Comcast/Disney & The Muppets

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comcast does not plan to raise the value of its takeover bid to match Disney's current, higher share price, a source close to Comcast says, as Disney clinches its own long-sought deal to buy the Muppets.

Comcast, which stunned Disney with its $49-billion (26 billion pound) all-stock takeover bid last week, is waiting for Disney's stock to fade from its recent rally before considering new action, the source said. As a result, Comcast is not inclined now to ask Disney shareholders to oust all or some of the company's board, the source said.

Meanwhile, embattled Disney Chief Executive and Chairman Michael Eisner announced a deal to buy Kermit the Frog and the rest of the fabled Muppets franchise from Jim Henson Co., concluding a courtship that had lasted more than a decade.

Eisner, under pressure from dissident shareholders who accuse him of mismanaging Disney's creative legacy, has argued that the company can deliver double-digit growth in coming years as provider of programming and entertainment.

The announcement of the Muppets deal and plans for a new Disney television show featuring the familiar characters seemed timed to underscore that point in the face of Comcast's offer, but Disney and Henson denied that.

Comcast would unite Disney with the largest U.S. cable operator and create the world's largest media company.

Disney and Henson declined to disclose financial terms of the deal for the Muppets, but two sources familiar with the matter said it included a payment of $40 million to $60 million plus a share of future Muppet profits.

Jim Henson's heirs paid about $89 million last year in order to regain control of the company he had founded.

 

[Terp02]

This could be really, well, interesting, for my school at least.

Let's look at the facts:
Jim Henson went to the University of Maryland - College Park, where he has just been immortalized by having a statue of him and Kermit built in front of our Student Union.

Comcast owns the rights to our Basketball Arena/Athletic Department Building (the Comcast Center) and provides the University cable at a reduced price as well as being a big sponsor.

Now if Comcast buys Disney (which I hope will not happen), I can't imagine that they won't, at least on the local level here, bring the Muppets back.

It's interesting to me, at least ....


Anyway, does this Muppet buy mean that they might ACTUALLY finish the Muppet part of the Studios? :veryconfu:

Maybe Jim Hill will write something about this.

 

[Sherm00]

with the current purchase of the muppets I don't think the comcasts bid looks all that appealing to disney or it's investors anymore. With new construction on the parks that started last year(EE, Sorin, etc) the new attractions that just opened (space, philermagic) the new resorts, the muppets, more money going into the parks, It looks pretty sweet for investors. unlike other companies Disney stock holders aren't just in it for the money, they love disney, so I don't think the comcast deal will go through, it will just fade in the comming months as disney starts doing more and more with the muppets.