Disney's Potential Sale of ABC Television Network???

[Disney Irish]

WBD, Paramount and Universal aren't gonna scale down that much. If Disney did, the competitors would remain largely as big as they are now and use their power to crush Disney under their treads. This isn't the AOL Time Warner days, this is a set of assets that work well in tandem and lose juice if they are separated.

If this is what you believe, well time will tell if you're right or not.....

All I can say is that linear TV is dying and companies will be divesting themselves of it in the coming years.

 

[Disney Irish]

How can you sell ABC but still have ABC Signature? It doesn't work that way. Disney would HAVE to sell all of it. So yes, if Disney still wants the TV studios, they need the network. And there's value in it yet.

You do know that networks don't make all their own content right?

For example shows for NBC aren't all made by NBC Universal Television Studio. Some shows, like the very popular This is Us, are made by other studios like 20th Century Television which is owned by Disney and licensed to NBC. This is how TV has worked for decades.

So Disney can still have ABC Signature without having the ABC Network, likely renaming it or merging it into 20th Century Television.

And in any respect, all of this media speculation is absurd. Iger NEVER SAID "ABC" when he talked about "assets that may not be core to Disney." Everyone just assumed he meant "ABC", but he never said "ABC."

He was talking about linear TV, which includes ABC.

 

[Mmoore29]

You do know that networks don't make all their own content right?

For example shows for NBC aren't all made by NBC Universal Television Studio. Some shows, like the very popular This is Us, are made by other studios like 20th Century Television which is owned by Disney and licensed to NBC. This is how TV has worked for decades.

So Disney can still have ABC Signature without having the ABC Network, likely renaming it or merging it into 20th Century Television.


He was talking about linear TV, which includes ABC.

Of course I'm aware of that fact. And I'm aware of the fact that ABC Signature is a value name too important to rename, merge or anything. Disney wants to use it, so they're going to keep ABC to do so.

He said "linear TV," but he didn't say "ABC." If ABC were something he was seriously wanting to discard, he'd have just said "ABC." Not turn around and go to ABC News and say, "This is important to us. You matter to us."

Selling a slice of ESPN to a partner? Sure. Selling the European and Indian pay-TV assets? Absolutely, and Disney will get a lot of cash for them and be able to have a lot of free cash flow. But ABC and Disney Channel are assuredly not going anywhere. And Disney is not going to entirely walk away from linear TV. If they were, they would not have settled things with Charter.

 

[Disney Irish]

Of course I'm aware of that fact. And I'm aware of the fact that ABC Signature is a value name too important to rename, merge or anything. Disney wants to use it, so they're going to keep ABC to do so.

If you're aware of that fact, then you know having a TV Studio doesn't require a broadcast network. As they can license all that content made by the studio right back to any new owner of the ABC network if sold. Also Disney has other distribution channels, such as their streaming assets, where they can put content from ABC Signature if licensing deals aren't available after the ABC network gets sold.

He said "linear TV," but he didn't say "ABC." If ABC were something he was seriously wanting to discard, he'd have just said "ABC." Not turn around and go to ABC News and say, "This is important to us. You matter to us."

Selling a slice of ESPN to a partner? Sure. Selling the European and Indian pay-TV assets? Absolutely, and Disney will get a lot of cash for them and be able to have a lot of free cash flow. But ABC and Disney Channel are assuredly not going anywhere. And Disney is not going to entirely walk away from linear TV. If they were, they would not have settled things with Charter.

ABC is part of Disney's linear TV assets, so it stands to reason its part of what he is talking about.

Notice he didn't go around and say that to the local ABC stations that Disney owns, just ABC News out of Manhattan. So maybe Disney keeps ABC News and sells the local stations, ie the channels.

A new deal with Charter doesn't mean that in 5-10 years or even a year from now that Disney will still own the ABC network. The deal will stay with the networks even if Disney sells them. The same thing happened when Disney bought 21CF.

Anyways there is a lot of speculation going on on all sides. We'll just have to wait and see what happens in the coming days, weeks, and months. Just don't be surprised if Disney decides to sell certain parts of ABC as has been discussed.

 

[TP2000]

I remember Byron Allen from the show Real People in the early 80's. After that I never really followed him so was really surprised a few years ago when I found out he was now this millionaire media mogul.

I was right there with you on this one. I thought "That Byron Allen? From Real People???" I liked him and Sarah Purcell the best, but what was that blonde guy's name? I forget.

What's funny is that news media doesn't mention his start on Real People. Apparently he had a talk show in the 1990's that I've never heard of. Then he got into the executive side of the business, and is now a very successful and wealthy businessman with his own media empire. Good for him!

