21st Century Fox Sell itself to Disney

Kinda Huge these discussion are even happening. Let alone if its possible. Remember Disney already owns ABC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/06/21st-century-fox-has-been-holding-talks-to-sell-most-of-company-to-disney-sources.html






Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
Katie Kramer | CNBC
Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

21st Century Fox has been holding talks to sell most of the company to Walt Disney Co., leaving behind a media company tightly focused on news and sports, according to people familiar with the situation.

The talks have taken place over the last few weeks and there is no certainty they will lead to a deal. The two sides are not currently talking at this very moment, but given the on again, off again nature of the talks, they could be revisited.

For Fox, the willingness to engage in sale talks with Disney stems from a growing belief among its senior management that scale in media is of immediate importance and that there is not a path to gain that scale in entertainment through acquisition. The company is said to believe that a more tightly group of properties around news and sports could compete more effectively in the current marketplace.

The media landscape has changed considerably in recent years with giants such as Facebook, Google, Amazon and Netflix changing the way people consume media and dominating the digital distribution of digital video content. Being able to compete in that changing landscape, many people believe, requires scale that a Disney has, but 21s Century Fox does not.

For Disney, the opportunity to take control of another movie studio and significant TV production assets as it readies a direct to consumer entertainment streaming offering is attractive as is fox's significant exposure to international markets, such as the U.K., Germany and Italy both through its networks and 30 percent ownership of B Sky B. Disney recently announced it will pull all of its movies from the Netflix platform and will establish two direct to consumer offerings; one for sports and one including its key franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel.

Disney would not purchase all of Fox, according to people with knowledge of the talks.
Rupert Murdoch
Getty Images
Rupert Murdoch

The company could not own two broadcast networks and would therefore not buy the Fox broadcast network. It would not buy Fox's sports programming assets in the belief that combining them with ESPN could be seen as anti-competitive from an antitrust standpoint and it would not buy the Fox News or Business channel. Disney would also not purchase Fox's local broadcasting affiliates, according to people familiar with the negotiations.

In addition to the movie studio, TV production and international assets such as Star and B Sky B, Disney would also add entertainment networks such as FX and National Geographic.

The contemplated structure of the deal or the price that has been discussed could not be learned. Given it would involve the sale of many, but not all of Fox's properties, it's unclear how Fox would mitigate potential tax consequences of a deal.

Officials at Disney and Fox declined to comment.

Would the Simpsons go to Disney? Also screw it maybe there could fix you know what paperwork once and for all

Basically Fox want to concentrate on their right-wing propaganda outlet then?

This would solve a massive headache for Marvel, as Fox have refused to hand back the X-Men and Fantastic Four movie rights. By buying 20th Century Fox, Disney would get those rights back and the properties could finally be added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Just the DVD rights, I think - they wouldn't be getting the Fox TV network, which would continue to air it.

And their TV network and sports outlets which arr very different to the News

Good question. It depends how all those companies whose names flash up at the end are involved. It's main producer is Gracie Films and of course it's made for Fox Network but 21c Fox are involved too.

It would be interesting to have Bart, Homer etc as colleagues of Mickey, Donald etc

My first thought was that it'd be good to hear that fanfare in front of Star Wars films again.

Presumably if this went through it would make a huge difference to the proposed takeover of Sky, with Disney presumably a bit more palatable than Murdoch and the Fox News side of the company.

Simpsons Did It:

Surprising that they would want to get rid of Sky, it fits in with the news/sport ethos of this idea. Also why after they've spent so long trying to buy the rest? It is a company that Rupe built up from scratch, though I suppose his influence is waning and there's no room for sentiment in business.


It would be interesting what would happen to Sky, I imagine a 100% Disney owned Sky would be more palatable but if this takeover comes first would they want to shell out for the rest? Might find that without Fox/the Murdochs on board someone else might start to encroach on it.

Merging Disneys European TV operation into Sky's might happen but not in the UK, as has been reported this week foreign broadcasters like Disney might have trouble operating from the UK post Brexit

The silence from both is telling. I'd take that as no deal, for now. The key to this would be a fracture in the Murdoch family. I cannot see Rupert agreeing without family pressure.

I suspect though if HM Government DO block the TCF-SKY deal then this idea will surface again.

As for the UK Sky's business prospects within Disney, they'd certainly pick up significant numbers of Murdoch refusniks as customers. The knock-on for BT and Talk Talk would be interesting. I'd think Disney would be much more agreeable to wholesale deals too.

Chance of it happening less than 30 pct now. Evens if the TCF-SKY deal is scuppered.

Some interesting comments behind paywall today ...

FT inferring that Rupert might be happy to see this occur but his sons are the obstacle. Each of them have a lead in his two global holding companies so one, or both, could be sidelined.

General media consensus seems to be edging towards a deal though eventually.

This is good too...
| see here …….. | THEGUARDIAN.COM | 07-Nov-2017 @ 15:38 |

CNBC is reporting that Comcast (their parent company) is expressing interest in purchasing major assets from 21CF.

BREAKING: Comcast has approached 21st Century Fox to express acquisition interest - Dow Jones $FOXa shares up 10% in after-hours trading. https://t.co/TGMGUbecdF

— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) November 16, 2017

Disney, Comcast and now Verizon it seems .... 21C Fox is numbered in it's current form

JUST IN: Verizon in early stages of exploring acquiring parts of Twenty-First Century Fox pic.twitter.com/nrWlDAeSRz

— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) November 16, 2017