Disney-21st Century Fox deal

[EgonSpengler]

Barring some "regulatory hurdles", Disney is purchasing a huge amount of Fox's film and television assets for $50-60 billion. I don't know if this is a rant or a rave. I guess it's both. As Mark Bernardin tweeted when the deal was rumored a couple of weeks ago, "OmniGloboMegaCorp is go."

Deadline, 14 Dec 17 - Disney sets deal to acquire most of Fox, a game-changing deal that will redraw Hollywood landscape

Disney of course already owns Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, as well as the US television network ABC. This deal will give them control of film and television properties such as The X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Simpsons, Alien, Die Hard, Planet of the Apes, This Is Us, and Modern Family.

Disney already owns 30% of streaming service Hulu, and will acquire Fox's 30%.

Disney will get Fox's stake in Sky, and something called Star India.

Disney will get Fox affiliates Searchlight and Fox 2000, which have produced films like 12 Years a Slave, Hidden Figures, and The Shape of Water, and the television channel FX and all its content (The Americans; Fargo; American Horror Story; Archer; Atlanta; Legion).

The deal does not include Fox News. I don't think it includes Fox Sports, either.

 

[onejayhawk]

Its about time Netflix got some real competition.

J

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

It doesn't include Fox Sports (FS1 or FS2 or anything) but does include all the regional sports networks like Fox Detroit or New York or LA or whatever, which are the primary carriers of the actual games, so it's huuuuuuuuuge for ESPN and their push for streaming.

This will essentially make Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu/Disney the big 3 of streaming. But getting live sports is a huge get as it's probably the one thing cable still has over online right now, since most people hate watching sports after the fact.

Also Disney and Google and Amazon will own everything in 5 more years.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I can see it now: Planet of the Apes: The Animated Musical, starring Princess Zira in a floaty dress.

 

[schlaufuchs]

Also worth noting that Fox currently owns the distribution rights to the pre-Disney Star Wars films.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Its about time Netflix got some real competition.

Hulu has made some decent stuff, but not nearly in the quantity that Netflix is churning stuff out. If Disney gives them an injection of capital, that might be a good thing. An article I read speculated that Disney's upcoming streaming service may be for their "family-friendly" stuff, and that they'll leave Hulu to make the adult stuff like The Handmaid's Tale, and then put their R-rated movies on Hulu as well.

It doesn't include Fox Sports (FS1 or FS2 or anything) but does include all the regional sports networks like Fox Detroit or New York or LA or whatever, which are the primary carriers of the actual games, so it's huuuuuuuuuge for ESPN and their push for streaming.

Right, I forgot about ESPN.

I can see it now: Planet of the Apes: The Animated Musical, starring Princess Zira in a floaty dress.

It seems like there's been a lot written about Disney making everything "family friendly", which has been their mission statement since ol' Walt was alive. But I can't imagine they'd screw with the successful properties that are clearly for adults. Somebody did point out that, because they're all born from a Queen, the Ridley Scott/H.R. Giger aliens are now technically Disney Princesses.

Also worth noting that Fox currently owns the distribution rights to the pre-Disney Star Wars films.

I did not know that. I wonder if this sale will make it any easier to see them.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Hulu has made some decent stuff, but not nearly in the quantity that Netflix is churning stuff out. If Disney gives them an injection of capital, that might be a good thing. An article I read speculated that Disney's upcoming streaming service may be for their "family-friendly" stuff, and that they'll leave Hulu to make the adult stuff like The Handmaid's Tale, and then put their R-rated movies on Hulu as well.

I would not want to see The Handmaid's Tale as a watered-down, Disneyfied abomination. It's a dark and gritty story, and the TV series has done an excellent job with it, for the most part (I only spotted one really egregious error, which I hope they fix in the second season next year).

 

[civvver]

I actually like this a lot as a consumer because it probably means disney is going to be able to launch a streaming live tv option that has regional sports and fx. I haven't looked into details of what the new hulu live has, maybe it has that already. But last year we considered ditching cable but my wife had two channel requirements, nbc and abc for the voice and the bachelor, and I had three in amc, fx and local sports. The only way I could get all of them, and I still don't think we'd have gotten sports, was some like the most expensive sling package plus hulu and it was only like $20 less than our cable bill. Cable is still more convenient since it's all through one box and I would've needed a fire stick since my lgos doesn't have a sling tv app.

If disney launches a paid for service that has all the disney jr shows and disney movies plus fox shows and it's less than $15 a month forget it I'm in. My kid loves those shows and I'll just ditch cable.

I think the only thing saving netflix at that point will be some of their originals and allowing you to download for offline watching. That's a really great feature to be able to watch stuff on a plane or in the car without using your data.

 

[EgonSpengler]

I would not want to see The Handmaid's Tale as a watered-down, Disneyfied abomination.