From CBS News...

"Allen entered the media business in the early 1990s after a successful career as a stand-up comedian on programs like The Tonight Show and as host of the late-night talk show The Byron Allen Show, according to a bio on his company's website. In 1993, he founded CF Entertainment, later renamed Entertainment Studios, a division of AMG, which he built into a media empire worth roughly $1 billion through a series of acquisitions, according to the Hollywood Reporter."

Media mogul Byron Allen offers Disney $10 billion for ABC, cable TV channels

Disney CEO Bob Iger had signaled that the entertainment giant was open to selling some of its media assets.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[danlb_2000]

I was right there with you on this one. I thought "That Byron Allen? From Real People???" I liked him and Sarah Purcell the best, but what was that blonde guy's name? I forget.

What's funny is that news media doesn't mention his start on Real People. Apparently he had a talk show in the 1990's that I've never heard of. Then he got into the executive side of the business, and is now a very successful and wealthy businessman with his own media empire. Good for him!

From CBS News...

"Allen entered the media business in the early 1990s after a successful career as a stand-up comedian on programs like The Tonight Show and as host of the late-night talk show The Byron Allen Show, according to a bio on his company's website. In 1993, he founded CF Entertainment, later renamed Entertainment Studios, a division of AMG, which he built into a media empire worth roughly $1 billion through a series of acquisitions, according to the Hollywood Reporter."

Media mogul Byron Allen offers Disney $10 billion for ABC, cable TV channels

Disney CEO Bob Iger had signaled that the entertainment giant was open to selling some of its media assets.

www.cbsnews.com

The blonde guy was Skip Stephenson, sadly died in 1992 at the age of 52.

 

[TP2000]

The blonde guy was Skip Stephenson, sadly died in 1992 at the age of 52.

Oh, that is sad. What is incredible (That's Incredible?) is that Real People actually predicted what the future would look like with Social Media and silly TikTok fads. Everyone is now a star, at least for 15 seconds.

 

[Tha Realest]

I was right there with you on this one. I thought "That Byron Allen? From Real People???" I liked him and Sarah Purcell the best, but what was that blonde guy's name? I forget.

What's funny is that news media doesn't mention his start on Real People. Apparently he had a talk show in the 1990's that I've never heard of. Then he got into the executive side of the business, and is now a very successful and wealthy businessman with his own media empire. Good for him!

From CBS News...

"Allen entered the media business in the early 1990s after a successful career as a stand-up comedian on programs like The Tonight Show and as host of the late-night talk show The Byron Allen Show, according to a bio on his company's website. In 1993, he founded CF Entertainment, later renamed Entertainment Studios, a division of AMG, which he built into a media empire worth roughly $1 billion through a series of acquisitions, according to the Hollywood Reporter."

Media mogul Byron Allen offers Disney $10 billion for ABC, cable TV channels

Disney CEO Bob Iger had signaled that the entertainment giant was open to selling some of its media assets.

www.cbsnews.com

I remember him from that syndicated very late night Entertainment Tonight like show that was always on at like 2am Sunday morning.

 

[Mmoore29]

I remember him from that syndicated very late night Entertainment Tonight like show that was always on at like 2am Sunday morning.

He'll be lucky to get the O&Os. Disney doesn't need the physical O&Os so much anymore. But the network is not going anywhere.

 

[Mmoore29]

I was right there with you on this one. I thought "That Byron Allen? From Real People???" I liked him and Sarah Purcell the best, but what was that blonde guy's name? I forget.

What's funny is that news media doesn't mention his start on Real People. Apparently he had a talk show in the 1990's that I've never heard of. Then he got into the executive side of the business, and is now a very successful and wealthy businessman with his own media empire. Good for him!

From CBS News...

"Allen entered the media business in the early 1990s after a successful career as a stand-up comedian on programs like The Tonight Show and as host of the late-night talk show The Byron Allen Show, according to a bio on his company's website. In 1993, he founded CF Entertainment, later renamed Entertainment Studios, a division of AMG, which he built into a media empire worth roughly $1 billion through a series of acquisitions, according to the Hollywood Reporter."

Media mogul Byron Allen offers Disney $10 billion for ABC, cable TV channels

Disney CEO Bob Iger had signaled that the entertainment giant was open to selling some of its media assets.

www.cbsnews.com

Let's also make one thing clear. Comcast isn't going to sell NBC. Paramount isn't going to sell CBS, Paramount Network, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central or any of that. WBD won't sell CNN. And Murdoch isn't going to downsize further. If these companies were doing so, then it would make sense for Disney to sell ABC. But they'll never do it, and if Disney DID sell, these other studios would be laughing and saying how Disney had just made a huge mistake. They'd take advantage and trample all over Disney. Disney needs ABC in its corner.

