Editing Comcast (section)

===Increasing market share (1990–2001)===
In February 1990, Ralph Roberts' son, Brian L. Roberts, succeeded his father as president of Comcast.<ref>{{cite news
 | url        = https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/08/business/business-people-son-succeeds-father-as-comcast-president.html
 | title      = Business People; Son Succeeds Father As Comcast President
 | work       = The New York Times
 | author     = Geraldine Fabrikant
 | date       = February 8, 1990
 | access-date = February 14, 2014
 }}</ref> Two years later, the company's mobile division, Comcast Cellular, purchased a controlling interest in [[Metromedia]]'s Philadelphia-area cellular telephone interests, Metrophone.<ref name=mcn/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/06/business/the-media-business-cellular-deal-for-comcast.html|title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Cellular Deal For Comcast |url-access=subscription |work=The New York Times |date=March 6, 1992 |access-date=2018-10-23|language=en}}</ref> By 1994, Comcast owned 50% stock in the cable communications company [[Garden State Cable]], who by that year were serving approximately 195,000 subscribers.<ref>{{Cite report|url=http://getfilings.com/o0000950159-95-000013.html|title=Comcast Corporation 1994 10-K Form|date=28 February 1995|access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref> That same year, Comcast became the third-largest cable operator in the United States, with around 3.5 million subscribers following its purchase of [[Maclean-Hunter]]'s American division for $1.27 billion.<ref name="Comcast-Feb-2004-425"/><ref>{{cite news
 | url        = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-20-fi-6190-story.html
 | title      = Comcast to Buy Maclean's Cable: Television: The $1.27-billion cash deal would make the Philadelphia-based company the industry's third-largest cable operator
 | work       = Los Angeles Times
 | date       = June 20, 1994
 | access-date = February 16, 2014
 }}</ref> Comcast grew to 4.3 million subscribers the following year with the purchase of the cable operation of [[E. W. Scripps Company]] for $1.575 billion in stock.<ref>{{cite news
 | url        = https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/30/business/comcast-to-buy-cable-division-from-scripps.html
 | title      = Comcast to Buy Cable Division From Scripps
 | work       = The New York Times
 | author     = Geraldine Fabrikant
 | date       = October 30, 1995
 | access-date = April 22, 2014
 }}</ref>

Comcast offered internet connection for the first time in 1996, with its part in the launch of the [[@Home Network]].<ref name="@Home">{{cite web
 |url          = https://www.baltimoresun.com/2000/03/30/comcast-cox-extend-excitehome-deal-cable-companies-follow-at-add-access-year/
 |title        = Comcast, Cox extend Excite@Home deal
 |website      = The Baltimore Sun
 |agency       = Bloomberg News
 |date         = March 30, 2000
 |access-date  = February 19, 2014
 |archive-date = November 1, 2014
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20141101034842/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2000-03-30/business/0003310295_1_cox-and-comcast-cable-partners-access
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref> Also in 1996, Comcast formed [[Comcast Spectacor]], which became owner of the Philadelphia Flyers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-et-ct-comcast-milestones-20140629-story.html|title=Comcast timeline: Rise of a giant|last=James|first=Meg James, By Meg|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 28, 2014 |access-date=2018-11-20}}</ref> In 1997, [[Microsoft]] invested $1 billion in Comcast, and the company launched its digital TV service.<ref name=":0"/> That same year, in partnership with [[The Walt Disney Company]], Comcast got a 50.1% controlling interest in E! Entertainment.<ref name="mcn"/> By December 31, 1997, it was available in the Philadelphia, Detroit, [[Baltimore]], [[Orange County, California]], [[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]] and [[Union Township, Union County, New Jersey|Union, New Jersey]] areas. {{Citation needed|date=November 2018}}

Comcast's cable acquisitions in 1997 were [[Jones Intercable|Jones Intercable, Inc.]] with 1 million customers, and a stake in Prime Communications with 430,000 subscribers.<ref name="mcn"/> In February 1998, Comcast sold its U.K. division to [[NTL Incorporated|NTL]] for US$600 million, along with the division's $397 million in debt.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/06/business/company-news-ntl-agrees-to-buy-comcast-uk-for-600-million.html|title=Company News; NTL Agrees to Buy Comcast U.K. for $600 Million|date=February 6, 1998|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> In 1999, Comcast sold Comcast Cellular to [[SBC Communications]] for $400 million, releasing them from $1.27 billion in debt.<ref>{{cite news
 | url        = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/21/business/the-media-business-sbc-communications-to-buy-comcast-cellular-operations.html
 | title      = The Media Business; SBC Communications to Buy Comcast Cellular Operations
 | work       = The New York Times
 | author     = Geraldine Fabrikant
 | date       = January 21, 1999
 | access-date = February 15, 2014
 }}</ref> Also in 1999, Comcast acquired Greater Philadelphia Cablevision,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/19/business/company-news-comcast-to-pick-up-greater-philadelphia-cablevision.html|title=COMPANY NEWS; COMCAST TO PICK UP GREATER PHILADELPHIA CABLEVISION|last=Jones|first=Dow|work=The New York Times |date=February 19, 1999 |access-date=2018-11-20|language=en}}</ref> and launched Comcast University as well as Comcast Interactive Capital Group.<ref name="mcn"/>

In November 1999, Comcast purchased Lenfest Communications, who were the ninth largest cable television operator at the time and were the largest operator in the Philadelphia area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/1999/11/16/deals/comcast/|title=Comcast buys Lenfest - Nov. 16, 1999|website=money.cnn.com|access-date=2018-11-20}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/news-feed/comcast-to-acquire-lenfest|title=Comcast to Acquire Lenfest|date=1999-11-16|website=corporate.comcast.com|access-date=2020-04-10}}</ref> This consolidated Comcast's control over all of the Philadelphia region, and earned them approximately 1.3 million additional cable subscribers.<ref name=":1"/> The purchase of Lenfest also bought Comcast the remaining 50% stock of the cable operator Garden State Communications — a company whom Comcast had already owned half of in partnership with Lenfest for years.<ref>{{Cite report|url=http://getfilings.com/o0000950159-01-000150.html|title=Comcast Corporation 2000 10-K Form|date=2 March 2001|access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref> Comcast quickly replaced the ten-year general manager at Garden State with their own executive, and eventually Garden State ceased operating under its own name and was fully merged to become a part of the Comcast Corporation.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hill|first=Cherry|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/183695824/|title=Comcast replaces general manager at Garden State Cable|date=29 January 2000|work=Courier-Post|access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref>