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S-8

As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2021

Registration No. 333-                

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

COMCAST CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Pennsylvania   27-0000798

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

One Comcast Center

Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

COMCAST CORPORATION 2005 DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

(Full title of the plan)

Thomas J. Reid, Esq.

Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

Comcast Corporation

One Comcast Center

Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838

(Name and address of agent for service)

(215) 286-1700

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of securities

to be registered

 

Amount

to be
registered (1)

  Proposed
maximum
offering price
per share (1)
 

Proposed
maximum
aggregate

offering price (2)

 

Amount of

registration fee (2)

Deferred Compensation Obligations

  $500,000,000   100%   $500,000,000   $54,550

 

 

(1)

The deferred compensation obligations (the “Deferred Compensation Obligations”) to which this registration statement (“Registration Statement”) relates arise under the Comcast Corporation 2005 Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended and restated (the “Deferred Compensation Plan”), and are unsecured general obligations of Comcast Corporation (the “Registrant”) to pay up to $500,000,000 of deferred compensation from time to time in the future pursuant to compensation deferral elections made by participants in the Deferred Compensation Plan in accordance with the terms of the Deferred Compensation Plan.

(2)

Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.

 

 

 


EXPLANATORY NOTE

Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, this Registration Statement is being filed in order to register an additional $500,000,000 of Deferred Compensation Obligations of the Registrant under the Deferred Compensation Plan, which are securities of the same class and relate to the same employee benefit plan as those deferred compensation obligations registered on the Registrant’s registration statements on Form S-8 previously filed with the Commission on April 26, 2018 (Registration No. 333-224456), March 10, 2016 (Registration No. 333-210085), February 12, 2014 (Registration No. 333-193903), February 23, 2012 (Registration No. 333-179638), and December 8, 2004 (Registration No. 333-121082), all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Part II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Sections 1741 through 1750 of Subchapter D, Chapter 17, of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended (“PBCL”), contain provisions for mandatory and discretionary indemnification of a corporation’s directors, officers and other personnel, and related matters.

Under Section 1741 of the PBCL, subject to certain limitations, a corporation has the power to indemnify directors and officers under certain prescribed circumstances against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with an action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than derivative or corporate actions), to which any such officer or director is a party or is threatened to be made a party by reason of such officer or director being a representative of the corporation or serving at the request of the corporation as a representative of another domestic or foreign corporation for profit or not-for-profit, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, so long as the director or officer acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, such officer or director had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

Section 1742 of the PBCL permits indemnification in derivative and corporate actions if the director or officer acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, except in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which the officer or director has been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the proper court determines upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, the officer or director is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for the expenses that the court deems proper.

Under Section 1743 of the PBCL, indemnification is mandatory to the extent that the officer or director has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action or proceeding referred to in Section 1741 or 1742 of the PBCL.

Section 1744 of the PBCL provides that, unless ordered by a court, any indemnification under Section 1741 or 1742 of the PBCL shall be made by the corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that the officer or director met the applicable standard of conduct, and such determination must be made (i) by the board of directors by a majority vote of a quorum of directors not parties to the action or proceeding, (ii) if a quorum is not obtainable, or if obtainable and a majority vote of a quorum of disinterested directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (iii) by the shareholders.

Section 1745 of the PBCL provides that expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by a director or officer in defending any action or proceeding referred to in Subchapter D of Chapter 17 of the PBCL may be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation. Except as otherwise provided in the corporation’s by-laws, advancement of expenses must be authorized by the board of directors.


Section 1746 of the PBCL provides generally that the indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by Subchapter D of Chapter 17 of the PBCL shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which an officer or director seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any by-law, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in the officer or director’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding that office. In no event may indemnification be made in any case where the act or failure to act giving rise to the claim for indemnification is determined by a court to have constituted willful misconduct or recklessness.

Section 1747 of the PBCL grants a corporation the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any director or officer against any liability asserted against the officer or director or incurred by the officer or director in his or her capacity as officer or director, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the officer or director against that liability under Subchapter D of Chapter 17 of the PBCL.

Sections 1748 and 1749 of the PBCL extend the indemnification and advancement of expenses provisions contained in Subchapter D of Chapter 17 of the PBCL to successor corporations in fundamental changes and to officers and directors serving as fiduciaries of employee benefit plans.

Section 1750 of the PBCL provides that the indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, Subchapter D of Chapter 17 of the PBCL shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs and personal representatives of such person.

