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

[LAKid53]

Got it, you learn something new every day

No vendor is going to sell licensed metchandise if they don't get to keep a % of that dollar.

Not sure if everyone is aware, but Lucas made his $$$$ through product merchandising, initially.

 

[flynnibus]

The problem:

You're not a very good parrot... try sticking to the point that Content trumps changes in distribution models. Sports Content isn't going away.

 

[jakeman]

I agree. But that right now isn't the most impactful part of the deal, company wise.

No, but if I may be a little bit of a snot at the moment. This is a Walt Disney World fan site that actually has an underused section regarding the machinations of the broader company.

I'm not sure I see an issue with folks asking questions about how this affects the parks in general and WDW specifically in the Walt Disney World News and Rumors forum.

 

[britain]

National Geographic within AK is the only other one I can think of, maybe a Home Alone Christmas overlay somewhere in a park.

Oooh, could we add Matt Damon to Mission Space now?

I do like the idea of National Geographic adding some cred to AK.

And I'm still crossing my fingers for a Night at the Museum version of Mystic Manor.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

You're not a very good parrot... try sticking to the point that Content trumps changes in distribution models. Sports Content isn't going away.

ESPN doesn’t OWN sports content, it only distributes it. Sports content owners won’t need distributors like ESPN or FSN, they’ll create their own services, license backends like BAMTech or Akamai or form co-ops with others like fellow local teams or associations/conferences.

 

[Walt d]

There will be no monorail expansion ever...but that never meant fixed system. That's an apple to orange or at a minimum two different kinds of apples

Im all for the monorail but at a million a mile making avatar trees at a billon it wont get done

 

[flynnibus]

ESPN already pays leagues/conferences the rights to broadcast their games, just like Fox, CBS, NBC and CBS do. It's now a matter of getting the delivery guy (cable/satellite) out of the mix. And see what conferences/leagues would be willing to negotiate. Would be interesting to watch.

Don't you think down the road Disney would love to be both a delivery system and content provider, like Comcast? Diversification can also mean consolidation.

The model is going to change as the delivery format changes and how that format is monetized. What we have today is a function of the last 25 years of TV and Cable provider's solutions. The next 25 years, those things will change again, and how much money will be tied up into it (plus or minus) is certain to change.

But none of that means Sports are going away.. and none of that means it doesn't take expertise to produce Sports Content... nor effort/resources to make it all happen. This is the fallacy in the 'ESPN is dead' chorus. The current BUSINESS model of how they get every subscriber to subsidize their product by bundling from cable providers isn't long term... that doesn't mean Sports Broadcasting or production is dead - It means the model and probably how much revenues come out of it will change.

This is why it's a problem for TWDC - it will impact the market's expectation of perpetual growth... so it hurts future valuations. Those are concerns about TWDC's fiscal RESULTS - not that some day someone is going to say "No one watches sports... why do you have all that stuff?"

 

[flynnibus]

ESPN doesn’t OWN sports content, it only distributes it. Sports content owners won’t need distributors like ESPN or FSN, they’ll create their own services, license backends like BAMTech or Akamai or form co-ops with others like fellow local teams or associations/conferences.

You continue to fail to grasp the important notion that "Sunday Night Football" is not just a NFL game with people watching remotely. ESPN is production AND distribution. ESPN is not just the live games themselves.

So you finally recognize that not every team or league will be able to have their own content production and distribution... so they'll have to partner and pair up with others to make it happen... hrmm... Kind of sounds like ESPN again doesn't it?

 

[jakeman]

ESPN doesn’t OWN sports content, it only distributes it. Sports content owners won’t need distributors like ESPN or FSN, they’ll create their own services, license backends like BAMTech or Akamai or form co-ops with others like fellow local teams or associations/conferences.

This is interesting as you keep repeating it but breaking it down:

license backends like BAMTech

Disney owns part of BAMTech. Also, you use these services now, you're getting the regional sports piped into your app.

or form co-ops with others like fellow local teams or associations/conferences.

PAC-12 is doing this and isn't doing a great job going at it alone. Big Ten (FS) and SEC (ESPN) by benefiting from the reach of those partnered distributors.

At the Major League level, MASN comes to mind with the Orioles and Nationals. They hate being on the same channel to the point where they won't even readily trade with each other.

 

[brb1006]

Found this earlier this morning

 

[AEfx]

Okay, outside of Avatar, which is already being used at Animal Kingdom, are there any IPs that can actually be used at WDW? I guess X-Men and Fantastic Four could be incorporated over at Disneyland (especially if Disney/Marvel produces a Fantastic Four film for the MCU Phase 4- which I have to assume is in talks), but I can’t see anything else really being incorporated into the parks (unless Stitch is replaced by an attraction based on ‘The Martian’ and a ‘Kingsman’ shooting ride goes into the UK).

