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Yep. The moment I saw that they were looking for a partner I knew it was over. No other company in the tech or media sector wants these assets, and private equity firms want nothing to do with buying these assets at such a steep price with very little to fix. They'd never get their money back.
What does wanting the marvel rights back have to do with competition?
Actually resolving the Marvel conflicts between the 2 companies is good for both. I want healthy competition but that is good for both of them. Allowing Universal to keep Spiderman and Hulk not only in Orlando but worldwide is good for Universal. Also on international advertising it would stop confusion. Disney will be advertising Marvel themepark ridea around the world foir all their parks. Universal has the problem that they will only have a few Marvel rides in Orlando and nowhere else when at the same time they advertise HP, Simosons and others worldwide in all their parks. Plus if Universal buys Sony Pictures they can redo the entire deal and have the movie versions compared to the comic book version. Keep in mind that even if they bought Sony Pictures they cant use that version under the existing contract as the Sony Contract only gives Sony the rights to the movies, no merchandise, no themepark rights just the box office and Marvel gets a royalty cut.
It is not that no one else would want Fox but more like who can afford Fox and receive government approval. As for the idea of Facebook, Amazon, Google or Apple, I understand why they aren't interested. Google has YouTube. Amazon has too many other businesses and would only want the Studio and not the cable stations. Facebook has too many privacy issues going on right now. Apple would only be interested in Disney and only if it were a friendly merger.
This. Apple's Eddy Cue has also stated that they aren't interested in a big takeover. Big acquisitions just aren't Apple's forte. (Apple's biggest acquisition ever was Beats for $3 billion.) I can see why Apple would admire Disney, but their strategy just isn't big acquisitions. Also Apple and Disney both care a lot about their culture, I'm not sure that would be a successful purchase from an integration perspective. Apple has previously stated that one of the reasons they've avoided big purchases is to preserve the company's culture.
Probably a bit of both, they don't have a reason to spend $3B because people are going to come anyway.
And if, down the road, somehow Disney was to acquire the Marvel theme park rights currently held by Comcast, wouldn't that be typical for Disney - Build something for a property 10 years after it becomes popular.
If Disney let's Comcast have Sky for 12 billion and gets 17 billion for the RSNs and still ends the 20 billion dollar stock buy back plan what would you do? That is 49 billion. Paying off the 36 billion in debt for buying Fox still leaves 16 billion. I would expect they reinstate the buyback but I would rather have them build a Disney Parks in India and Brazil and a second one in China. With Star India is makes perfect sense to leverage that asset with a park. China is definitely big enough for a second location. Brazil while in an economic downturn is large enough to support a Disney park and building duringj a downturn is cheaper and the Fox Latin America assests would also help.
