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What Disney's Acquisition of Fox Means For the Future of Film and TV (qz.com)
Disney announced on Thursday it had reached a $52 billion deal to buy most of the assets of 21st Century Fox. It is "the biggest and most consequential media merger in an era of big and consequential media consolidation deals," reports Quartz. "The deal will have a lasting effect on film, television, and the internet." From the report: If the merger is approved, Disney will own: All of Fox's film studios (20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, and Fox 2000); Fox's television studio; FX Networks; National Geographic; Fox's stake in European broadcaster Sky; Fox's stake in North American streamer Hulu. Staying with the hollowed out 21st Century Fox is the Fox broadcast network, Fox News, Fox Sports, and Fox Business. With Fox's film and TV studios and its cable networks, Disney will acquire the rights to literally hundreds of popular television series and movies. (Some of which include Avatar, X-Men, Deadpool, Modern Family and The Simpsons.)
Imagine all of the properties mentioned above, plus all of Disney's existing franchises (Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, etc.) combined into one internet streaming service. You won't have to imagine for long, because that's pretty much exactly why Disney CEO Bob Iger was so keen on buying all of Fox's biggest assets. Disney plans to release a streaming entertainment service in 2019. It would have been quite formidable on its own, even without Fox's help, but now it will likely be the first true rival to Netflix in the streaming space. Before today, Disney, Fox, and Comcast (NBCUniversal) all shared equal 30% stakes in Hulu (Time Warner owns 10%). But when Disney takes over Fox's share of the streaming service, it will own 60%, becoming a controlling majority owner, relegating Comcast to minority owner in the process.
20th Century Fox, we hardly knew ye. Okay, that may be a bit premature, but it's clear that Fox's film business won't be the same if the merger is approved. The deal marks the first time in modern history that one major film studio has purchased another, eliminating one of the "big six," and essentially giving Disney control of two-thirds of Hollywood. (The other four major movie studios are Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Sony.)
Imagine all of the properties mentioned above, plus all of Disney's existing franchises (Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, etc.) combined into one internet streaming service. You won't have to imagine for long, because that's pretty much exactly why Disney CEO Bob Iger was so keen on buying all of Fox's biggest assets. Disney plans to release a streaming entertainment service in 2019. It would have been quite formidable on its own, even without Fox's help, but now it will likely be the first true rival to Netflix in the streaming space. Before today, Disney, Fox, and Comcast (NBCUniversal) all shared equal 30% stakes in Hulu (Time Warner owns 10%). But when Disney takes over Fox's share of the streaming service, it will own 60%, becoming a controlling majority owner, relegating Comcast to minority owner in the process.
20th Century Fox, we hardly knew ye. Okay, that may be a bit premature, but it's clear that Fox's film business won't be the same if the merger is approved. The deal marks the first time in modern history that one major film studio has purchased another, eliminating one of the "big six," and essentially giving Disney control of two-thirds of Hollywood. (The other four major movie studios are Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Sony.)
Does that mean we can expect X-men: The Rip-off, Avatar: the Rip-off, etc?
Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
I really don’t like the idea of a studio having a streaming service, well a streaming services that only does its properties.
I refuse to get CBS all access to watch STD, but I’ll get Hulu to watch The Orvil. Because with Hulu I can watch other shows from other networks as well.
Out of all the shows I like to watch they are widely distributed by studios. I don’t want a monthly bill that only covers 1/10th of what I want to watch.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
It is the AOL monopoly all over again! Someone help! /snark
Home of The Suki Series
DisneyFlix will only become a 'rival to Netflix' because Netflix is being forced to become less of an aggregator and more of a distributor of its own content. So Netflix will become worse and Disney will only fill the void for content owned by Disney. I'm not saying anything new here - but welcome to the world of paying for multiple streaming providers (or piracy).
Perhaps its time to think about some form of compulsory copyright licenses (as per music on the radio, or cable retransmissions).
They'll think they have you by the balls and not put any effort into making their streaming service customer friendly, i.e. support many devices, work reliably on a wide range of internet connections, etc. They'll make you pay for stuff you don't want to see by bundling it with stuff that you do want to see. The list goes on and on. Monopoly tactics.
No one told me the corporatocracy would mean such great streaming options!
