wannab@dis
Well-Known Member
This would open up huge advertising / cross company working between Disney and Apple. I'm not sure it's a great thing, but I can see some big potential. Just hope we don't see too many "Buy your Mac here" kiosks. :lol:
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Does Disney Buy Pixar?
- Thread starter Woody13
- Start date
jakeman
Well-Known Member
Ha ha! I am living proof that people use the search feature and don't start additional threads!
I saw this when I logged on to CNN but figured that it had been out for a couple of hours so it had to be posted here somewhere.
It is an interesting development. I didn't think Steve Jobs could be bought, he seems to anti-establishment and self-righteous for that. I don't know him personally, just conjecture from the small bits of interviews and what not I've seen.
I saw this when I logged on to CNN but figured that it had been out for a couple of hours so it had to be posted here somewhere.
It is an interesting development. I didn't think Steve Jobs could be bought, he seems to anti-establishment and self-righteous for that. I don't know him personally, just conjecture from the small bits of interviews and what not I've seen.
jakeman
Well-Known Member
It's not me...I only have one share, and it's hanging on the wall of my office.objr said:
My biggest concern is that he sees Disney as just that, an opportunity to grow Apple and Pixar. An example, and hopefully an unrealistic one, would be if he only released new Disney movies for a time on iTunes before sending them to DVD. This seems certainly plausible and within the scope of Job's skullduggery.
objr said:
Report: Disney in serious talks to buy Pixar
GARY GENTILE
Associated Press
<!-- begin body-content -->LOS ANGELES - A possible merger between The Walt Disney Co. and Pixar Animation Studio could make Pixar CEO Steve Jobs a member of Disney's board and its single largest shareholder, a newspaper reported Thursday.
Shares of both companies rose slightly Thursday after The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources familiar with the plan, reported Disney was in serious talks to buy Pixar.
Both companies declined comment to The Associated Press.
Pixar is the maker of a number of hit movies, including "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo." Jobs is its largest shareholder, with more than 60 million shares, or 50.6 percent, according to Pixar's filings with securities regulators last year.
At its current share price, his stake is worth about $3.44 billion.
Jobs also heads Apple Computer Inc., the maker of the hugely successful iPod music and video player.
"Investors may hope that Mr. Jobs' successful track record at Pixar and Apple will rub off more broadly on Disney," Richard Greenfield, an analyst at Pali Research, wrote in a report Thursday.
Greenfield estimated that Jobs could gain a 6 percent stake in Disney as the result of a merger. Disney's largest reported individual shareholder now is former CEO Michael Eisner, who owns 1.8 percent of outstanding shares.
Pixar shares rose $1.61 a share, or 2.81 percent, to close at $58.87 Thursday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Disney shares gained $1.04, or 4 percent, at the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Disney CEO Robert Iger has made it clear that technology will be a cornerstone of Disney's success in the future. Having Jobs on Disney's board could strengthen the link between Disney's content and the technology that links TV shows, movies and music to consumers.
"In our view, no company understands both technology and the consumer better than Apple," analyst Kathy Styponias of Prudential Equity Group wrote.
Reports of a possibe Disney-Pixar merger first surfaced several weeks ago after shares of Pixar jumped, leading analysts to speculate that Jobs might become Disney's chairman.
Disney and Pixar have been talking for months about a new relationship.
Disney has co-financed and distributed Pixar's animated films for the past 12 years, splitting the profits. But that deal expires in June after Pixar delivers "Cars."
The company, based in Emeryville, is already at work on its next several films but has yet to decide if Disney or another studio will distribute them. The studio makes one movie a year.
Many analysts expect a new distribution deal soon but dismiss the idea of Disney buying Pixar as so expensive that it would dilute Disney's earnings for several years.
Others said that if Disney paid only a slight premium for Pixar's shares, as the Journal report suggests, Disney could recover fairly quickly, especially if Pixar increases its production to two films per year.
"Despite dilution in the near-term and the likely negative impact Disney's stock would take should it acquire Pixar, we believe the deal would make sense both strategically and, eventually, financially," Styponias wrote.
<!-- end body-content -->
speck76
Well-Known Member
Shaman
Well-Known Member
Disney-Pixar Deal Could Drive Positive Returns
Maya Roney, 01.19.06, 5:58 PM ET
Credit Suisse First Boston research analyst William B. Drewry maintained an "outperform" rating and $40 price target on The Walt Disney Company in light of recent reports of the company's plans to buy Pixar.
