US cable company Charter Communications has today agreed to buy out media giants Time Warner Cable for $US56.7 billion dollars which will see it become the country's largest cable and broadband operator.
According to the New York Times, executives say the deal will see faster services for online video, and out-of-home wireless internet options.
The possibility of introducing a national TV service without subscription has also been raised.
Charter’s chief executive Thomas M. Rutledge said of the announcement: "It is not just the small screens or the large screens in the house, it is the mobile screens and more.”
“I am not sure how the services will evolve, whether they will be sold in a big pack, a little pack or individually. As a true pure play, we are open to all of that.”
The announcement comes at an interesting time for US cable companies who now must compete with streaming services such as Netflix, which more customers are turning to, due to its capabilities to stream content online at any time.
It also comes just a week after music streaming service Spotify announced that they too have adopted video content and can stream from many US networks, including ABC, NBCUniversal, ESPN and more.
It is hoped that the buyout along with the faster services, will reel customers back into cable programming.
