By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — On the morning after it's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting spectacular, NBC Universal was sold.
In a $30 billion deal announced before most New Yokers had gotten out of bed, General Electric sold a majority stake the Manhattan-based media giant to Comcast, a cable provider, after nine months of negotiations.
Comcast will control 51 percent of NBC Universal and leave 49 percent to GE, according to the agreement. In the deal, Comcast added its broadcast holdings, including the Golf Channel and the E! channel, which are valued at $7.25 billion, to NBC and paid $6.5 billion in cash.
The deal has been in the works since September and was held up by negotiations for GE to purchase the 20 percent stake of Vivendi, a French-based media conglomerate, the New York Times reported. In a final agreement, GE purchased Vivendi's share for $5.8 billion, according to a release from the company.
"This deal is a perfect fit for Comcast and will allow us to become a leader in the development and distribution of multiplatform ‘anytime, anywhere’ media that American consumers are demanding," said Brian Roberts, Comcast chairman chief executive officer in a statement.
The concentration of production and distribution in one giant company is exactly what critics of the deal object to. Free Press, an advocacy group, said it will push for regulators to derail the merger on the grounds it gives Comcast too much power over what consumers view, Bloomberg reported.
Federal regulators still have to approve the deal. White House officials have said they will investigate the joint agreement, according to Bloomberg.
As the deal stands, NBC and Comcast headquarters will remain separate in New York and Philadelphia respectively. Current NBC Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Zucker, will remain in his position and report to Comcast chief, Steve Burke.