Article Eleventh of the Registrant’s charter provides that no person who is or was a director of the Registrant will be personally liable, as such, for monetary damages (other than under criminal statutes and under laws imposing such liability on directors for the payment of taxes) unless such person’s conduct constitutes self-dealing, willful misconduct or recklessness. Article Twelfth of the Registrant’s charter extends such protection to any person who is or was an officer of the Registrant.

Article 7 of the Registrant’s by-laws provides that each officer and director of the Registrant will be indemnified and held harmless by the Registrant to the fullest extent permitted by Pennsylvania law against all expense, liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, taxes, penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such officer or director in connection with any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (including, without limitation, an action, suit or proceeding by or in the right of the Registrant), whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, including any appeal therefrom (a “Proceeding”). No indemnification will be made, however, in any case where the act or failure to act giving rise to the claim for indemnification is determined by a court to have constituted willful misconduct or recklessness, or in connection with a Proceeding (or part of a Proceeding) initiated by an officer or director (except in connection with a Proceeding to enforce a right to indemnification or advancement of expenses), unless the Proceeding (or part of the Proceeding) was authorized by the Board of Directors. The right to indemnification includes the right to have the expenses incurred by such director or officer in participating in any Proceeding paid by the Registrant in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding automatically and without any action or approval required by the Board of Directors, provided that, if Pennsylvania law requires, the payment of expenses incurred by such director or officer in advance of the final disposition of a Proceeding shall only be made upon delivery to the Registrant of an undertaking, by or on behalf of the director or officer, to repay all advanced amounts without interest if it is ultimately determined that the director or officer is not entitled to be so indemnified.

Article 7 of the Registrant’s by-laws also provides that the Registrant may purchase and maintain insurance, at its expense, for the benefit of any person on behalf of whom insurance is permitted to be purchased by Pennsylvania law against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Registrant would have the power to indemnify such person under Pennsylvania or any other law. The Registrant may also purchase and maintain insurance to insure its indemnification obligations.

In addition, the Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with all of its directors, to indemnify the directors to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. The Registrant also maintains directors and officers insurance to insure such persons against certain liabilities.


The foregoing statements are subject to the detailed provisions of the PBCL and to the applicable provisions of the Registrant’s charter, by-laws and indemnification agreements.

Item 8. Exhibits.

 

Exhibit

Number

    

Description

  5.1      Opinion of Blank Rome LLP (regarding validity)
  5.2      Opinion of Blank Rome LLP (regarding ERISA)
  23.1      Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
  23.2      Consent of Blank Rome LLP (contained in Exhibits 5.1 and 5.2)
  24      Power of Attorney (contained in the signature pages hereto)
  99      Comcast Corporation 2005 Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended and restated effective October  22, 2020 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020).


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Philadelphia, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on February 26, 2021.

 

COMCAST CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ Thomas J. Reid

  Name:   Thomas J. Reid
  Title:   Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Michael J. Cavanagh, Daniel C. Murdock and Thomas J. Reid and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement (including post-effective amendments), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or either of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature    Title   Date

/s/ Brian L. Roberts

   Chairman and CEO; Director   February 26, 2021
Brian L. Roberts    (Principal Executive Officer)  

/s/ Michael J. Cavanagh

   Chief Financial Officer   February 26, 2021
Michael J. Cavanagh    (Principal Financial Officer)  

/s/ Daniel C. Murdock

   Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting   February 26, 2021
Daniel C. Murdock   

Officer and Controller

(Principal Accounting Officer)

 

/s/ Kenneth J. Bacon

   Director   February 26, 2021
Kenneth J. Bacon     

/s/ Madeline S. Bell

   Director   February 26, 2021
Madeline S. Bell     

/s/ Naomi M. Bergman

   Director   February 26, 2021
Naomi M. Bergman     

/s/ Edward D. Breen

   Director   February 26, 2021
Edward D. Breen     


/s/ Gerald L. Hassell

   Director   February 26, 2021
Gerald L. Hassell     

/s/ Jeffrey A. Honickman

   Director   February 26, 2021
Jeffrey A. Honickman     

/s/ Maritza G. Montiel

   Director   February 26, 2021
Maritza G. Montiel     

/s/ Asuka Nakahara

   Director   February 26, 2021
Asuka Nakahara     

/s/ David C. Novak

   Director   February 26, 2021
David C. Novak     
EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

 

LOGO

One Logan Square

130 North 18th Street |Philadelphia, PA 19103-6998

blankrome.com

 

Phone:    215-569-5500
Fax:    215-569-5555

February 26, 2021

Comcast Corporation

One Comcast Center

Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Comcast Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), relating to the registration by the Company of $500,000,000 of deferred compensation obligations (the “Deferred Compensation Obligations”), which represent general unsecured obligations to pay deferred compensation in the future in accordance with the Comcast Corporation 2005 Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended and restated effective October 22, 2020 (the “Deferred Compensation Plan”). This opinion is furnished pursuant to the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K.

