Comcast offers $31B for Sky, challenging Fox

[Krandor]

I had issues from the start with the Comcast/NBC deal. While it hasn't been as bad as expected a cable operator also owning a major channel at the same time just never sat right with me. Content distribution and content creation should be as separate as possible to prevent favoritism. Yeah streaming changes that dynamic a lot but on a streaming service you don't have the ability to cut your competitors off or charge them more like a cable company does.

Anyway, long way to say I really don't want comcast to win this because I just don't like the mixing of cable company and content producers. That and I used to have them for cable and they were horrible.

I have similar concerns with AT&T Time warner in that you would now have both a cable company and a "rival" in direcTV under one roof and I don't think that is good for consumer. There is also the issue of all the turner channels being owner by a cable provider.

Disney even with their faults doesn't currently own any cable or media distribution divisions (though they are planning streaming) and I like that better then mixing the two.

 

[Flayre]

Is it bad I just want X=Men in an Avengers movie?

Putting my personal desires aside, I really don't care for these nonstop mega mergers always being rubber stamped. I get why it is happening though as Netflix and Amazon have changed the model completely and broadcast/traditional TV has to do something. I don't remember, but I don't think Comcast has stated whether or not the FOX television brands would still be spun off or if they would take them on. I would imagine they would have to still spin them off since they can't control FOX and NBC. That will make things interesting for FOX being on their own. CBS is getting ready to make the move to acquire Viacom and bring those companies back together. FOX, if spun off, would be the odd man out of a broadcast network (and cable channels) without any larger content creators as part of the same organization. Solo AT&T would be an option, but not if they take Time Warner. Time Warner can't due it since they already have CNN and the other networks...unless FNC was spun off or sold to someone else, which I can't see happening since it would be totally stripped of most value at that point.

It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out. Seems we are on this path of where media will be streamed to us and we'll have to buy streaming packages from the individual parties instead of all in one from the cable company.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

You know last week I was thinking I hope the deal between Disney and fox doesn’t go through, but somehow get the X-Men, A New Hope and Avatar rights out of consolation or “you tried” as a result. I didn’t expect it to go like this. Maybe with how much cash Comcast throws around less pressure of a new gate from universal but I still think it’s bad business to have that much power, regardless if it’s Disney or Comcast.

I’m still curious what made Murdoch decide to bail on the entertainment biz...

 

[Flayre]

I wonder how much an all cash deal will actually swap FOX though, because the Murdoch family wants stock...not cash.

 

[Krandor]

It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out. Seems we are on this path of where media will be streamed to us and we'll have to buy streaming packages from the individual parties instead of all in one from the cable company.

It is funny. People used to say they wanted al-la-cart channels and just buy the channels we want. Now we are geting that and people would prefer to buy from one company. Funny how that works.

As for streaming we are going to see a ton of streaming services come out but eventually there will be consolidation and probably just a few survive. Or we get people that do bundling of services.

The closest we ever came to real a-la-cart and what I hope we get for streaming is something like we had for C-Band satellite (Yes I'm dating myself). You could buy services from individual channels directly but there were also people who bundled them but until cable you have multiple bundlers. So I could look at company X who had a bundle of channels A, B, C but company Y had a bundle of B, C, and D. I could pick my bundler based on what packages they had which I liked.

I hope streaming goes that rooute but I'm not optimistic because lately we have been losing ground and giving the networks what they wanted back in Sony vs Universal which Universal lost and now they are getting it.

 

[DisneyPigFan]

I had issues from the start with the Comcast/NBC deal. While it hasn't been as bad as expected a cable operator also owning a major channel at the same time just never sat right with me. Content distribution and content creation should be as separate as possible to prevent favoritism. Yeah streaming changes that dynamic a lot but on a streaming service you don't have the ability to cut your competitors off or charge them more like a cable company does.

Anyway, long way to say I really don't want comcast to win this because I just don't like the mixing of cable company and content producers. That and I used to have them for cable and they were horrible.

I have similar concerns with AT&T Time warner in that you would now have both a cable company and a "rival" in direcTV under one roof and I don't think that is good for consumer. There is also the issue of all the turner channels being owner by a cable provider.

Disney even with their faults doesn't currently own any cable or media distribution divisions (though they are planning streaming) and I like that better then mixing the two.

