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This map shows changes for Charter Communications' customer base if a deal goes through to purchase, swap, or take over management of various Comcast customers. In Michigan, Comcast customers in many markets would switch to a spinoff company that's partially owned and managed by Charter.

(Courtesy graphic)

UPDATE: More details on Comcast/Charter deal

LANSING — Comcast customers in Michigan may be transferred to a new company under a deal reached between the cable provider and its competitor, Charter Communications.

While specific locations were not available, Comcast confirmed the Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Bay City, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo market areas would be impacted.

Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp. on Monday announced it had reached an agreement with Stamford, Connecticut-based Charter that involves selling and swapping some customers while creating a new spin-off company to take over other Comcast cable customers.

The move is meant to help Comcast's ability to get regulatory approval for its $45 billion purchase of Time Warner Cable. The merged company would shed about 3.9 million customers through its agreement with Charter, reducing its market share but still leaving it as the largest cable provider in the nation.

"Today's agreement follows through on our willingness to divest subscribers, while also marking an important step in our merger with Time Warner Cable," Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said in a statement.

Pending approval of the merger, Comcast would spin off a new company — called SpinCo for now — that serves about 2.5 million of its video customers. Charter would acquire a 33 percent stake and provide management services and support for the spinoff. Comcast shareholders would own the remainder of SpinCo.

SpinCo would take over Comcast service areas that are adjacent or contiguous to Charter systems in Michigan and six other states.

Comcast and Charter officials did not release the total number customers in Michigan or how many would be impacted by the change.

Under the deal, Comcast also would sell 1.4 million Time Warner Cable customers to Charter. Charter and the merged Comcast would swap cable systems serving 1.6 million customers each. Neither of these changes appear to impact Michigan.

"The transactions announced today will provide Charter with greater scale, growth opportunities and improved geographical rationalization of our cable systems, which in turn will drive value for shareholders and more effective customer service," Charter President and CEO Tom Rutledge said in a statement. "And through our meaningful ownership in and board representation at SpinCo, we can help it achieve similar market share growth in the markets it serves."

Email Melissa Anders at manders@mlive.com. Follow her on Google+ and Twitter: @MelissaDAnders. Download the MLive app for iPhone and Android.