M&A Deal Summary

Microsoft and NBC Universal Acquire MSNBC Cable

On July 15, 1996, Microsoft and NBC Universal acquired media company MSNBC Cable

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Microsoft’s 1st and NBC Universal’s 1st transaction in the Media sector.
  • This is Microsoft’s 12th and NBC Universal’s 1st transaction in the United States.
  • This is Microsoft’s 1st and NBC Universal’s 1st transaction in New York.

M&A Deal Summary
Date 1996-07-15
Target MSNBC Cable
Sector Media
Buyer(s) Microsoft
NBC Universal
Deal Type Joint Venture

Target

MSNBC Cable

New York, New York, United States
MSNBC Interactive News LLC is a cable news channel and media company that was formed in 1996 as a joint venture between Microsoft and NBC.

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Buyer(S) 2

Buyer

Microsoft

Redmond, Washington, United States
Category Company
Founded 1975
Sector Software
Employees221,000
Revenue 211.9B USD (2023)
DESCRIPTION
Entrance to Microsoft's corporate headquarters in Redmond, Washington.
Entrance to Microsoft's corporate headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

Microsoft is a global technology company that offers a broad spectrum of software products, services, and devices designed to help individuals and organizations across various sectors. Its extensive portfolio includes the Windows operating systems, the Microsoft Office suite for productivity, and the Azure cloud computing platform, providing solutions for computing, analytics, storage, and networking. Microsoft also delves into enterprise applications with Dynamics 365, connects professionals via LinkedIn, and engages gamers through its Xbox brand and related services. Additionally, it offers internet services such as Bing for web search, Outlook.com for email, and Skype for communication. Microsoft was formed in 1975 and is based in Redmond, Washington.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 14 of 213
Sector (Media) 1 of 1
Type (Joint Venture) 1 of 1
State (New York) 1 of 11
Country (United States) 12 of 153
Year (1996) 6 of 7
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
1996-06-17 Electric Gravity

United States

Electric Gravity Inc., creator of the Internet Gaming Zone (IGZ), one of the most popular spots for playing games using the Internet. The Internet Gaming Zone features classic games such as bridge, chess, spades, checkers, Reversi, go and hearts, with log-ins currently registering at more than 30,000 each week and growing rapidly.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
1996-12-10 NetCarta

Scotts Valley, California, United States

NetCarta Corp., the Scotts Valley, Calif.-based developer of highly regarded client/server Web management and navigation solutions.

Buy -
Buyer

NBC Universal

New York, New York, United States
Category Company
Sector Media
Employees40,000
DESCRIPTION

NBCUniversal owns and operates a portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a motion picture company, television production operations, a leading television stations group, theme parks, and a suite of Internet-based businesses.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 1 of 13
Sector (Media) 1 of 8
Type (Joint Venture) 1 of 1
State (New York) 1 of 4
Country (United States) 1 of 11
Year (1996) 1 of 1
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2007-01-01 Universal Sports Network

Santa Monica, California, United States

Universal Sports is a provider of live and on-demand coverage of world-class competitions, interaction with top athletes and in-depth access to sports news and information year-round on both television and online. Universal Sports Network was founded in 2004 and is based in Santa Monica, California.

Buy -
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