Home Alone. Alien. Die Hard. Dr. Doolittle (that one just screams Disney). Goosebumps. Ice Age. Independence Day. Planet of the Apes. Predator. X-Files. Night at the Museum. The Omen.

Ironically, we also have yet another cross-park "Marvel-style" deal in that Disney now owns The Simpsons (though something tells me that whatever rights Universal has to The Simpsons isn't nearly the one-sided sweetheart deal that they have with Marvel).

While I agree many of those wouldn't be looked at for major expansions (though I do hope Alien is...), I could certainly see a number of shows, restaurants, etc. that could be worked in if they wished. Particularly given that these franchises fill in certain niches that Disney doesn't already have a real foothold in, or at least greatly complements them. Example, Goosebumps could be an interesting replacement for something like TLM at the Studios. I could see Ice age or Planet of the Apes doing something at AK.

Overall, though, again I agree - this isn't going to be a huge thing for the parks. What it does is greatly expand Disney's film and television studio business. It really fills them out in a way that is going to be unprecedented in the entire century the industry has existed.

 

[LAKid53]

The model is going to change as the delivery format changes and how that format is monetized. What we have today is a function of the last 25 years of TV and Cable provider's solutions. The next 25 years, those things will change again, and how much money will be tied up into it (plus or minus) is certain to change.

But none of that means Sports are going away.. and none of that means it doesn't take expertise to produce Sports Content... nor effort/resources to make it all happen. This is the fallacy in the 'ESPN is dead' chorus. The current BUSINESS model of how they get every subscriber to subsidize their product by bundling from cable providers isn't long term... that doesn't mean Sports Broadcasting or production is dead - It means the model and probably how much revenues come out of it will change.

This is why it's a problem for TWDC - it will impact the market's expectation of perpetual growth... so it hurts future valuations. Those are concerns about TWDC's fiscal RESULTS - not that some day someone is going to say "No one watches sports... why do you have all that stuff?"

I'm in total agreement with you. Sports aren't dying. What's changing is how we watch them.

 

[LAKid53]

ESPN doesn’t OWN sports content, it only distributes it. Sports content owners won’t need distributors like ESPN or FSN, they’ll create their own services, license backends like BAMTech or Akamai or form co-ops with others like fellow local teams or associations/conferences.

Which is not cheap to do.

 

[BrianLo]

I understand the apprehension around the MCU, I have it myself - What happens after Phase 3 and the RDJ's and Chris Evans' depart? The $64 billion question is - Can they continue to pull off box office hits with either B-level characters or replacement actors/actresses for the main characters thus far?

Iron Man and Thor were the B-level characters.

Can they continue to pull off the MCU with A level characters? Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-men/Wolverine.

The MCU was built on the scraps of what other studios couldn’t be bothered to license.

 

[ford91exploder]

Except this deal isn't about getting more IP characters into the parks. It's about content and getting that content to eyeballs. Iger, in his interview on CNBC, didn't mention the parks at all.

Yes to an extent, But it's really about the Murdoch clan tightening their grasp on global media as such a bad thing.

 

[LAKid53]

No, but if I may be a little bit of a snot at the moment. This is a Walt Disney World fan site that actually has an underused section regarding the machinations of the broader company.

I'm not sure I see an issue with folks asking questions about how this affects the parks in general and WDW specifically in the Walt Disney World News and Rumors forum.

Okay, I see your point. I'm just looking at the bigger picture.

 

[Princess Leia]

Iron Man and Thor were the B-level characters.

Can they continue to pull off the MCU with A level characters? Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-men/Wolverine.

The MCU was built on the scraps of what other studios couldn’t be bothered to license.

I’m betting that Disney- Marvel’s Fantastic 4 is in theatres in 2020. 2021 at the latest.

 

[LAKid53]

You continue to fail to grasp the important notion that "Sunday Night Football" is not just a NFL game with people watching remotely. ESPN is production AND distribution. ESPN is not just the live games themselves.

So you finally recognize that not every team or league will be able to have their own content production and distribution... so they'll have to partner and pair up with others to make it happen... hrmm... Kind of sounds like ESPN again doesn't it?

Bingo. SEC has a network....operated through ESPN which provides production services, equipment, etc. ACC has a network, which is produced with Raycom.

Otherwise, leagues/conferences will have to hire production and on air staff and purchase...and operate equipment - satellites, trucks, cameras, cables, etc. All this is what ESPN and Raycom provide to the SEC and ACC.

 

[JohnD]

Found this earlier this morning

You beat me to it. Here's a story from Inside the Magic.

 

[flynnibus]

Bingo. SEC has a network....operated through ESPN which provides production services, equipment, etc. ACC has a network, which is produced with Raycom.

Otherwise, leagues/conferences will have to hire production and on air staff and purchase...and operate equipment - satellites, trucks, cameras, cables, etc. All this is what ESPN and Raycom provide to the SEC and ACC.

But but but... people are cord cutting!!!