 

[TP2000]

Network TV is already dead for those under age 30, and is dying off fast for those over age 50. Iger would be wise to take Mr. Allen up on his generous offer of $10 Billion for ABC TV.

Because I love to deal in hard facts and data even though it upsets some folks to see those facts, here's some hard facts and data to show the audience decline for network TV. Not only has the audience declined greatly in the last 10 years, but young people under age 35 have practically abandoned all forms of network TV.

Mirroring trends across all the networks, in the past decade viewership for ABC TV programs has declined 84%.

Network TV, and in this case Disney-owned ABC TV, is a dying business. And it's already dead for those under 35.

 

[TP2000]

And just for a little cherry on top of that Data Sundae, here's the viewership decline for the Emmy's. With the "Demo" audience being those age 18 to 49.

The Emmy's award show spectacular where all the TV stars remind us how talented and brilliant they are even though very few people are left watching their shows... is in steep decline along with network viewership in general.

 

[Mmoore29]

Network TV is already dead for those under age 30, and is dying off fast for those over age 50. Iger would be wise to take Mr. Allen up on his generous offer of $10 Billion for ABC TV.

Because I love to deal in hard facts and data even though it upsets some folks to see those facts, here's some hard facts and data to show the audience decline for network TV. Not only has the audience declined greatly in the last 10 years, but young people under age 35 have practically abandoned all forms of network TV.

Mirroring trends across all the networks, in the past decade viewership for ABC TV programs has declined 84%.

Network TV, and in this case Disney-owned ABC TV, is a dying business. And it's already dead for those under 35.

Is Paramount selling CBS? Is Comcast selling NBC? No, they aren't. And they won't regardless if Disney sells or not.

 

[TalkingHead]

Selling ABC would mean Iger loses his cutaway shot sitting in the crowd during the Oscars telecast. Can’t afford to lose that.

 

[flynnibus]

Is Paramount selling CBS? Is Comcast selling NBC? No, they aren't. And they won't regardless if Disney sells or not.

And yet… you keep bringing them up in a discussion about TWDC’s strategic choices.

Tell us again how paramount is a global conglomerate like TWDC? Or Comcast for that matter?

 

[TP2000]

Selling ABC would mean Iger loses his cutaway shot sitting in the crowd during the Oscars telecast. Can’t afford to lose that.

Even more bad news on that front. If a Cutaway Shot happens without a TV audience, did it ever happen?

 

[Disney Irish]

Network TV is already dead for those under age 30, and is dying off fast for those over age 50. Iger would be wise to take Mr. Allen up on his generous offer of $10 Billion for ABC TV.

Because I love to deal in hard facts and data even though it upsets some folks to see those facts, here's some hard facts and data to show the audience decline for network TV. Not only has the audience declined greatly in the last 10 years, but young people under age 35 have practically abandoned all forms of network TV.

Mirroring trends across all the networks, in the past decade viewership for ABC TV programs has declined 84%.

Network TV, and in this case Disney-owned ABC TV, is a dying business. And it's already dead for those under 35.

I don't agree with you on much, but on this we are very much in agreement.

Linear TV is so last century.....

 

[Disney Irish]

Is Paramount selling CBS? Is Comcast selling NBC? No, they aren't. And they won't regardless if Disney sells or not.

All it takes is for the first domino to fall and the others follow suit......

Rumors have been swirling for awhile now about Comcast buying up Warner Bros/Discovery in 2024. If that happens you'll potentially see them selling NBC to help fund the deal.

Paramount has already begun looking at selling CBS assets this year -

CBS Broadcast Center in New York Up For Sale From Paramount

The complex on West 57th street is the headquarters for CBS News, and home to shows like 'Last Week Tonight,' among others.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[TP2000]

I don't agree with you on much, but on this we are very much in agreement.

You aren't agreeing with me, you are agreeing with hard facts and accurate data.

I don't have a dog in this fight, as I have no investments in any entertainment companies any longer. And I have never worked for, and never will work for, a TV network.

This is just the reality of what has already happened in the last 15 years. Like saying that the sky is blue, it's simply fact.

 

[flynnibus]

Sounds like the logic 'the casinos will never sell...' -- Meanwhile the companies behind the casinos learned to come up with better models forming REITs and have the casinos sell the land they operate on and restructure how money is made for investors and allow the operating businesses to do things like raise money.

The same will happen in traditional linear TV - the models will change as will ownership.