Charter Communications said Thursday it has closed its $34.5 billion acquisition of rival Cox Enterprises, creating a new cable and broadband giant.
The combined company will have 38 million subscribers to video, internet and wireless services, with the Spectrum brand to be available in 45 states in the U.S. starting in September.
Charter had been signaling the close would come this month. Its shareholders approved the transaction last July, and regulators signed off earlier this year. The deal was first proposed in May 2025.
Along with the Cox deal, Charter also has consummated its plan to acquire Liberty Broadband. The deal is a transfer of assets controlled by media billionaire John Malone, whose many corporate affiliations include serving as chairman of Liberty Broadband.
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“When Liberty first invested in Charter more than a decade ago, we saw an opportunity to build scale behind a great management team and operating model,” Malone said in a press release. “The combination of Charter and Cox creates a stronger, more competitive company to further invest and innovate, while giving Liberty Broadband shareholders a direct interest in its future.”
Charter CEO Chris Winfrey, who is continuing in the role at the merged company, said the addition of Cox to Spectrum’s footprint is a development that “can be celebrated by customers, employees and investors alike.”
Winfrey went on to note that the market has “changed considerably over the past decade,” possibly an allusion to the emergence of new global players like YouTube and Elon Musk’s Starlink. “Regional providers like Spectrum are competing with national and even global connectivity and entertainment companies,” he said, citing that competitive pressure as a primary rationale for the merger.
Following the close of the transactions, Alex Taylor has been appointed chairman of Charter’s board of directors, with Eric Zinterhofer named the lead independent director of the board. Cox Enterprises has also appointed Dallas Clement and Mark Greatrex to Charter’s 13-member board. Advance/Newhouse will retain its two board seats held by Steve Miron and Michael Newhouse.
As it no longer is a direct shareholder in Charter, Liberty Broadband no longer designates directors for election to the Charter board, the companies said.
