NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- If all of a sudden, U.S. Government regulators permitted AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ) to, between the two of them, add ESPN; the Fox Sports regional networks; all of Madison Square Garden's (MSG) properties (that includes the famous arena, the New York Rangers, the New York Knicks and so much more); The New York Yankees; part ownership in the Dallas Cowboys; Clear Channel's (CCMO) radio stations; and DirecTV (DTV) to their stables, what would you do?
As a consumer, you might be outraged. I guess I can get with that. But, not really, particularly because outrage over this type of ownership scheme packs more bark than bite, plus I view the world through an investing lens.
As an investor, you would inaccurately, but understandably call this setup a monopoly. And, holding all else constant, you would buy the stocks. I know I would (if I did not work full-time for TheStreet, which prohibits staff writers from owning individual stocks).
That said, I'm not sure why the financial media doesn't place more focus on the truly big news, sports and entertainment media stories developing throughout North America.
You have the Madison Square Garden story, which investors do appreciate. The stock's up 57% over the last year, including a 2% Monday pop on news the NHL lockout is over. Alongside these massive gains in MSG, I have been telling its story. And I didn't just throw the narrative together last night; the article in the link is from April 2012. I still love MSG on its own or, in the more likely situation, it gets taken out. Given the strategy Rupert Murdoch continues to execute at News Corp (NWSA), I expect him to make a move for MSG sooner rather than later.Select the service that is right for you!
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