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

[Rodan75]

I'm not a Playstation guy but if Disney ever took over Sony interactive, I would give it 1 to 2 years before they either shut it down or sold off the Playstation brand. If Disney cared at all about the video game space, they would not have shuttered LucasArts and then farmed out star wars to the single most incompetent developer around in EA. It's funny that Disney is so bent on Disney+ and how that's where the money is. Except video games do more money than any other entertainment product , by far.

I’m assuming at some point Disney will change their tune on being/owning a video game publisher. I get Iger’s Recent concerns in the space. But it is too valuable to leave up to other companies. They just need to find the right leader for that business.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Id be surprised if they didn't use Fox to produce a 4th marvel movie a year.

All of the studios under Disney's control are going to be leveraged to make content for D+. There's already plans for 2 Star Wars series and 3 Marvel mini-series. A bunch of movies that were originally made for theatrical release are now going to be released for D+.

You know how Netflix keeps churning out "Original Content" so as not to rely on short time licensing of movies to stream? Well, that's going to be D+ (and Hulu). It's more than the entire catalog of Disney and Marvel and Fox and LucasFilm; it's going to be generating tons of new content so much so, that you can be entertained full time with just Disney streamers.

So... that's why we won't be seeing four Disney/Marvel/Fox superhero films a year. Half of their content is being directed to streaming. Right from the mouth of Bob Iger in the last quarterly call (and echoed in part by Fiege, which BTW, means that all streaming Marvel will be done by Marvel (film) Studios and not Marvel TV).

I'm not a Playstation guy but if Disney ever took over Sony interactive, I would give it 1 to 2 years before they either shut it down or sold off the Playstation brand. If Disney cared at all about the video game space, they would not have shuttered LucasArts and then farmed out star wars to the single most incompetent developer around in EA. It's funny that Disney is so bent on Disney+ and how that's where the money is. Except video games do more money than any other entertainment product , by far.

And speaking of Iger, he confessed in the last quarterly call the Disney just can't seem to make a profitable stab at computer/online gaming. So, going forward, they will only license their IP to gaming studios and stay out of the gaming production business completely.

 

[Crossfire]

All of the studios under Disney's control are going to be leveraged to make content for D+. There's already plans for 2 Star Wars series and 3 Marvel mini-series. A bunch of movies that were originally made for theatrical release are now going to be released for D+.

You know how Netflix keeps churning out "Original Content" so as not to rely on short time licensing of movies to stream? Well, that's going to be D+ (and Hulu). It's more than the entire catalog of Disney and Marvel and Fox and LucasFilm; it's going to be generating tons of new content so much so, that you can be entertained full time with just Disney streamers.

So... that's why we won't be seeing four Disney/Marvel/Fox superhero films a year. Half of their content is being directed to streaming. Right from the mouth of Bob Iger in the last quarterly call (and echoed in part by Fiege, which BTW, means that all streaming Marvel will be done by Marvel (film) Studios and not Marvel TV).

Well, they could release a 4th movie on D+ or Hulu with a smaller budget, remember Iger said that Deadpool will stay R-rated and potentially other r marvel movies could happen

 

[Rodan75]

All of the studios under Disney's control are going to be leveraged to make content for D+. There's already plans for 2 Star Wars series and 3 Marvel mini-series. A bunch of movies that were originally made for theatrical release are now going to be released for D+.

You know how Netflix keeps churning out "Original Content" so as not to rely on short time licensing of movies to stream? Well, that's going to be D+ (and Hulu). It's more than the entire catalog of Disney and Marvel and Fox and LucasFilm; it's going to be generating tons of new content so much so, that you can be entertained full time with just Disney streamers.

So... that's why we won't be seeing four Disney/Marvel/Fox superhero films a year. Half of their content is being directed to streaming. Right from the mouth of Bob Iger in the last quarterly call (and echoed in part by Fiege, which BTW, means that all streaming Marvel will be done by Marvel (film) Studios and not Marvel TV).




And speaking of Iger, he confessed in the last quarterly call the Disney just can't seem to make a profitable stab at computer/online gaming. So, going forward, they will only license their IP to gaming studios and stay out of the gaming production business completely.

It sounds like Hulu will still work with Marvel TV (Runaways, The Offenders). Although I suspect that something is up with Marvel TV more broadly. Maybe finally aligning with Feige’s group. But D+ will be Feige only (until D+ needs more content than Feige can produce or the divisions merge)

 

[Darkprime]

There's a new dark Phoenix trailer out.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

There's a chance that The Gifted might move to a streaming service, and some of us on discord think the show might be integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

 

[brodie999]

I’m assuming at some point Disney will change their tune on being/owning a video game publisher. I get Iger’s Recent concerns in the space. But it is too valuable to leave up to other companies. They just need to find the right leader for that business.

I know the government would try to block it, but somehow, they've fought their way through the laws in order to complete the Fox purchase. And I'm sure they'd do the same for Sony because they just lost the appeal to block the AT&T-Time Warner merger.

