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Disney/Fox Talks
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Started by Key Largo Comics,

731 posts in this topic

Bosco685

Bosco685

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Rupert Murdoch May Be Willing to Go With Comcast Bid for Fox Assets (Report)

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"Rupert Murdoch is not set on selling to Disney," Rich Greenfield reported, citing sources.

 

Walt Disney's deal to purchase most of the assets of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion is in more jeopardy than some may believe, a Wall Street analyst said Thursday, citing inside sources.

 

Richard Greenfield of BTIG said Rupert Murdoch, who controls Fox along with his sons, James and Lachlan, simply wants to do business with the highest bidder, which could be Comcast at about $60 billion.

 

Comcast acknowledged last month that it was preparing a "superior" all-cash bid to buy the assets Disney has agreed to purchase for $52.4 billion, including the film and TV studio, Fox's interest in the European pay-TV giant Sky, some TV stations and more.

 

Greenfield said the conventional wisdom that Murdoch prefers a deal that would make him one of Disney's largest shareholders, and avoid some taxes, is wrong — what he cares about is getting the most money for the assets.

 

"Rupert, like his shareholders, [is] now fully aligned and simply [wants] the best possible outcome, meaning the most dollars, whether that's cash or cash and stock," Greenfield told digital news network Cheddar.

 

What would be left behind if regulators allow Disney — or Comcast — to buy most of Fox is being refered to as "new Fox." Those assets would be the broadcast network, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network and Fox's sports networks.

 

"Rupert Murdoch is not set on selling to Disney," Greenfield said. "This is a real opening for Comcast to come in with a very significant premium bid to where Disney is now."

 

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Gatsby77

Gatsby77

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3 hours ago, Callaway29 said:

5 days to counter.

What happens to Fox’s IP if Comcast wins? Any chatter on comcast’s vision? Maybe they sell it off to Disney? ??

I like this article by Mark Hughes, who is one of the film critics who writes for Forbes:

http://qr.ae/TUpsuj

He writes:

"I think Comcast’s aggressive attempt to subvert the Disney-Fox deal was possibly just jockeying for position to get Disney to give up Hulu and Sky TV anyway, and that Comcast would in the long run rather obtain control of Comcast and Sky, and then use their large amount of cash to buy Paramount and Sony Pictures instead.

Getting the back catalogue of movies and TV shows from those two companies, and having a major established streaming service on which to put the library of content, is of vastly more value to Comcast in the long run. Throw in the rights to Sky TV, and I think it’s clearly the best option for Comcast and an easily doable deal for Disney to avoid having to increase their bid to Fox."

The significance to his line of thought is that this all started when Fox basically decided they wouldn't attempt to do a stand-alone streaming service. Sony and Paramount are in the same boat -- so all three are acquisition targets for companies who have streaming services and/or plans for such -- potentially Amazon, Netflix, Disney, even Google.

Given that Hulu is currently owned by Disney, Fox, and Comcast, the latter has a vested interest in protecting that service. If Disney/Fox goes through, suddenly Disney doesn't need to launch its own streaming service next year -- it just revamps Hulu.

 

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Callaway29

Callaway29

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9 hours ago, Gatsby77 said:

I like this article by Mark Hughes, who is one of the film critics who writes for Forbes:

http://qr.ae/TUpsuj

He writes:

"I think Comcast’s aggressive attempt to subvert the Disney-Fox deal was possibly just jockeying for position to get Disney to give up Hulu and Sky TV anyway, and that Comcast would in the long run rather obtain control of Comcast and Sky, and then use their large amount of cash to buy Paramount and Sony Pictures instead.

Getting the back catalogue of movies and TV shows from those two companies, and having a major established streaming service on which to put the library of content, is of vastly more value to Comcast in the long run. Throw in the rights to Sky TV, and I think it’s clearly the best option for Comcast and an easily doable deal for Disney to avoid having to increase their bid to Fox."

The significance to his line of thought is that this all started when Fox basically decided they wouldn't attempt to do a stand-alone streaming service. Sony and Paramount are in the same boat -- so all three are acquisition targets for companies who have streaming services and/or plans for such -- potentially Amazon, Netflix, Disney, even Google.

Given that Hulu is currently owned by Disney, Fox, and Comcast, the latter has a vested interest in protecting that service. If Disney/Fox goes through, suddenly Disney doesn't need to launch its own streaming service next year -- it just revamps Hulu.

 

Yea, it’s still a little fuzzy to me how Hulu is the key to all this...seems easily replicatable but I suppose there’s a lot of value in name recognition, a built-in customer base, and having a well vetted platform from the get-go. IP is just along for the ride...

Edited by Callaway29
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RedRaven

RedRaven

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45 minutes ago, Callaway29 said:

Yea, it’s still a little fuzzy to me how Hulu is the key to all this...seems easily replicatable but I suppose there’s a lot of value in name recognition, a built-in customer base, and having a well vetted platform from the get-go. IP is just along for the ride...

It's all about the customer base, that is the value.

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kimik

kimik

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lol

 

The Murdochs and Fox shareholders are the winners in this, though. If Disney can pull this off in the end, I hope the cartoonist puts Mickey up on the wall as well with a Murdoch looking at it............

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fantastic_four

fantastic_four

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If Comcast ends up winning this I'm cutting the damn cord out of spite due to the unending rage I'll have over Comcast holding the X-Men and Fantastic Four hostage for what could be another decade or two.  :mad: :mad: :mad:

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Gatsby77

Gatsby77

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And keep in mind that the Justice Department just approved an equivalent vertical integration with the AT&T-Time Warner merger, so Comcast needs Fox more than ever.

The comics IP owned by Fox is small fry here -- not at all what this is about.

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