Are you referring to Time Warner Cable? Time Warner does NOT own or operate a cable company anymore -- they spun Time Warner Cable off 2-3 years ago. And that brand isn't even used anymore -- what was once Time Warner Cable now goes by "Spectrum"

AT&T already took over a rival TV distributor though as you know, DirecTV. Looks like they got rid of the Uverse TV brand in favor of using DirecTV?

Anyway, Time Warner is a content provider comprising of three branches: Warner Bros., HBO, and Turner Broadcasting (CNN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, TruTV, HLN, Bleacher Report, and a few others). (they also spun off Time, inc and all those publications under that branch several years ago).

What issue of all the turner channels being owned by a cable provider? Time Warner no longer owns Time Warner Cable, but for years it did, all while also owning and operating Turner Broadcasting.

Disney owns more than you might realize. For example, they currently own 30% of hulu -- that falls under media distribution.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

It's strange. This is a Diney-centric site but there is a huge contingency here that roots against it and cheers on the other mega-conglomerate Comcast/Universal.

 

[rteetz]

It's strange. This is a Diney-centric site but there is a huge contingency here that roots against it and cheers on the other mega-conglomerate Comcast/Universal.

I would rather Comcast not win this battle.

 

[Planogirl]

I would prefer if neither win the battle.

 

[OKW Lover]

It's strange. This is a Diney-centric site but there is a huge contingency here that roots against it and cheers on the other mega-conglomerate Comcast/Universal.

Some of us believe that competition improves the product

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Some of us believe that competition improves the product

As do I. But many are gleeful that Comcast may push this Fox acquisition into a bidding war. I don't see any upside to that.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

I would prefer if neither win the battle.

If Disney loses the battle the winners will be Netflix and Amazon and much of Disney's long-term viability could be in peril. I don't want Disney to be bought out and it's pieces sold off. This acquisition could help ensure that doesn't happen...especially if their streaming service is a big success.

 

[KenHutch]

Let’s not forget, this all depends on the AT&T and time Warner merger. If the merger is shot down, then Comcast will not bid

And I am betting the merger fails. A simple rule the lawyers for the government tend to be so skittish that they only file these things when they are 80% sure they are going to win. That goes for a lot of their prosecutions to.

 

[DisneyPigFan]

And I am betting the merger fails. A simple rule the lawyers for the government tend to be so skittish that they only file these things when they are 80% sure they are going to win. That goes for a lot of their prosecutions to.

That's possible. But in this case, attempting to block it seems pretty darn politically motivated. I think it could go either way....but am leaning towards the judge ruling in favor of the merger. We'll have to see on June 12th!

 

[Indy #1 Fan]

I would prefer if neither win the battle.

Me too. My hope is that this is blocked by Congress, and then Congress passes major antitrust bills that break up Disney, Comcast, News Corp, Time Warner, Amazon, etc. I'd love to see Disney be forced to downsize back to near where it was when Walt died. The movie studios should be forced by law to survive on their own as independent business like they were under the studio system of the golden age of Hollywood.

 

[Mouse of Mystery]

I don't like that Fox owns the rights to part of Marvel's stock of characters. Deadpool aside, they haven't done a great job with what they've had. I also think it's a little weird that Fox owns the distribution rights to a big chunk of the Star Wars movies.

To Disney, I'm sure that's a concern, along with cornering Hulu and raking in a larger chunk of the sports market, but I mainly just care about the Marvel and SW stuff.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

I would rather Comcast not win this battle.

I wish their was a love button especially for this. I do feel like a Comcast-Fox merger would be more monopolistic. Compare how much Comcast has spent over the last five years to Disney. Even If you count finalizing Lucasfilm and maybe even expand it to include the past ten years, Comcast has far outspent Disney and to make things scarier, I feel like this wouldn’t stop them from growing even larger

But like I said earlier, if it did go through maybe this’ll prevent another gate at universal, after all fast and furious just killed any hopes of Nintendo being amazing for me unfortunately (I’m depressed about that I was really looking forward to Nintendo).

 

[KenHutch]

That's possible. But in this case, attempting to block it seems pretty darn politically motivated. I think it could go either way....but am leaning towards the judge ruling in favor of the merger. We'll have to see on June 12th!

These things are almost never that clear cut. AT&T is on very shaky ground but the judge may tell them to go back and try again and point out all the areas where they are violating the law. That happens a lot.