single share of Comcast for a share of Disney. As for the cash component, they could sell off some assets — like the Golf Channel or one of the smaller cable systems. And Comcast could hit up money-rich Microsoft, already a seven per cent owner, for some cash in return for added stock that comes with a shareholder agreement preventing the software giant from exercising further control.
Further complicating matters for Roberts, Disney chairman Eisner has his board’s support and is showing he intends to keep running his company. Indeed, the day after his board rejected Comcast’s bid, Eisner announced the purchase of Kermit the Frog and other characters from Jim Henson Co.
All that could change in the coming weeks, as the 3 March annual meeting draws closer. At that point, by Comcast’s reckoning, the difference between the two companies’ stock prices will have widened further — making Comcast’s shares even more attractive.
On the other hand, of the most likely candidates to consider competing bids, Viacom has already told investors and analysts that it is not interested, and Time Warner, just coming out of its ill-fated union with America Online, seems unlikely to take on another megamerger.
Some analysts said that Comcast may bid more for the Mouse House, but it would be very disciplined in not offering more than one share of its stock for each share of Disney because any higher offer would leave Comcast with less than 50 per cent of the combined company. Its current offer is for 0.78 share of Comcast for each Disney share.
For now, the outcome of Comcast’s overture is uncertain. After all, it is not unusual for the price of a target company’s stock to surpass the bid price. Analysts say that Comcast could sit on its offer for as long as several months as it waits for stock prices to stabilise and shareholder support to work in the deal’s favor. Of course, Comcast would have to change its strategy if another bidder emerges. But thus far, analysts have been hard-pressed to come up with other possible bidders for Disney.
All said and done, the crux of the matter is that Comcast will have to prove that it can improve Disney’s assets and it will have to raise its bid to make the acquisition work.
Brands
Hiili names Sanjay Hemady as country manager India
Media veteran to drive digital decarbonisation push
MUMBAI: Climate tech firm Hiili has announced its entry into India, appointing industry veteran Sanjay Hemady as India country manager to steer its growth in one of the world’s fastest-expanding digital markets.
Hemady, a familiar name across India’s media and consulting circles, will lead Hiili’s India operations from Mumbai. His mandate is clear: help Indian companies measure, manage and reduce the carbon emissions generated by their digital services.
Hiili offers a scientifically validated platform, certified by the UC3M-Santander Big Data Institute, that enables businesses to improve the efficiency of their digital infrastructure while cutting emissions. As organisations race to meet ESG targets, the company positions itself as a practical bridge between climate pledges and measurable action.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as country manager, India at Hiili,” Hemady said in a LinkedIn post, adding that the company aims to move beyond broad sustainability promises towards precise, science-based decarbonisation.
Hemady brings more than three decades of experience spanning print, television, radio and digital media. He has previously served as chief executive officer at HIT 95 FM, assistant general manager at CNBC TV18, and held leadership roles at MTV India and The Indian Express, among others. Most recently, he worked as an independent business consultant advising firms across media and technology.
With India’s digital economy expanding at pace, the environmental cost of data, streaming and online services is climbing quietly in the background. Hiili’s bet is that carbon efficiency will soon sit alongside cost efficiency in boardroom conversations.
For Hemady, the move marks a shift from selling airtime and ad inventory to championing climate accountability. If successful, Hiili’s India play could make digital growth not just faster, but cleaner too.
