The house of Comcast-NBCU remains on rock-solid foundation and is looking to expand, thanks in large part to this power triumvirate. Comcast’s bid for Rupert Murdoch’s Sky speaks volumes about the company’s future ambitions. Under Burke’s leadership, NBCU entered this year’s upfront season in its strongest position of the past eight years, with cable growth not to mention the broadcast net leading in ratings for a fourth consecutive year. Watson is adeptly steering customer growth expectations through the relentless headwinds of cord-cutting—no small task given Comcast’s 22.4 million video customers, 25.9 million high-speed internet customers and 11.6 million voice customers as of the end of 2017. The upcoming year will see him continuing to improve customer experience and scaling services such as Xfinity Mobile, now fully deployed in Comcast’s retail stores. There’s no question that Comcast’s Sky bid will continue to be top of mind for Cavanagh, who’s been instrumental in pivotal moves, including Comcast’s $3.8 billion acquisition of DreamWorks Animation in 2016.