Right, no one does, and I don't think Disney is that dumb. At least, they haven't been so far. ABC, Marvel Studios and Pixar haven't been "Disneyfied" and have kept their respective identities, as far as I can tell. I also don't know what a 60% interest in Hulu means, as far as creative influence. Obviously, Disney could be a huge source of funds, which gives them a say regardless of what their percentage of ownership is.

I actually like this a lot as a consumer because it probably means disney is going to be able to launch a streaming live tv option that has regional sports and fx. I haven't looked into details of what the new hulu live has, maybe it has that already. But last year we considered ditching cable but my wife had two channel requirements, nbc and abc for the voice and the bachelor, and I had three in amc, fx and local sports. The only way I could get all of them, and I still don't think we'd have gotten sports, was some like the most expensive sling package plus hulu and it was only like $20 less than our cable bill. Cable is still more convenient since it's all through one box and I would've needed a fire stick since my lgos doesn't have a sling tv app.

If disney launches a paid for service that has all the disney jr shows and disney movies plus fox shows and it's less than $15 a month forget it I'm in. My kid loves those shows and I'll just ditch cable.

I think the only thing saving netflix at that point will be some of their originals and allowing you to download for offline watching. That's a really great feature to be able to watch stuff on a plane or in the car without using your data.

Netflix is going all-in on original programming, and a lot of it is pretty good. Hulu would have to sprint to catch up. As for the costs, and how Disney divvies up all the content, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[tjs282]

Also worth noting that Fox currently owns the distribution rights to the pre-Disney Star Wars films.

I did not know that. I wonder if this sale will make it any easier to see them.

Last time I looked (last weekend), all the SW movies are/were on Netflix.de—are they not also on Netflix.com?

But even if so, then (now that TLJ is on general release, and extra fervor-whipping is no longer needed) I guess they won't be for much longer...

 

[EgonSpengler]

Last time I looked (last weekend), all the SW movies are/were on Netflix.de—are they not also on Netflix.com?

But even if so, then (now that TLJ is on general release, and extra fervor-whipping is no longer needed) I guess they won't be for much longer...

Yeah, Netflix in the US only has Rogue One and The Clone Wars animated series. I haven't looked to see whether Amazon has any of the others for rental, but I'm reluctant to pay another $5-7 on top of my monthly subscription fee(s). Heck, I might still have VHS tapes of the original trilogy, and if I don't still have a VCR in the basement, I could probably buy one for less than $5.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I am pretty sure they also have the force awakens.

I am also pretty sure Amazon has all the movies but they cost rental or purchase fees.

 

[EgonSpengler]

I wouldn't mind seeing The Force Awakens again, before seeing the new one. I haven't seen it since it was in theaters.

Amazon has The Force Awakens for a $4 rental, or for free if you have the "STARZ" add-on, which is $8 a month in addition to the regular, Amazon Prime fee. They have the original trilogy for purchase only, although they're on sale right now, for $10 each.

Yeah, they don't make it easy. Very few of the Marvel movies are available, either. And Disney will not be renewing its deal with Netflix when that expires, so Marvel and Star Wars will be gone entirely from Netflix in another couple of years. Whether I subscribe to a Disney streaming service will depend on the price and what I'm doing with my money at the time. I've basically resigned myself to only watching HBO shows after they're over (they make shows like The Wire, Rome and The Sopranos available to Amazon Prime, I believe, but nothing currently airing).

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Find a friend with an HBO subscription and ask for access to HBO GO through their account. ;-)

The media landscape certainly is fragmenting. I give it a couple of years before everyone is forced to pay for the equivalent of a bloated cable subscription to access online content or turn back to pirating en masse.

 

[BvBPL]

Tim Curry is my favorite Disney Princess!

 

[warpus]

So eventually Disney is going to own everything?

I was really hoping Fox news was included in this deal, but I guess not

 

[Kyriakos]

So, doesn't US have anti-monopoly or potential monopoly laws?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

So eventually Disney is going to own everything?

I was really hoping Fox news was included in this deal, but I guess not

Yes. Corporate consolidation is affecting every industry right now.

I'm glad they left Fox News alone; I do not want the Disney brand to lend it any credibility.

So, doesn't US have anti-monopoly or potential monopoly laws?

Yes but we've largely given up on enforcing them. We also turn a blind eye to monopolies that don't affect infrastructure in some way. Microsoft products are the infrastructure of the corporate world and thus it did rise to regulators attention, for example. Same with telecom companies though by and large the heat has been taken off of them when it comes to endless mergers and consolidation.

But outside of infrastructure, no one seems to care about monopolies in our government.

 

[warpus]

I'm glad they left Fox News alone; I do not want the Disney brand to lend it any credibility.

Is that what would have happened?

 

[EgonSpengler]

So, doesn't US have anti-monopoly or potential monopoly laws?

Yes. That's why the billionaires have taken such interest in government, so they can rewrite the laws. The recent elimination of net neutrality, the repeal of environmental protections and national park designations to promote oil and gas drilling, the upcoming tax bill, etc. They want a new "Gilded Age." Even the (relatively-)wealthy people I know are shaking their heads and calling it all B.S.