"We are big believers that Disney buying Pixar would be a smart strategic move that could have very positive intermediate-term financial returns for Disney," wrote the analyst in a research note Thursday.
Drewry has said that the top priorities for new Disney chief executive officer Bob Iger include ensuring success of the animation franchise at Disney, correctly positioning Disney on the technology curve in terms of content distribution and pushing international growth opportunities.
In the event of a deal, "Pixar would de facto become the film animation division for Disney," said the analyst. "That would instantly solve the top priority on Iger’s list."
In addition, Disney could name Apple CEO Steve Jobs to the Disney board of directors, adding "a strong technology visionary" to the Disney team, according to the analyst.
"There seem to be few media company mergers that ultimately work well, but the unique structure of this partnership would likely drive ultimate success," said Drewry.
CSFB recently downgraded Pixar to "neutral" from "outperform" to reflect a 35% run-up in the stock since October 2005.
Maya Roney, 01.19.06, 5:58 PM ET
Credit Suisse First Boston research analyst William B. Drewry maintained an "outperform" rating and $40 price target on The Walt Disney Company in light of recent reports of the company's plans to buy Pixar.
"We are big believers that Disney buying Pixar would be a smart strategic move that could have very positive intermediate-term financial returns for Disney," wrote the analyst in a research note Thursday.
Drewry has said that the top priorities for new Disney chief executive officer Bob Iger include ensuring success of the animation franchise at Disney, correctly positioning Disney on the technology curve in terms of content distribution and pushing international growth opportunities.
In the event of a deal, "Pixar would de facto become the film animation division for Disney," said the analyst. "That would instantly solve the top priority on Iger’s list."
In addition, Disney could name Apple CEO Steve Jobs to the Disney board of directors, adding "a strong technology visionary" to the Disney team, according to the analyst.
"There seem to be few media company mergers that ultimately work well, but the unique structure of this partnership would likely drive ultimate success," said Drewry.
CSFB recently downgraded Pixar to "neutral" from "outperform" to reflect a 35% run-up in the stock since October 2005.
DarkMeasures
New Member
Disney should have bought Pixar back when George Lucas originally offered it up for sale.
Anyway, I do hope it happens and I wish that Disney would make Jobs a board member. Seeing what Jobs can do makes me really want it to happen.
Anyway, I do hope it happens and I wish that Disney would make Jobs a board member. Seeing what Jobs can do makes me really want it to happen.
DarkMeasures said:
Jobs may in fact get a seat on the board....
Check out the latest article on this from MSNBC.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10933220/
interesting...
EDIT: here is another article from yesterday: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10921923/
wdwmaniac
Member
As much as I would like to see Disney Buy Pixar I feel that it is over priced. Look @ Parmount's recent buyout of Dreamworks.....1.6 B if I recall for a movie library of about 56 some movies (yes not all are blockbuster but you do moviesl like saving private ryan. you also get access to all speilbergs movies in the future and dist. Dreamworks Animation.) I feel the smart thing for Disney would have been to buy Dreamsworks SKG (2B) and Dreamworks (3B)Animation (Publicly traded) for about 5-6 B and just sign another distrubition agreement with PIXAR. Disney would have had the best of both worlds Pixar and Dreamswork in the Magic Kingdom.
wannab@dis
Well-Known Member
just a small understatement! :lol:objr said:
Katzenburg was fired by Eisner and then went and started Dreamworks with Spielburg and someone else. Katzenburg was head of Disney animation during the huge years of Lion King, Little Mermaid, BatB, etc. He was fired not long after Wells died and apparently because he wanted a raise.
cherrynegra
Well-Known Member
objr said:
Dreamworks would have set fire to the studios before letting Disney take over.:lol:
stewdog1
Active Member
Rayray said:I can't decide if this is good or not. Do you think he would try to market Apple too much if he became a powerful board member?
You find this to be a problem? I don't. Apple has always prided itself on high quality products and presentation. That is why they have done so well in the last 8 years. The same way people used to consider Disney. Rayray, my friend, this would be nothing but good for Disney. Get them back to their roots of what got them there and not worry about the nickle and diming everything to death.
As for marketing Apple, nothing wrong with marketing a high quality product. I can see when they convert SSE to Time Racers that a bite will be taken out of the ball to reflect Apple's sponsorship of the ride.
Disney board set to meet amid Pixar merger talks
Fri Jan 20, 2006 3:30 PM ET
By Gina Keating
LOS ANGELES, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's <DIS.N> board of directors is expected to meet by Monday to consider buying Pixar Animation Studios Inc <PIXR.O> in a deal that could revive Disney as the world's dominant animation studio and give computer pioneer Steve Jobs a new platform of power.
