News Disney and Fox come to terms -- announcement soon; huge IP acquisition

[Rodan75]

I know this is slightly off topic but it does show why Comcast is so hated. According to NJ.com Comcast is getting ready to drop the Big 10 network. They claim cost benefits but is it more likely payback to Fox for selecting Disney? The Big 10 network is one of the channels staying with new Fox and the Murdochs.

With SKY still up in the air (HA!), I'm surprised they would play hardball with any current FOX channel. I know everyone gives ESPN a lot of grief but from a distance, they do seem to do the regional sports nets (SEC Networks specifically) better than FOX and Comcast.

 

[dfisher9]

I know this is slightly off topic but it does show why Comcast is so hated. According to NJ.com Comcast is getting ready to drop the Big 10 network. They claim cost benefits but is it more likely payback to Fox for selecting Disney? The Big 10 network is one of the channels staying with new Fox and the Murdochs.

This is pretty typical. There's always a huge deal about renewing the B1G Network rights during the summer and then it magically gets taken care of in time for football season.

 

[seascape]

This is pretty typical. There's always a huge deal about renewing the B1G Network rights during the summer and then it magically gets taken care of in time for football season.

Comcast kept the YES network and Yankee games off there system, so deals dont always get done with Comcast. Now if it were a Phaldelphia Sports network the deal would get done.

 

[pdude81]

Comcast kept the YES network and Yankee games off there system, so deals dont always get done with Comcast. Now if it were a Phaldelphia Sports network the deal would get done.

Rutgers factors in to a lesser extent, but Penn State is in the Big 10 and that's going to be a problem for a few million people.

 

[ABQ]

With SKY still up in the air (HA!), I'm surprised they would play hardball with any current FOX channel. I know everyone gives ESPN a lot of grief but from a distance, they do seem to do the regional sports nets (SEC Networks specifically) better than FOX and Comcast.

If Comcast fails at Sky, it's just going to be so ironic as they've been advertising them for free for the past 2 weeks of the Tour de France, with the top 2 riders, currently, riding for team Sky.

 

[Stripes]

Comcast kept the YES network and Yankee games off there system, so deals dont always get done with Comcast. Now if it were a Phaldelphia Sports network the deal would get done.

Murdoch will just have to threaten to pull Fox News from Comcast unless they renew Big 10, just like he did in the YES negotiations. Fox News is a massive trump card for the Murdochs. (No pun intended.)

 

[Rodan75]

Somewhat related. Any thoughts as to what happens with A&E Networks after this acquisition closes? It seems this unit has been managed separately from the other Disney cable nets, which makes sense since it is a partnership. But it is too small of a unit to be managed separately when Cable is rapidly shrinking and there will be a host of new Fox cable channels that could be combined with the unit for solid synergy savings.

Will Disney sell their stake? Will they buy the rest from Hearst? Is Hearst enough of a silent partner to just let the unit be merged with the Fox cable nets? (and yes, this is stupid stuff my brain thinks of when idle, some people play fantasy sports, I play fantasy CEO...lol)

 

[Rodan75]

Murdoch will just have to threaten to pull Fox News from Comcast unless they renew Big 10, just like he did in the YES negotiations. Fox News is a massive trump card for the Murdochs. (No pun intended.)

I know this is just the standard negotiating tactic, but I'm surprised that Comcast would play this game when they should be trying to play nice and not have Fox/Disney raise their bid on SKY. These contentious negotiations are part of the reason it was rumored that Murdoch did not like dealing with Roberts.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Somewhat related. Any thoughts as to what happens with A&E Networks after this acquisition closes? It seems this unit has been managed separately from the other Disney cable nets, which makes sense since it is a partnership. But it is too small of a unit to be managed separately when Cable is rapidly shrinking and there will be a host of new Fox cable channels that could be combined with the unit for solid synergy savings.

Will Disney sell their stake? Will they buy the rest from Hearst? Is Hearst enough of a silent partner to just let the unit be merged with the Fox cable nets? (and yes, this is stupid stuff my brain thinks of when idle, some people play fantasy sports, I play fantasy CEO...lol)

I think they keep it until they need firewood to pad a bad quarter. Not sure how much those nets are going to be worth in 2-3 years, but an asset is an asset.

