Last week’s announcement regarding the purchase of 51% of NBC Universal by Comcast has received a substantial amount of attention thus far. The deal will combine many important media entities in television, internet and movies and values NBCU at $30 billion. GE still owns 49% (after Vivendi selling its 20% stake in NBCU back to GE) and receives roughly $6.5 billion from the transaction, useful for investing back in its own core businesses. The deal also provides a path for Comcast to eventually own 100% of NBC Universal in the future. Such a large merger has got consumers talking; how are they really feeling?

Why consumers are not on board just yet- Opinion regarding the merger is not cut and dry, and for good reason. Comcast’s plans with the company could change the game completely; mixing cable TV subscriptions, programming and movies with its online counter-parts and at a higher cost for consumers. While Comcast boasts synergy for consumers, no one is quick to jump on the bandwagon. Sentiment over the time period shows consumers are 46% positive, 42% neutral and 12% negative over the highly publicized joint-venture. The high neutral sentiment associated with the deal shows the lack of certainty regarding consumer perception of how we will consume media in the future and at what cost.

With so much entertainment at stake, it’s no surprise that 36% of discussion surrounding the deal concerned Hulu. The online community is buzzing about what the deal means for Hulu, which is partially owned by NBC Universal. Currently, the website follows an advertising based revenue model that provides free access to hundreds of shows and movies. While rumors of a paid-subscription model for Hulu are being discussed, it’s not time for consumers to worry yet, and there are still other options – nothing is set in stone.

The NBC Brand is at Risk- Much of the concern for the merger also stems from the long-time customer dissatisfaction with Comcast’s services and control over local cable markets. If Comcast can play nice, they could improve consumer opinion of its brand, but it’s a slippery slope for NBC. Many, much like myself, enjoy the current NBC format. I especially love the integration of 30 Rock into the NBC culture, and the openness of GE’s current stake in the brand (independent of the merger). Comcast is to have to pull out the “big guns” to think of an innovative approach to providing content to its consumers and they are have to going to genuinely care about more than just the money. If you’re going to charge for every avenue at which media is consumed, you can believe you better not change my favorite show- oh, and I don’t want to pay $30 a month just for E! Entertainment Television.

What does this mean for Media and Entertainment?- The deal is lucrative for M&E as it integrates viewership from across the space into the TV Everywhere. The service is free if you can authenticate your subscription Turner, Rainbow Media, Comcast Entertainment or Scripps Networks and allows users to view recently aired episodes of their favorite shows online. The catch is you can’t fast-forward through commercials like you can with your DVR box, which offers the solution advertisers are looking for and passes on no additional cost to consumers. Simply put, the integration offers solutions for all interested parties.

Social Media is Key- Provided the FCC allows the merger to take place, which could take a year or more, Comcast faces the largest hurdle with consumers. Inevitably, they are paying for services and you better believe they have something to say about it. While extensive research has already been completed, on-going research of the social web is imperative to understand how Comcast can appeal to consumers, their pain points with the current market and how they wish to consume media in the future. Social media will provide invaluable insight into how Comcast can make consumers happy, giving them a warmer reception into the market.

What now, FCC?- At this point, no one really knows how the deal will play out. While it might not go through, my guess is that the FCC will (hopefully) place strict regulations on the soon-to-be media giant as they will be reaching such a large audience. While the opportunity presents innovation for all players in the media and entertainment world, the FCC needs to really think about how the deal is going to be fair for both competition and consumers.

Join the conversation- How do you feel about the merger? How do you think it will affect the market and consumption habits? What are your perceived problems and successes with the deal?

*DISCLAIMER: Collective Intellect was not commissioned by any affiliated parties in the Comcast/NBCU merger (including but not limited to: Comcast, NBC Universal, Hulu, GE and any subsidiaries and joint ventures). This supporting data was created using CI’s next generation real time social analytics solutions and is analyzed by CI staff.