Charter closes Cox deal, renaming its parent to Cox Communications and expanding Spectrum reach
Charter Communications has closed its $34.5 billion acquisition of Cox Communications, creating a national telecom giant with about 37 million customers across 45 states and regulatory approvals in place. The merged group will operate under Spectrum branding but will rename the parent company to Cox Communications within a year, with Charter CEO Chris Winfrey continuing to lead and Cox Enterprises’ Alex Taylor becoming chairman. Liberty Broadband ceases to be a direct Charter shareholder, while Cox Enterprises will own roughly 26% of the new Charter, making it the largest single shareholder; a number of board changes will bring Cox executives and former partners onto the board. The company will maintain its Stamford, Connecticut headquarters while keeping a significant Cox presence in Atlanta, and Charter is offering one free year of mobile service to Cox Internet customers. Spectrum products are slated to roll out in former Cox markets in mid-September, underscoring a broader integration of the merged footprint and harking back to Charter’s prior expansions with Time Warner Cable and Bright House.
