Cable companies Charter and Cox agree to merge

Charter Communications and Cox Communications, two of the largest cable companies in the U.S., have agreed to merge. 

The deal would be one of the largest in the industry – and across corporate America – in the last year. 

The agreement values Cox at $34.5 billion on an enterprise basis – comprised of $21.9 billion of equity and $12.6 billion of net debt and other obligations – in line with Charter’s recent enterprise value based on 2025 estimated adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization multiple, according to a Friday news release. 

Shares of Charter — the second-largest publicly traded cable company behind Comcast — closed slightly higher Friday. Privately run by the Cox family, Cox is among the biggest cable providers, too. 

On a Friday call with investors, Charter CEO Chris Winfrey called the deal “good for America” and said it will “return jobs from overseas and create new, good paying customer service and sales careers.”

The commentary comes as corporate deal activity has been slower than expected since President Donald Trump took office.

After Trump won the election, Wall Street rallied as many expected the regulatory environment to loosen and the flood gates to open for dealmakers and corporate leaders. But in the months following the election, companies have been contending with other factors rather than dealmaking, such as the Federal Communications Commission’s investigation into diversity, equity and inclusion practices, and the outcome of Trump’s tariffs.

Last fall communications giant Verizon announced a proposed $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications. However the deal has yet to receive regulatory approval as Verizon is being investigated for its DEI practices.

Charter’s Winfrey said on Friday the companies expect “to go through a fulsome process.”

The merger with Cox comes months after Charter announced it would acquire Liberty Broadband in an all-stock deal that simplifies cable pioneer John Malone’s portfolio. In February, Charter and Liberty Broadband stockholders approved the proposed deal. 

Charter expects there to be about $500 million in annualized cost synergies within three years of closing, according to the release.

The merger agreement with Cox is expected to close at the same time as the Liberty Broadband merger, the companies said Friday. Winfrey said on Friday’s call it’s hard to pinpoint timing, but said “we think that could be in the next year, mid next-year. But of course, we’ll follow the lead of regulators and work with them productively.”

The broadband industry has been contending with heated competition from wireless competitors in recent years as there’s been a rise in alternate home internet options like 5G, or so-called fixed wireless. This follows the continued loss of customers from the traditional cable TV bundle.

Charter had 30 million broadband customers at the end of the first quarter, a decline of 60,000 from the prior period. It had about 12.7 million cable TV customers, with 181,000 losses during the quarter.

Cable companies have begun to lean on their mobile businesses to retain customers, and Charter has been aggressive in its pricing and bundling of mobile lines. Charter said it had 10.5 million mobile lines as of the first quarter after reporting another quarter of growth.

The company provides its services in 41 states, and is available to more than 57 million homes and businesses. As of March 31, Charter said it had a total of 31.4 million customer relationships.

Cox Communications — a division of Cox Enterprises — counts itself as the largest privately held broadband company in the U.S., and has approximately 6.5 million total residential and commercial customers, per its website.

On Friday’s investor call Charter CFO Jessica Fischer provided details on Cox’s business. The company has 6.3 million customers, including 5.9 million signed up for internet. Cox generated $13.1 billion in revenue in 2024, she said.

Cox’s services are available to 12 million homes, and its network infrastructure reaches more than 30 states. It began offering mobile in 2023.

The combined company’s network will span approximately 46 states, making it available to nearly 70 million homes and businesses, with 38 million customers, Winfrey said Friday.

By comparison, Comcast, the largest cable provider in the U.S., reported it had roughly 51.4 million total customer relationships, which includes 17.8 million international customers. Comcast had roughly 34 million total domestic customer relationships, and was available to nearly 64 million homes and businesses in the U.S. as of March 31.

Upon closing of the merger, Cox Enterprises will own roughly 23% of the combined company’s fully diluted shares outstanding, according to the release. 

The transaction will see the combined company change its name to Cox Communications within a year after the deal closes. Charter’s Spectrum, the brand on its cable, broadband, mobile and other services, will become the consumer-facing brand across all customers.

The combined company will take on Charter’s current headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, although it will keep a significant presence in Cox’s home base in Atlanta after the closing. 

Charter’s Winfrey will remain at the helm as president and CEO following the close of the deal. Meanwhile Alex Taylor, chairman and CEO of Cox Enterprises, will become chairman of the combined company’s board. Another Cox executive will join the board, and the Cox family will have the right to retain two board members. 

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of CNBC.