 

[Rodan75]

I think they keep it until they need firewood to pad a bad quarter. Not sure how much those nets are going to be worth in 2-3 years, but an asset is an asset.

lol...firewood. Yeah, it feels like they passed their peak value a few years ago. I'm assuming Lifetime can successfully transition into a streaming and linear future, I'm not sure about the rest though. It will be interesting to see how the new TV boss will envision the positioning of all of these Cable assets as Disney attempts to work both worlds, linear TV and Streaming.

 

[bartholomr4]

Report: No. 2 Fox holder signs off on Disney asset deal
Jul. 25, 2018 1:33 PM ET|By: Jason Aycock, SA News Editor
The No. 2 shareholder at Twenty-First Century Fox (FOX -1.1%, FOXA-1.2%) has voted in favor of selling the company's entertainment assets to Walt Disney (DIS -0.7%), Bloomberg reports, giving more certainty to Friday's vote on the $71.3B deal.
Activist TCI Fund Management supports the transaction; it had made some waves last month when urging Fox to wait on another counter-offer from Comcast (CMCSA -1.1%).

 

[gmajew]

Good I would like this deal to move forward fast as I think it is a big win for Disney and the long term goal of owning content.... I really think the future is going to be what is in your libraries.... Especially as media evolves.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

With just a *snap* Disney gets the Marvel rights back from Universal.

And who said it would never happen?

They'll get the rights back because all competition will slowly fade away...

 

[seascape]

Somewhat related. Any thoughts as to what happens with A&E Networks after this acquisition closes? It seems this unit has been managed separately from the other Disney cable nets, which makes sense since it is a partnership. But it is too small of a unit to be managed separately when Cable is rapidly shrinking and there will be a host of new Fox cable channels that could be combined with the unit for solid synergy savings.

Will Disney sell their stake? Will they buy the rest from Hearst? Is Hearst enough of a silent partner to just let the unit be merged with the Fox cable nets? (and yes, this is stupid stuff my brain thinks of when idle, some people play fantasy sports, I play fantasy CEO...lol)

No stupid stuff in your mind. There are so many issues with this merger. Disney has many contracts with Comcast and Fox. There are also contracts with Fox and Comcast. Then there is Hulu's 10% owned by AT&T and the Fox contract with HBO. Also the on going Netflix contract for their Marvel shows which will stay on Netflix. So many issues for such a huge company that is doubling in size when you add Fox, streaming and possibly Sky. BTW, I expect Disney to make a new bid for Sky by early next week. They need to get final approval for Fox first.

 

[mab7689]

https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/the-walt-disney-companys-special-meeting-of-shareholders/
Disney will webcast their shareholders meeting. I wonder if you will need to be one with a login to get access to it or if it will be available for joe public.

 

[bartholomr4]

https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/the-walt-disney-companys-special-meeting-of-shareholders/
Disney will webcast their shareholders meeting. I wonder if you will need to be one with a login to get access to it or if it will be available for joe public.

If its like most Investor Relations webcast, Usually they have a few questions, like your name, name of your company and a title. I always list my name, and individual investor as both the company and title, and I get in with no problem.... Could be different this time, but I suspect you won’t have trouble getting in if you want to see what is going on!

 

[seascape]

It is available for everyone. Go to their investor relations webpage.

 

[bartholomr4]

According to the New York Times:

When 21st Century Fox and Disney each bring shareholders together on Friday to vote on whether the companies should merge, the two people who struck the $71.3 billion deal — Rupert Murdoch and Robert A. Iger — will not be in attendance.

Mr. Murdoch, who controls the Fox entertainment empire, and Mr. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, have each decided to have lawyers run the separate meetings, according to three people briefed on the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private plans. Christine M. McCarthy, Disney’s chief financial officer, and her counterpart at Fox, John P. Nallen, are also expected to participate.

 

[MisterPenguin]

According to the New York Times:

When 21st Century Fox and Disney each bring shareholders together on Friday to vote on whether the companies should merge, the two people who struck the $71.3 billion deal — Rupert Murdoch and Robert A. Iger — will not be in attendance.

Mr. Murdoch, who controls the Fox entertainment empire, and Mr. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, have each decided to have lawyers run the separate meetings, according to three people briefed on the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private plans. Christine M. McCarthy, Disney’s chief financial officer, and her counterpart at Fox, John P. Nallen, are also expected to participate.

Iger and Murdoch will be toasting in Club 33.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Comcast Posts Mixed Quarterly Earnings As Falling Film Revenues Impact NBC Universal’s Numbers

womp womp