OAN Staff James Meyers
12:50 PM – Friday, May 16, 2025
Charter Communications announced on Friday that they will be purchasing Cox Communications in a massive $21.9 billion deal — bringing two of the largest U.S. cable and broadband operators together.
The massive agreement values Cox at $34.5 billion on an enterprise basis, comprising $21.9 billion of equity and $12.6 billion of net debt and other obligations.
The evaluation includes Charter’s recent enterprise value, which is based on 2025 estimated adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation — according to multiple reports on Friday’s announcement. As a result, shares of Charter, which is the second-biggest publicly traded company behind Comcast, increased on Friday.
The merger, which is considered one of the biggest globally in 2025, will help Charter increase broadband and mobile services — in the hopes of keeping customers from switching to wireless providers who have their own internet options.
Meanwhile, Charter’s business strategy of combining internet, TV, and mobile services into a single, customizable package helped beat expectations last month.
“This combination will augment our ability to innovate and provide high-quality, competitively priced products,” said Charter CEO Chris Winfrey, who will head the combined company.
The report also revealed that Cox Enterprises will own 23% of the merged entity, and its CEO, Alex Taylor, will serve as chairman. Additionally, the merger will now rebrand Cox as Cox Communications within a year of when the deal officially closes, with Charter’s Spectrum becoming the consumer-facing brand in Cox markets.
This is not the first time that the two companies have had discussions regarding a merger. In 2013, Charter and Cox had also discussed a possible merger at the time.
In November, reports had begun to pick up steam after cable millionaire John Malone said that Charter should be allowed to merge with other rivals like Cox, after Charter agreed to buy his Liberty Broadband.
Liberty Broadband shareholders will now receive direct interest in Charter under the terms of the deal with Cox.
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