Pity. Can you imagine DOTUS* watching a disneyfied Fox & Friends? * - Dotard Of The United States
Even More Copyprotection^2
Well, I guess this means that we can watch another group of young women sexualized and turned into tramps by Walt Disney's ghost. I guess I approve.
It probably means that all FOX movies and such will also be infected by SJ and LGBT agenda's. Like all the Disney cartoons that come out the last few years... But probably FOX already did that...
Great news for Disney share holders. Watch for them to buy another Mickey Mouse Copyright Extension Act next year as well. Eventually they'll sponsor an amendment to replace "to promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing for limited times to authors and inventors..." with "intellectual property in perpetuity for corporate entities". Like the FCC's recent vote these are just more steps toward complete corporatism. Thanks Obama!
Everybody is talking about what Disney is going to do with all that intellectual property, but what I want to know is what will the 52B be used for at what is left of Fox? Thatâ(TM)s a LOT of money. What Fox does with it will also be Major unless itâ(TM)s just pocketed by investors and stock holders.
> a) Netflix is worth $92 billion. Double of the Fox company Disney is buying.
Fox has ten times the revenue and FORTY FIVE times the profit of Netflix. Netflix has hype that has generated speculative stock buys, and by every measure of fundamentals is *worth* a tiny fraction of that.
> c) Disney's revenue is declining. Properties like ABC, people aren't watch tv as much.
Disney's revenue has gone from $42B to $55B over the last five years. In the last ten years, every year has been a significant increase other than a dip in 2009, and 2017 was flat.
Don't worry, now that NN is gone, it'll be two monthly bills that only cover a tenth of what you want to watch.
The deal marks the first time in modern history that one major film studio has purchased another, eliminating one of the "big six," and essentially giving Disney control of two-thirds of Hollywood. (The other four major movie studios are Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Sony.)
This means that, within the next two years, I guarantee you'll see another merger between the four other players.
And all in the name of "competition", of course.
Pity. Can you imagine DOTUS* watching a disneyfied Fox & Friends?
* - Dotard Of The United States
Obama left office almost a year ago...
The same Obama who couldn't figure out how to defeat ISIS - you know, the crazy Islamofascist "caliphate" that Trump removed in under a year?
That's gotta burn you progtards!
More x-men with avengers.
Married with children 10 times over. Easily.
But I'm Swedish and need some Bundy-sense on a daily basis.
Since the president has approved the deal, any time spent reviewing this deal is clearly a waste of government resources.
Save the taxpayers moved, stop the review!
America trusts Trump more than Obama appointed freeloading bureaucrats!
Trump's thumbs up means no review!
Hillary's state department actively supported and promoted ISIS. Her backers really really WANT that natural gas pipeline across Syria, so they backed the 'civil war' there. It almost NEVER gets in the news, of course.
If I was a full-time conspiracy theorist instead of just a part-timer, I'd say that the recent destruction of Net Neutrality in America was accomplished with this Disney acquisition in mind. As it is, I'll limit myself to noting that the timing is at least a little bit suspicious.
'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
Fox has ten times the revenue and FORTY FIVE times the profit of Netflix.
Which won't mean dick if they have the wrong business model. I'm not pretending I can pick the winner here or making any sort of assertion about either companies chances but I think it would be foolish to underestimate Netflix. They've already put at least one much larger competitor in the grave (Blockbuster).
If I was a full-time conspiracy theorist instead of just a part-timer, I'd say that the recent destruction of Net Neutrality in America was accomplished with this Disney acquisition in mind.
I'm sure Disney places no particular value on Net Neutrality because they are large enough to not have to care too much. I'm not sure how much they care but I doubt they are worried too much about it.
I'm just waiting for the next extension to copyright right around the time Mickey Mouse should enter the public domain sometime before 2024.
Does that mean we can expect X-men: The Rip-off
It was called X-Men The Last Stand.
It means we will soon see Fox News anchors in a new business attire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
#DeleteFacebook
I don't want a monthly bill that only covers 1/10th of what I want to watch.
That is what The Pirate Bay is for.
But hey, who needs anti-trust laws when there's so much profit to be made, right? Prepare yourself for a propaganda machine the likes of which have never been seen. Greed is going to be our undoing in America, and most of us are too narcissistic or apathetic (or both!) to care.