Although as counsel to the Company we have advised the Company in connection with a variety of matters referred to us by it, our services are limited to specific matters so referred. Consequently, we do not have knowledge of many transactions in which the Company has engaged or its day-to-day operations.

In rendering this opinion, we have examined the following documents: (i) the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation; (ii) the Company’s Amended and Restated By-Laws; (iii) resolutions adopted by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors related to the Deferred Compensation Plan; (iv) the Registration Statement (including all exhibits thereto); (v) the Deferred Compensation Plan; and (vi) a certificate from an assistant secretary of the Company. We have not made any independent investigation in rendering this opinion other than the document examination described. We have assumed and relied, as to questions of fact and mixed questions of law and fact, on the truth, completeness, authenticity and due authorization of all certificates, documents and records examined and the genuineness of all signatures.

Our opinion is limited to the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended.

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Deferred Compensation Obligations, when issued in accordance with the Deferred Compensation Plan, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with the terms of the Deferred Compensation Plan, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, fraudulent transfer, moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and (b) general principles of equity, regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity.

This opinion is given as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update or supplement this opinion to reflect any facts or circumstances which may hereafter come to our attention or any changes in laws which may hereafter occur.


This opinion is strictly limited to the matters stated herein and no other or more extensive opinion is intended, implied or to be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated herein.

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Sincerely,
/s/ BLANK ROME LLP
BLANK ROME LLP
EX-5.2

Exhibit 5.2

 

LOGO

One Logan Square

130 North 18th Street |Philadelphia, PA 19103-6998

blankrome.com

 

Phone:    215-569-5500
Fax:    215-569-5555

February 26, 2021

Comcast Corporation

One Comcast Center

Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838

 

  Re:

Comcast Corporation 2005 Deferred Compensation Plan

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have served as counsel to Comcast Corporation, a Pennsylvania Corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the registration by the Company of obligations (“Deferred Compensation Obligations”) which may be incurred by the Company pursuant to the Company’s 2005 Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) and the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to the Deferred Compensation Obligations (the “Registration Statement”). Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Registration Statement.

As such counsel, we have made such legal and factual examination and inquiries as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of this opinion and have made such additional assumptions as are set forth below.

The Plan was established to permit eligible employees and non-employee directors to defer the receipt of compensation otherwise payable to such non-employee directors and eligible employees in accordance with the terms of the Plan. The Plan states that it is unfunded and is maintained primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation to non-employee directors and to a select group of management or highly compensated employees. For the purpose of this opinion, we have assumed that (1) the Plan, as amended and restated, effective as of October 22, 2020 in its current form has been duly adopted, and (2) the Plan is maintained primarily for the purpose of providing the opportunity to defer the receipt of compensation by non-employee directors and a select group of management or highly compensated employees.

By its express terms, the Plan potentially results in a deferral of income by employees for periods extending to the termination of covered employment or beyond. Accordingly, the Plan is an “employee pension benefit plan” described in section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). However, as a plan that is unfunded and maintained primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation to non-employee directors and to a select group of management or highly compensated employees, the Plan is subject to parts 1 and 5 of Title I of ERISA, but not to any other provisions of ERISA.

The Plan is not designed or operated with the purpose of satisfying the requirements for qualification under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Parts 1 and 5 of Title 1 of ERISA do not impose any specific written requirements on non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements such as the Plan as a condition to compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA. Further, the operation of the Plan pursuant to the written provisions of the Plan will not cause the Plan to fail to comply with parts 1 or 5 of Title 5 of ERISA.

On the basis of the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the provisions of the written document constituting the Plan comply with the requirements of ERISA pertaining to such provisions.


This opinion letter is issued as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws now in effect and in all respects is subject to and may be limited by future legislation, as well as by future case law. We assume no responsibility to keep this opinion current or to supplement it to reflect facts or circumstances which may hereafter come to our attention or any changes in laws which may hereafter occur.

We hereby expressly consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the 1933 Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission.

 

Very truly yours,

/s/ Blank Rome LLP

Blank Rome LLP

EX-23.1

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated February 3, 2021, relating to the financial statements of Comcast Corporation, and the effectiveness of Comcast Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Comcast Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2020.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

February 26, 2021