 

[Lafayettecalboy]

I know the government would try to block it, but somehow, they've fought their way through the laws in order to complete the Fox purchase. And I'm sure they'd do the same for Sony because they just lost the appeal to block the AT&T-Time Warner merger.

Don't forget the foreign regulators at least some or maybe many of them might block it since they swallowed up 20th Century Fox, if Disney tries to swallow up Sony Pictures, they would not like that since they think that they would get too big in film distribution.

 

[brodie999]

Don't forget the foreign regulators at least some or maybe many of them might block it since they swallowed up 20th Century Fox, if Disney tries to swallow up Sony Pictures, they would not like that since they think that they would get too big in film distribution.

Well, hopefully, somehow they'd convince the regulators to give the deal their approval because they want the rights to all their characters back so badly they'd need to buy the companies to do it. That's why the Disney/Fox deal happened. Universal is too big of a company to be bought now, but Sony is rumoured to be Disney's next buy based on the news and rumoured reports and a Youtube's comment. That might've all began with Marvel making the deal with the company that owns the rights to Spider-Man.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Well, hopefully, somehow they'd convince the regulators to give the deal their approval because they want the rights to all their characters back so badly they'd need to buy the companies to do it. That's why the Disney/Fox deal happened. Universal is too big of a company to be bought now, but Sony is rumoured to be Disney's next buy based on the news and rumoured reports and a Youtube's comment. That might've all began with Marvel making the deal with the company that owns the rights to Spider-Man.

WRT Sony: Keep in mind that there's hardly any films produced by Sony itself. Its films are from their divisions, Columbia, Screen Gems, Tri-Star, and Sony Animation. So, that's what Disney would be buying (I think). Sony's film divisions put out about 20 films in 2018. A buy-out would have meant that Disney and Fox and Sony would have put out 25% of all films in 2018 that made at least half a million at the BO. (A much smaller portion if you count all the low BO films.) That's no where near a monopoly.

Distribution, however, would be a problem in some countries with such a merger. But that's relatively easy to deal with.

 

[AnotherDayAnotherDollar]

I honestly don't see the purpose of Disney making a play for Sony - or Sony Pictures - after balancing their sheets post Fox. The main thing they would want from them is the Spider Man licensing rights which they could acquire separately with cash or asset swapping.

There are much better assets out there that could be leveraged across the company. Once they changed their mind (and they will have to eventually IMO) something like a major game publisher or two with attractive IPs that can be mined across the company. I know it was on the roadmap to get back into gaming in a major way, but Iger's comment in the most recent financial call makes it seems like it's far away, to say the least.

 

[SlyCoug]

It'll be interesting overall to see what sort of changes are coming Sony's way in the next year or so. With speculation that a company like Apple could make a play for Sony, it could really change a lot of dynamics. If, however, Sony keeps their studios I think the most likely thing for Spider-Man over the next 5-10 years is for Disney and Sony to maintain a symbiotic relationship. Perhaps Disney and Marvel receive and keep some freedom in making Spider-Man films while Disney gives some exclusivity to certain Marvel or Disney game projects to Sony. There's probably something that could be worked out there.

I guess if I'm looking at it from Sony's angle I'm not sure why you would outright sell Spider-Man if it could be used in a number of ways, as they are already seeing. Maybe for the right swap of assets they could be persuaded (e.g. some Fox IP in exchange for Spider-Man), but I don't think we'll see anything like that until the popularity of Spider-Man films begins to wane.

 

[seascape]

It'll be interesting overall to see what sort of changes are coming Sony's way in the next year or so. With speculation that a company like Apple could make a play for Sony, it could really change a lot of dynamics. If, however, Sony keeps their studios I think the most likely thing for Spider-Man over the next 5-10 years is for Disney and Sony to maintain a symbiotic relationship. Perhaps Disney and Marvel receive and keep some freedom in making Spider-Man films while Disney gives some exclusivity to certain Marvel or Disney game projects to Sony. There's probably something that could be worked out there.

I guess if I'm looking at it from Sony's angle I'm not sure why you would outright sell Spider-Man if it could be used in a number of ways, as they are already seeing. Maybe for the right swap of assets they could be persuaded (e.g. some Fox IP in exchange for Spider-Man), but I don't think we'll see anything like that until the popularity of Spider-Man films begins to wane.

I have to agree with you that Spiderman from Sony's point of view would be very important to keep. It is their biggest movie IP and with the new expanded Spiderverce they are working on I don't see them selling anytime soon. The only way that I could see that change would be if Sony ever got themselves in financial trouble because it is a valuable asset and easy to sell but as long as they have good management that won't happen.

 

[erasure fan1]

I know it was on the roadmap to get back into gaming in a major way, but Iger's comment in the most recent financial call makes it seems like it's far away, to say the least.

