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

[LAKid53]

Couple predictions:

1. NATO, the movie theater owner’s interest group, not the military alliance, will go to war against Disney/Fox. They will funnel millions to lobby congress and support lawsuits to kill this deal.
2. EU kills the deal on account of over consolidation.
3. Despite selling to TWDC, UK Govt doesn’t let them buy out the remaining percentage of BSkyB they don’t already own.

Now some wilder ones:

1. The sexual assault issue at the Walt Disney Company becomes so explosive and implicates Iger and others as accomplices that he is forced to step down.
2. DIS shareholders vote down the deal once it has been more carefully scrutinized.
3. DoJ blocks AT&T/TW and makes it clear it will not allow any further consolidation.
4. AT&T/TW is approved and someone with deeper pockets than Bob offers the Murdochs a better deal.

I think #3 and #4 are very plausible. However, Rupert has a good relationship with the WH...and that will count.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The 25% of Disney stock us ALL Fox stockholders. Murdoch's piece will be much smaller, based on their holding in Fox.

But he would be able to convince a large percentage of that 25% to suppport him without breaking a sweat. Fox has made gobs of money...that's all the gravitas investors need. Disney was $12.50 a share in 2002...and is down 20% from its height now because they couldn't notice ESPN sucks

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think #3 and #4 are very plausible. However, Rupert has a good relationship with the WH...and that will count.

He who provides the lies...reaps the spoils.

Comcast lost a lot of political Capitol in that "affair"

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Comcast is in an IP battle with Disney...they're the only two players really left as Sony inevitably retracts...

So I would say it's less likely they get anything from Comcast now...
1. Comcast made its billions off cable tv...you see where that's going. Disney is in trouble because of espn and that isn't nearly as big of a problem as Comcast.
2. Comcast is well run...the Roberts are smart and shrewd and nobody around/under iger is because of the insane Eisner culture that still exists in essence.
3. They made their choice to be a big themepark operator...giving material to your competitor down the street doesn't make sense...even if they have to pay. It's like a "loss leader"

Like I said, it's still a pie in the sky idea and I'm not saying that it will happen any time soon. I was just saying that what we thought to be completely impossible in regards to Marvel is now possible beyond all odds, so we should drastically open our minds to what is possible not just for them, but for Disney in general.

 

[LAKid53]

If anyone wants to read an excellent piece on the purchase, read the BBC article. Includes two graphs that show both companies, the individual assets and total value of each.

 

[danlb_2000]

It's funny that you bring that up at all because I was just thinking that Disney making some sort of deal with Universal doesn't seem so impossible anymore. Don't get me wrong, it's still a bit pie in the sky, but now that they've made a shared agreement with Sony to get Spider-Man in the MCU AND the X-Men rights back wholesale, the ironclad Universal theme park rights are the last Marvel domino to fall. Sure, all three of these are vastly different deals, but I'll just say this. If you told me earlier this year even that Fox's Marvel properties would be back at Marvel by December, I would've laughed hysterically in your face.

Disney would probably have more leverage now, but on the flip side I fully expect Disney to go all in on X-Men and Fantastic four in the coming year, which makes Universal's license to use those characters even more valuable to them.

 

[MisterPenguin]

But in the digital/post home video era...it doesn't mean nearly as much as it once did...especially if they continue to mass produce bad, disjointed Star Wars movies

Well, you should be happy then that they stopped doing that...

 

[kvillegas]

All they need is the trump recession and a bully pulpit. The only thing that will prevent that from happening may be government regime change in 3 years...

You are smart and more people should be listening to you.

 

[hokielutz]

So who on here is going to freak out that Iger's contract has been extended to 2021??

 

[HauntedPirate]

Disney already has no equal at the top of the box office anymore with Pixar, Lucasfil & Marvel on top of Disney's own productions... Now you're telling me they're adding one of the big 5 into their portfolio? How do the other studios begin to compete? I imagine we will see Universal, Paramount & WB consider some sort of merger at some point! It's only a matter of time.

This is the main point I have against this merger. Too much under one roof.

 

[networkpro]

Now they can put the real Alien in Stitch's Great Escape.

Alien Queen

 

[Brian Swan]

Maybe Disney will get its own Springfield now!

I'm assuming the same rules apply to WDW as they did when they bought Marvel that we won't see any IP that exists at Universal Orlando in FL?

We can hope. The thought of the Simpsons showing up in a Disney park makes me kind of throw up in my mouth...

 

[Otterhead]

.they have announced a marvel
Land at DCA...have they not?

They have not.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Don't forget, Fox most likely won't be allowed to buy the remainder of sky. Fox's proposed deal to buy the remainder of Sky is being already investigated by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is due to publish provisional findings in January.

Fox's full acquisition of Sky (they already had 39%) was being investigated in the UK because of Rupert Murdoch and his reputation and the reputation of his business and his substantial holdings in the UK market -- none of that good. Disney has none of that baggage. If for some reason the full purchase is denied, Disney will still own a major portion of Sky.

 

[Bacon]

Que the downfall

 

[Lora Baines Bradley]

I honestly don't care...? I know I should as a Disney fan and even as a MCU fan but...I'm actually kind of worried they're gonna shove F4 and X-Men in just because they can and it will sell tickets. The MCU has come so far without them saying "mutant," don't ruin it. It would feel clunky at this point. If they are gonna shove it in, don't do it now, at least wait until Stage 4.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They have not.

Ahhh...so it's a "confirmed, greenlit, insider rumor" then?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Good lord dude.
Step it down a notch.
You've gone from ranting and raving to now wanting NATO to destroy Disney because of your hatred for Star Wars and Marvel?
Yeah yeah. Lol j/k I know. Take it down a few notches.

Tongue meet cheek...

Where ya from? Sarcasm must be a "tough sell" there...

And you don't know the context of why I said that...but it's a coming

 

[Otterhead]

It would feel clunky at this point. Definitely don't shove them in now, at least wait until Stage 4.

I think that's a foregone conclusion. Avengers 4 is the last film of Stage 3 and has been filming for months already; this deal is months from being finalized (if at all). We won't see the X-Men cross over in a big way until Stage 4.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think that's a foregone conclusion. Avengers 4 is the last film of Stage 3 and has been filming for months already; this deal is months from being finalized (if at all). We won't see the X-Men cross over in a big way until Stage 4.

I think Robert downy jr is heavily influencing what happens now...his demands are getting to Johnny depp level...

Two guys who know how to trash a hotel room 1989 style...