Comcast to spend $100m to tackle racism, drive ‘meaningful change’

Comcast has said it will spend $100m to fight inequality as part of a multiyear program, which will also see its European pay operator Sky launch a series of initiatives to tackle racism.

Brian Roberts, Comcast CEO, said $75m in cash would be available to create programs that will “drive meaningful change” in addition to $25m in advertising spend.

Craig Robinson, chief diversity officer at Comcast-owned NBCUniversal, will oversee the plans, which will include grants to social justice groups and improving diversity in its hiring processes.

Comcast said it would also expand multicultural content across its outlets such as NBC News and new streamer Peacock, increase spending on initiatives that focus on improving digital skills, and provide funding for small businesses affected by Covid-19, with “a substantial portion of those funds to businesses owned by people of colour.”

Sky, meanwhile, said it would invest £10m ($13m) per year across its markets for each of the next three years to support anti-racism and improve diversity and inclusion.

Its work will be overseen, implemented and measured by new diversity action and advisory teams, with new targets to measure the progression of under-represented groups.

Sky said its £30m spending, taken from Comcast’s overall pot, would focus on: “improving black and minority ethnic (BAME) representation at all levels; making a difference in communities impacted by racism; using the power of Sky’s voice and platform to highlight racial injustice.”

Jeremy Darroch, Sky CEO, said: “I have listened to the views of our colleagues at Sky. What I have heard loud and clear is that we can and should do more to support the fight against racial injustice. We stand with our Black colleagues and today we are committing to do more to tackle racism, provide more support to communities impacted by racism and create a more diverse and inclusive culture at Sky.

“To make changes that really matter we will spend much more time listening and taking advice from those who understand the issues. We will work together with our Black and minority ethnic colleagues and with external advisors to support real change, and we will use the power of Sky’s voice and reach to highlight racial injustice in the UK and around the world.”