A source familiar with the talks said it was not clear whether the board meeting would be held on Sunday or Monday or whether board members were prepared to vote on a proposed merger of animation hit factory Pixar with Disney.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Disney proposed to buy Pixar in a stock transaction worth more than $6.7 billion, making Pixar CEO Jobs its largest individual shareholder and possibly giving the man who also co-founded Apple computers a seat on Disney's board.
Disney, for decades the pre-eminent maker of such hand-drawn animated films as "Cinderella" and "Lion King," has struggled in recent years to maintain its position in an industry that has embraced computer-generated (CG) films.
The two companies were in the midst of renegotiating their distribution agreement, which expires in June with the release of Pixar's "Cars," when rumors of the purchase surfaced.
Disney could not be reached for comment and a Pixar spokesman declined comment.
Media industry watchers have speculated that the merger talk was driven by Disney's lack of confidence in its upcoming slate of animated films.
Disney's first CG release, "Chicken Little," released Nov. 4, has performed respectably with worldwide box office sales of $279 million, but less than Pixar's lowest-grossing film, "A Bug's Life," which reaped $363 million worldwide.
"Disney is perhaps revealing a slight lack of confidence to want to mimic Pixar's success internally," said Anant Sundaram, a professor at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business. "If that assessment is true, then it is a somewhat unfortunate admission from a once-great company that fundamentally created, and defined this space."
Analyst Rich Greenfield of Pali Research said in a note on Thursday that the potential deal could signal that Disney "was increasingly concerned with its upcoming (internally generated) animated films."
Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger pledged in the company's fourth-quarter conference call in November that "animation is, and will remain, at the heart and soul of Disney."
Although Disney has not produced a blockbuster animated film on its own in years, the six films Pixar and Disney made since the 1995 release of "Toy Story," have grossed more than $3.2 billion.
Pixar was on the verge of finding a new distributor for its films when Iger, who took over in October for longtime Disney CEO Michael Eisner, made a priority of smoothing over relations with Jobs, who had publicly clashed with Eisner.
Fri Jan 20, 2006 3:30 PM ET
By Gina Keating
LOS ANGELES, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's <DIS.N> board of directors is expected to meet by Monday to consider buying Pixar Animation Studios Inc <PIXR.O> in a deal that could revive Disney as the world's dominant animation studio and give computer pioneer Steve Jobs a new platform of power.
A source familiar with the talks said it was not clear whether the board meeting would be held on Sunday or Monday or whether board members were prepared to vote on a proposed merger of animation hit factory Pixar with Disney.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Disney proposed to buy Pixar in a stock transaction worth more than $6.7 billion, making Pixar CEO Jobs its largest individual shareholder and possibly giving the man who also co-founded Apple computers a seat on Disney's board.
Disney, for decades the pre-eminent maker of such hand-drawn animated films as "Cinderella" and "Lion King," has struggled in recent years to maintain its position in an industry that has embraced computer-generated (CG) films.
The two companies were in the midst of renegotiating their distribution agreement, which expires in June with the release of Pixar's "Cars," when rumors of the purchase surfaced.
Disney could not be reached for comment and a Pixar spokesman declined comment.
Media industry watchers have speculated that the merger talk was driven by Disney's lack of confidence in its upcoming slate of animated films.
Disney's first CG release, "Chicken Little," released Nov. 4, has performed respectably with worldwide box office sales of $279 million, but less than Pixar's lowest-grossing film, "A Bug's Life," which reaped $363 million worldwide.
"Disney is perhaps revealing a slight lack of confidence to want to mimic Pixar's success internally," said Anant Sundaram, a professor at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business. "If that assessment is true, then it is a somewhat unfortunate admission from a once-great company that fundamentally created, and defined this space."
Analyst Rich Greenfield of Pali Research said in a note on Thursday that the potential deal could signal that Disney "was increasingly concerned with its upcoming (internally generated) animated films."
Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger pledged in the company's fourth-quarter conference call in November that "animation is, and will remain, at the heart and soul of Disney."
Although Disney has not produced a blockbuster animated film on its own in years, the six films Pixar and Disney made since the 1995 release of "Toy Story," have grossed more than $3.2 billion.
Pixar was on the verge of finding a new distributor for its films when Iger, who took over in October for longtime Disney CEO Michael Eisner, made a priority of smoothing over relations with Jobs, who had publicly clashed with Eisner.