Well at least about 3yrs if Bobby actually retires. The one splash Iger hasn't made is in the interactive space. So the next CEO might just want to jump start that as something they can make their own. Disney has a treasure trove of IPs that most any video game developer would die for. Kingdom hearts 3 has sold 5 million so far and the best selling game in January. There is definitely a demand if they did it right. I just think Iger said that because they have Disney+, star wars galaxys edge and finishing the fox acquisition to deal with before they bite off something as large as getting back into video games.

 

[AnotherDayAnotherDollar]

I have to agree with you that Spiderman from Sony's point of view would be very important to keep. It is their biggest movie IP and with the new expanded Spiderverce they are working on I don't see them selling anytime soon. The only way that I could see that change would be if Sony ever got themselves in financial trouble because it is a valuable asset and easy to sell but as long as they have good management that won't happen.

Right. I said in another board that in the foreseeable future Sony would only part with SM movie rights if they get in financial trouble if the PS5 bombs (videogames is a much more important LoB for them than movies) or if they are interested in RSNs, Fox Sports Latin America, Endemol Shine, or have to divest some Indian assets due to their new bid there and Disney is interested in overpaying for them to get a bundled deal.

Well at least about 3yrs if Bobby actually retires. The one splash Iger hasn't made is in the interactive space. So the next CEO might just want to jump start that as something they can make their own. Disney has a treasure trove of IPs that most any video game developer would die for. Kingdom hearts 3 has sold 5 million so far and the best selling game in January. There is definitely a demand if they did it right. I just think Iger said that because they have Disney+, star wars galaxys edge and finishing the fox acquisition to deal with before they bite off something as large as getting back into video games.

I agree. Any kind of move in that space is at least 3-5 years away and probably under a new CEO. They will probably open a new park or resort before getting into games as well IMO. To add to your point, SpiderMan sold something like 10MM copies on PS4 alone.

 

[erasure fan1]

I agree. Any kind of move in that space is at least 3-5 years away and probably under a new CEO. They will probably open a new park or resort before getting into games as well IMO. To add to your point, SpiderMan sold something like 10MM copies on PS4 alone.

A marvel video game universe would do extremely well, just look at the Arkham series. And if square ever gets around to finishing the avengers game, that has the potential to be just as big.

 

[Indy_UK]

All well and good Disney getting the full hold eventually on Hulu but it’s content from Comcast and Warner that they kinda need to help bolster the service.

They should be fine with deals from the likes of CBS as long term I don’t see their streaming service workinng out.

 

[bartholomr4]

New Article re Hulu Disney and Comcast

If Disney buys AT&T’s Hulu stake, does it change anything for Comcast?

Disney will become the majority owner of Hulu soon, and a new report suggests that it could snap up WarnerMedia’s 10% stake in the streaming service as well. | Disney will become the majority owner of Hulu soon, and a new report suggests that it could snap up WarnerMedia’s 10% stake in the...

www.fiercevideo.com

Comcast’s upcoming streaming will be similar to Hulu. It will be ad-supported and free to watch for Comcast and Sky pay TV subscribers. Comcast will also sell an ad-free tier and a subscription option for non-pay TV subscribers. For the sake of that service’s success, Comcast could decide it should no longer sell its content to Hulu. That, in turn, could lead to Comcast selling its 30% to Disney.

But as BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield pointed out last year—notably, before Comcast announced its streaming service plans—Comcast has good reasons to not sell. Greenfield’s reasons include incoming licensing revenue from Hulu, access to data and to the inner workings of a thriving direct-to-consumer platform and a chance to stick it to Disney.

“Relations between Disney and Comcast have been and continue to be poor. These two companies and their senior executives are NOT friends. This is war; Comcast remaining in Hulu and keeping three Board seats that enable them to have a say in Hulu’s future will drive Disney absolutely crazy. This might be reason enough to keep the 30% stake,” Greenfield wrote.

Comcast has reasons for and against offloading its Hulu stake to Disney but the fate of AT&T’s 10% likely isn’t one of them. Disney is planning to launch its Disney+ streaming service in 2019 and may explore ways to offer that service along with Hulu and ESPN+ as a package deal. But that likely won’t happen until 2020, which is when Comcast’s streaming service is launching.

So, if Comcast does decide to sell its Hulu stake, it likely won’t happen until next year. By then Comcast will have an idea of how its new streaming service is catching on, and Disney will have more incentive to own full control of Hulu so it can fully integrate the service into its direct-to-consumer plans.

 

[AnotherDayAnotherDollar]

All well and good Disney getting the full hold eventually on Hulu but it’s content from Comcast and Warner that they kinda need to help bolster the service.

They should be fine with deals from the likes of CBS as long term I don’t see their streaming service workinng out.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Iger mentioned they are licensing content for Disney+ in the last financial quarter.

 

[Darkprime]

The next shareholder meeting has been confirmed for March 7th.

The Walt Disney Company’s 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders - The Walt Disney Company

The annual meeting of shareholders of The Walt Disney Company, including remarks by management regarding the Company. https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2019/03/2019-asm.mp3 DOWNLOADS: Audio Transcript Forward-Looking Statements: Management believes certain statements in this...

www.thewaltdisneycompany.com