The New York Post has published a report claiming that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was exploring the acquisition of CNBC, a business-focused cable network owned by Comcast’s NBCUniversal.
According to sources cited in the report, Bezos, who acquired The Washington Post in 2013, had expressed interest to business associates in purchasing CNBC following its planned spin-off into a new publicly traded company called Versant, expected by the end of 2025.
However, a source close to Bezos denied these claims to The Daily Beast, stating, “There’s not a shred of truth to that story.”
Additionally, sources close to Comcast and Versant cast doubt on the speculation, noting that Versant plans to grow CNBC rather than sell it and that tax regulations would prevent the sale of major assets like CNBC for two years post-spin-off to maintain the tax-free status of the transaction.
No formal offer from Bezos has been confirmed, and Comcast has not reported direct outreach from him. Versant, which will include CNBC, MSNBC, and other cable assets, generated approximately $7 billion in revenue in 2024, though specific financials for CNBC alone were not disclosed.