WideOpenWest Inc (WOW)

History and Background

WideOpenWest, now known as Breezeline, was founded in 1996. It grew through acquisitions to become a significant regional cable provider. In 2021, it was acquired by Cogeco Communications.

Core Business Areas

• Residential Broadband: Provides high-speed internet services to residential customers.
• Business Services: Offers data, voice, and video services to small and medium-sized businesses.
• Video Services: Delivers cable television services, including digital and high-definition programming.

Leadership and Structure

Before acquisition, the company had a typical corporate structure with a CEO, CFO, and other executive officers. The organization was structured by functional areas like operations, sales, marketing, and finance. Now it is part of Cogeco.

Key Offerings

• High-Speed Internet: Provides broadband internet access to residential and business customers. Market share varies by region, often competing with larger national providers. Breezeline focuses on smaller markets, so national averages are not applicable. Competitors include Comcast, Charter, and Verizon in overlapping markets.
• Cable Television: Offers a variety of cable TV packages. Declining market share due to cord-cutting. Market share difficult to calculate independently due to being part of Cogeco. Competitors are streaming services and other cable providers.
• Business Services: Provides data, voice, and cloud solutions to businesses. Competing with larger telecom companies. Market share also difficult to calculate independently due to being part of Cogeco. Competitors are Comcast Business, Verizon Business, and AT&T Business.

Industry Overview

The telecommunications industry is rapidly evolving with increasing demand for high-speed internet and streaming services. Cord-cutting is impacting traditional cable TV businesses. Consolidation among providers is common.

Positioning

Breezeline historically positioned itself as a customer-focused alternative to larger national providers, focusing on speed and service in smaller markets. It now operates as part of Cogeco.

Total Addressable Market (TAM)

The total addressable market for broadband in the US is in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Breezeline, focused on specific regions, targets a smaller subset of this TAM. It is positioned to capitalize on demand in underserved markets where it has a presence.

Key Competitors

• CMCSA
• CHTR
• VZ
• T

Competitive Landscape

Breezeline faces intense competition from larger, national providers with more resources. Breezeline must differentiate itself by offering superior customer service and competitive pricing in its target markets. Breezeline has an advantage of providing service in niche and regional markets where the national providers may not focus on.

Historical Growth: Before the acquisition, WOW! grew steadily by expanding its broadband services and strategically acquiring smaller cable operators.

Future Projections: As part of Cogeco, future growth will be integrated into Cogeco's overall strategy. Projections are dependent on Cogeco's investments in broadband infrastructure and its ability to compete in existing and new markets.

Recent Initiatives: Recent initiatives include network upgrades to DOCSIS 3.1 and expansion of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) to improve broadband speeds and reliability under Cogeco's ownership.

WideOpenWest (Breezeline) was a regional cable provider that was acquired by Cogeco Communications. Pre-acquisition, the company exhibited growth in broadband revenue but faced challenges in video services due to increased competition and cord-cutting trends. As part of Cogeco, Breezeline must strategically invest in network upgrades and customer service to compete effectively. Moving forward, Breezeline must look out for potential slow downs from competitive pricing from larger national providers.

Data Sources:

• Company SEC Filings (historical)
• Industry Reports
• Analyst Estimates
• Cogeco Communications Financial Reports

Disclaimers:

Data is based on publicly available information and analyst estimates. Market share data is approximate and may vary by region. Future performance is subject to market conditions and company strategy.