Disney faces $27.5 billion forced buyout to Comcast for Hulu

[Jrb1979]

I'm amazed at how people actually stream so much. We barely watch any. Netflix sometimes if their is a movie or show we like but for the most part we rarely watch any streaming service.

 

[Moliphino]

I'm amazed at how people actually stream so much. We barely watch any. Netflix sometimes if their is a movie or show we like but for the most part we rarely watch any streaming service.

We don't have cable, it's all streaming.

 

[Jrb1979]

We don't have cable, it's all streaming.

We don't either. We use Roku, Netflix and YouTube. And we use antenna.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

I'm amazed at how people actually stream so much. We barely watch any. Netflix sometimes if their is a movie or show we like but for the most part we rarely watch any streaming service.

We only use Peacock, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

I pull up Paramount + for Bob Hearts Abishola and Young Sheldon a couple times a year to get caught up.

 

[Jrb1979]

We only use Peacock, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

I pull up Paramount + for Bob Hearts Abishola and Young Sheldon a couple times a year to get caught up.

For us my wife uses Netflix for Grey's anatomy. Other then that not much interests us in terms of new shows or movies.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

Oh, I also forgot! I went back to Hulu for the show Only Murders in the Building with Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Nathan Lane, and Jane Lynch!

They're expecting LOTS of Emmy noms for it...over 20, I think.

Just finished season 1 and it's amazing.

 

[BruinEd03]

From CNBC,

"[Comcast CEO] Roberts and then-Disney CEO Bob Iger struck a deal to temporarily save Disney billions after splurging on Fox while taking operational control of Hulu. Comcast agreed to hold its stake in Hulu until January 2024. Then, Comcast can force Disney to buy its 33% of Hulu at a minimum total valuation of $27.5 billion. The price tag could be higher depending on fair market value of Hulu in 2024 as determined by an independent third party.

....

At the time, Disney+ was being built. It would launch eight months later, in November 2019. Hulu seemed like a highly strategic asset as millions of Americans canceled cable TV in favor of free and subscription streaming services.

Fast forward three years, and the raison d’etre and future of Hulu is unclear to investors, analysts, media executives and even Disney employees. Disney+ has become Disney’s flagship subscription streaming offering, with 138 million global subscribers as of April 2. Hulu is U.S.-only, with just over 41 million subscribers.

Disney is on the hook to pay billions of dollars for an asset that now seems like an awkward fit. There’s little evidence investors care about Hulu’s quarterly results. In fact, the better Hulu performs, the more Disney will have to pay Comcast to buy the rest of it in 2024."


https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/06/hul...is-as-disney-decides-how-to-move-forward.html


There's no defense of Chapek. However, Iger left him with an absolute mess. We won't be seeing any relief from cost cutting/revenue generating measures at the parks for quite some time.

Headline is a bit misleading. Comcast isn't guaranteed $27.5 billion. $27.5 billion is the minimum valuation of Hulu. Comcast owns 33%, so they would be guaranteed $9.17 billion, or 33% of whatever fair market valuation of Hulu is at the time of the sale (whichever is higher).

 

[Devil13]

Hulu also has live streaming that's not available on D+

 

[sheilafri]

I don't know. They will have to pay for it anyway, but maybe when they take full ownership they will do something big with it.

So maybe they are keeping its value low until after the buyout to save money?

 

[ejgonz2]

Hulu also has live streaming that's not available on D+

That’s what we use Hulu for. It’s our live TV service. Otherwise we don’t use it that much compared to Netflix and D+

 

[gharter]

Since we still have cable, D+ , netflix, I see no reason to add Hulu. Without cable, maybe.
I know many who dropped cable because they stream Hulu.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I could swear at one time I heard Disney saying that D+ would only be PG-13 and under movies mostly family oriented, and Hulu would be the "adult" version for things like Marvel, Star Wars, R-rated, etc....

It seems that strategy changed. Since then, I have been unsure what their vision for Hulu is.

 

[gharter]

I could swear at one time I heard Disney saying that D+ would only be PG-13 and under movies mostly family oriented, and Hulu would be the "adult" version for things like Marvel, Star Wars, R-rated, etc....

It seems that strategy changed. Since then, I have been unsure what their vision for Hulu is.

Agree. I thought when they originally announced Disney + it was going to be family friendly only and other films would be another service.

 

[Jwaire]

I could swear at one time I heard Disney saying that D+ would only be PG-13 and under movies mostly family oriented, and Hulu would be the "adult" version for things like Marvel, Star Wars, R-rated, etc....

It seems that strategy changed. Since then, I have been unsure what their vision for Hulu is.

Once Chapek became CEO, they fired the Hulu executive in charge of streaming and decided to focus on Disney+.

In the United Kingdom and Canada (among other countries), there's a content tab called "Star" within Disney+. Star (not to be confused with Starz, a Liongate product) is a brand name Disney acquired the rights to with the Fox acquisition.

The Star content tab has all the content from Fox, ABC, Hulu original content, other subsidiaries, etc.

It just hasn't made its way over to the United States yet.

In the United States, I think Hulu's time is limited as a standalone streaming service. They may move its content over to Disney+ and use the Hulu branding instead of Star, but running two services is not cost effective.

 

[BrianL]

Once Chapek became CEO, they fired the Hulu executive in charge of streaming and decided to focus on Disney+.

In the United Kingdom and Canada (among other countries), there's a content tab called "Star" within Disney+. Star (not to be confused with Starz, a Liongate product) is a brand name Disney acquired the rights to with the Fox acquisition.

The Star content tab has all the content from Fox, other subsidiaries, etc.

It just hasn't made its way over to the United States yet.

In the United States, I think Hulu's time is limited as a standalone streaming service. They may move its content over to Disney+ and use the Hulu branding instead of Star, but running two services is not cost effective.

Man, I WISH we could get STAR in the US. That would be my preference - any of the non-Disney movies, the R-rates stuff, be on a seperate section, even within Disney+ as a whole. If it's Hulu or STAR, I don't much care.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

We use Netflix. Looking forward to Onepiece live action!

 

[dagored]

Man, I WISH we could get STAR in the US. That would be my preference - any of the non-Disney movies, the R-rates stuff, be on a seperate section, even within Disney+ as a whole. If it's Hulu or STAR, I don't much care.

As of today, R-rated stuff is on Disney+

 

[BrianL]

As of today, R-rated stuff is on Disney+

Yeah, but I would prefer it to be in a seperate section - plus I want actual good R-rated movies!

 

[Jrb1979]

Yeah, but I would prefer it to be in a seperate section - plus I want actual good R-rated movies!

Deadpool is a great movie. IMO it's one the best Marvel movies

 

[BrianL]

Deadpool is a great movie. IMO it's one the best Marvel movies

Ehh, not my cup of tea. A little Deadpool goes a LOOOONG way with me!

I want to see some of the Fox proeprties that Diensy now owns have a home - Alien, Die Hard, etc.