Disney In Talks to Acquire Majority of 21st Century Fox

Iger seemed to say they weren’t talking in yesterday’s earnings call.

But even with these reports it just seems likely. Think about it, not only would they have plenty of IPs to add to their library, but they’d also be equipped with a much better arsenal for the streaming service. It may just be the optimism in me but I really see this deal happening.
 
But even with these reports it just seems likely. Think about it, not only would they have plenty of IPs to add to their library, but they’d also be equipped with a much better arsenal for the streaming service. It may just be the optimism in me but I really see this deal happening.
It’s possible sure but at the right price. Disney doesn’t need Fox but it would definitely add to their arsenal.
 
It’s possible sure but at the right price. Disney doesn’t need Fox but it would definitely add to their arsenal.
As others have speculated, this probably started out as a, "what do you want for the rights to ANH?" conversation, and ballooned into "everything that won't cause monopoly issues" as Fox realized they can jettison dead weight for a handful of profitable IPs. Fox may be surveying that it might not survive long term without something like the X-Men franchise bringing in hundreds of millions of fresh money regularly, but they may also view it as an inevitability that Disney will reacquire the license for Marvel. At the very least, Disney will be a thorn in their side asking "are you ready to sell yet?" repeatedly, while also maintaining the ability to limit source material by withholding comic book lines a la Fantastic Four until the property loses its appeal to general moviegoers and ultimately, profitability.

These talks ultimately represent both sides being interested in avoiding a drawn out war across multiple fronts. no one HAS to do anything beyond the status quo, but it benefits all involved to explore alternative options.
 


Hey guys, let's go hang out at Disney's Fox Studios and then hop to Epcot for Illuminations.
 
Hey guys, let's go hang out at Disney's Fox Studios and then hop to Epcot for Illuminations.
Pretty sure we don't have to worry about that happening. There is nothing "Studios" in DHS now and I feel pretty confident in saying the vision of "Hollywood East" is long dead and gone.
 
Pretty sure we don't have to worry about that happening. There is nothing "Studios" in DHS now and I feel pretty confident in saying the vision of "Hollywood East" is long dead and gone.
Haha, you're right. Lemme fix that:
"Hey guys, let's head over to Disney's Acquisitions and Mergers (DAM) and then hop over to MK for HEA!"
 


https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhu...-and-20th-century-fox-is-bound-to-happen/amp/

This is a great article giving plenty of reasons why it makes sense for Disney to acquire fox. All of these points are valid and I honestly cannot see this deal falling through.

I almost have to wonder if they would be able to trade the Fox cable networks for ESPN. Disney's been looking to spin that off for the last few years and with NBC/Comcast Sports existing I don't think they'd be subject to as great of anti-trust scrutiny.
 
Consolidation of studios doesn't surprise me - the cost of producing major release films has increased significantly over the last couple of decades and a lot of studios can't gamble on $200-$300 million tentpole franchise films (at least not without risking the whole farm). I've only glanced at the articles saying this combination makes sense, but they all seem to conclude that Disney would provide the "scale" necessary for Fox to compete in the current market (FWIW - Fox has one entry (Avatar) among the top 10 most expensive movie budgets, while Disney has eight). Mega-blockbuster films with huge budgets require mega-bloated companies that can finance those huge budgets. (For all those antitrust nerds playing at home, you'll recognize this "scale" as a potential "barriers to entry" argument).

Although I don't think this actually goes anywhere based on the reports, I suspect it'd survive antitrust scrutiny if it went forward (both for legal and political reasons). The closest analogy I can think of in recent memory against such a merger is the failed EchoStar/DirecTV combination in 2002 - and that was a merger of a much different sort and helped by the FCC's denial (which was the first time in decades that had happened). Fun fact - Rupert Murdoch and News Corp (which is the parent of Fox Entertainment and the studios) were instrumental in stopping that merger.

As a tangent: I saw this weekend that Disney's proposed streaming service may not include R-rated content. While a merger with Fox would give Disney many different assets and options, it'd be interesting that several of Fox's most popular franchises would be excluded from the streaming service on that basis (Aliens, Predator, and Die Hard come to mind - although I suppose Disney would just license the streaming rights for distribution).
 
If they were to acquire the fox sports networks...they could fold espn into it while also eliminating a competitor...

...it kinda makes sense from that perspective alone.
 
I almost have to wonder if they would be able to trade the Fox cable networks for ESPN. Disney's been looking to spin that off for the last few years and with NBC/Comcast Sports existing I don't think they'd be subject to as great of anti-trust scrutiny.

I could be wrong but I think the problem is ABC rather than ESPN. They can’t own two major broadcasting networks so a trade would not be allowed without a legal headache.
 
I could be wrong but I think the problem is ABC rather than ESPN. They can’t own two major broadcasting networks so a trade would not be allowed without a legal headache.
Not only has the FCC loosened its enforcement dramatically...antitrust is a joke...

And besides...they would not be buying the fox networks...newscorp could be highly profitable retaining them and running them...because intelligence is never displayed in the proper amounts and the catfish gotta eat too...
 
I could be wrong but I think the problem is ABC rather than ESPN. They can’t own two major broadcasting networks so a trade would not be allowed without a legal headache.

When I said cable networks, I was referring to FX, FXM, and FXX. I'd read somewhere that Fox (the traditional broadcast network) and Fox News would be staying put under any agreement, due to anti-trust/monopoly laws. I could see them arguing the same for consolidating sports networks, but less likely as its basic cable and not traditional broadcast networks. Apologies if my original comment wasn't clear.
 
A Comcast/21st Century Fox merger wouldn't cause Disney any problems with Holes - Disney already owns that movie (but perhaps earns a lower circle in the Underworld for unleashing Shia Labouef's movie career with that one....).

All jokes aside - how funny would it really be if Comcast/Universal ended up owning full rights to A New Hope? Fox has expiring rights to the other 5 movies through 2020 but has permanent rights to Episode 4. That could lead to some very interesting squabbles between Disney and Universal both in the short and long term (and impact on SW:GE immediately comes to mind - although Disney lawyers presumably got licensing locked down on that a long time ago against any successors). FWIW - I would prefer not to see the IP split up like that - it's usually the fans that lose out. The news puts Disney in a bit of an awkward position though - and once again Universal tries to drink Disney's milkshake. At minimum, they just made Disney overpay if it decides to dance.
 
How would they be in a huge hole?

Universal is really stepping up their game and Disney may start falling behind especially with all the Universal purchased land. Many of these IPS may show up at the inevitable 3rd gate. If Comcast secures these rights then they will have Avatar which is in Disney in addition to Marvel characters. I am pretty sure that’s the last place Disney wants marvel characters.
 
Universal is really stepping up their game and Disney may start falling behind especially with all the Universal purchased land. Many of these IPS may show up at the inevitable 3rd gate. If Comcast secures these rights then they will have Avatar which is in Disney in addition to Marvel characters. I am pretty sure that’s the last place Disney wants marvel characters.
Universal already has Marvel and a set contract on what Universal can and can't use. Universal is doing a lot but still has a long way to go to catch up to Disney.
 

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