Fifteen years after Comcast assumed a controlling stake in NBCUniversal, the Philadelphia-based cable giant has announced plans to spin off its media and entertainment assets.The separation of the core connectivity business from the media holdings is expected to be completed within “approximately one year,” according to a statement issued by Comcast early Monday morning. Comcast said it expected to retain an ownership stake of as much as 19.9% in NBCU for up to a year following the completion of the spin.Shares of Comcast jumped nearly 23% in pre-market trading as the announcement hit the wires.Per Comcast’s proposal, the new NBCU entity will include the NBC broadcast flagship and the Spanish-language network Telemundo, as well as Peacock. Also splitting from the cable parent are the Universal film and TV studios, British broadcaster Sky and the theme parks division. Comcast’s current co-CEO, Mike Cavanagh, will run the new content company, while former CFO Michael Angelakis will take the reins at the cable business.Upon completion of the transaction, Comcast chairman and co-CEO Brian Roberts will “continue to be actively involved in the leadership” of both companies. Roberts’ father Ralph founded the precursor to Comcast in 1963, and the company was launched under its present auspices six years later. The younger Roberts succeeded his father as president of Comcast in 1990.Comcast did not furnish an estimate on the market-capitalization value of the two companies, although a call with analysts is expected Monday morning.The operator announced the spinoff of its cable networks division, which included Golf Channel and USA Network, in November 2024. The new Versant company was formally launched at the beginning of this year.The statement released by Comcast noted that the board and management team “believe each company will be better positioned to pursue its own strategic priorities, invest for growth and create long-term shareholder value as independent entities.”