The split would cleave off some of NBCUniversal’s best-known brands, which face the same cord-cutting challenges as many other major cable channels.

The new publicly traded company is set to debut next year, with a bundle of channels that also includes Oxygen, E! and Syfy.

Comcast is planning to announce the spinoff of its cable networks, including CNBC, MSNBC and E!, on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the matter.