Billionaire Notes: Parsing The Yahoo/Comcast Deal

Facing the elimination of this beloved Mavericks tonight, Internet billionaire Mark Cuban takes a moment from grinding his teeth on the sidelines offer to some commentary on yesterday’s Yahoo!/Comcast deal.

For the first time, an advertising monetization platform, such as Yahoo's Panama, can be integrated into a NON internet video platform. When Comcast serves video from comcast.net to its own high speed data customers, those are NOT internet customers. They are private network subscribers. The vagueries and uncertainties of the internet are gone… In short, Yahoo and Comcast can start working together to develop video content and ad platforms that Google can't touch.

Great points. By establishing a footprint in the cable television space, Yahoo! is wisely placing a bet that the convergence of the Internet and cable will happen sooner rather than later.

But then Cuban goes back into his now predictable rant about HD television and it becomes clear that his vision is chiefly influenced by what’s in front of him—his personal wager on edge technology. Investing in the future is sexy, but it doesn’t always play to the market that is actually engaged in consuming the lion’s share of available content. Remember the laser disc? No? Right.

Ten years from now, Cuban will look like a genius—if he has the patience.

Photo: Duncan Davidson