If Disney were required to divest the distribution from the content production, that would bring the balance back, despite owning all those properties.
However as it stands, Disney can pretty much drown out the rest of Hollywood, by making other films never get any screen time at the theater, and by making it's own VOD, people will only pick one VOD service, and cut the cord on their TV provider, so this is very likely bad news for broadcasters and cable television providers who were previously glib about offering everything you could possibly want, when Disney takes that opportunity away from them. Fox is literately the producer of all the filler shows (eg reality shows) and low-brow entertainment that these junk tv channels fill their time slots with.
"Nice sports, animation, and white-trash channels you got there, it would be a pity if you didn't pay up to keep them..."
At least I'll still have Miramax, with Tarantino, Cameron (the director, not Diaz), his wife the famous moviemaker, and these other independent filmmakers.
"Notabadguy" - User name does not check out.
Thief.
Would you like to upgrade your internet to the Disney-Fox tier? That's only $29.95 extra per month plus applicable transmission fees, FCC bribery fees, Disney DNS provider fees, last mile service fees, Senate bribery fees, Congress bribery fees, and taxes.
Murdoch is keeping the entities associated with political control, while unloading all of the apolitical entertainment "fluff". I was very curious to see if he would give up Fox News to the uncertain control of Disney, who (after all) has to be at least a little bit responsive to its entertainment audience and who MIGHT not continue to prop up the POTUS when all others (except for the uber-loyal National Enquirer) actually point it out when he lies or tweets an insulting comment about a member of Congress's personal appearance or how awful it is that THEY (if they are a Democrat) are accused of sexual harassment.
Oh, well. ...
Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
Why do you want to watch some else's Sexually Transmitted Disease? Can't you go out and get your own?
So Simpsons are now owned by Disney? Boy, oh, boy! Since Fox has been a running joke in many Simpsons episodes, I can't wait to see what they come up with about their new overlords.
So couple of things.
1. CBS all access does have shows from other studios (WB for example) that air on CBS. Those Chuck Lorre comedies (BBT, Moms) are WB shows for example.
2. You realize that Hulu is owned by Universal (Comcast), Fox, ABC (Disney), and WB right? So yes you can get shows from other networks, but those networks also own a stake in Hulu. You are still getting a service that only shows programs from it's owner's studios.
I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
We will get to hear the trumpeting of the 21st Centery Fox theme prior to Star Wars again, on all the new releases. And probably on any future re-releases.
1) The Sherman Anti-Trust Act isn't worth the paper it's written on.
2) Monopolies and/or oligarchies appear to be increasingly acceptable to everyone. Comfort/familiarity trumps (now old-school) free market economics.
We'll likely see Universal, Warner Bros, Paramount, and Sony all merge down to two film companies.
AT&T
Verizon
T-Mobile
and smaller less relevant fries.
It's a bit like arguing that an United Airlines isn't an airline instead it's a customer service business based on selling $9 snack boxes to people with no other options.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
took a gamble and clicked that link, and lost.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
We should have a free market system. And by that I mean a few powerful families should be free to do whatever the fuck they want. Eliminating the estate tax and deregulating pretty much everything brings us closer to this ideal.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
I don't want a monthly bill that only covers 1/10th of what I want to watch.
That is what The Pirate Bay is for.
Nah, there are no limits to what your ISP can do. If they want the Pirate Bay gone, they can block your access to it. They can block access to VPNs as well (or basically white-list "approved" business ISPs). Why wouldn't they slow down or totally block direct competitors now?
Disney + Deadpool.... still trying to wrap my head around that concept.
Pew research ... I think? some body did a decent study of Faux News and discovered that they were NOT maximizing their viewer demographics like anybody else would be doing. They were just fine alienating and sticking with their core demographics instead of increasing profits. This as a result show that their purpose is not to maximize return for shareholders-- they are in violation of their corporate charter.... but they are very much still in line with their purpose for being--- a brainchild of one of the most successful propagandists in the last 50 years; the man who created Ronald Reagan (and since made him into some kind of saint.) In fact, he pitched the creation of "GOP tv" for himself to put out 24/7 propaganda under his control. That is the real name for Faux News and it's real purpose. One can argue if GOP stands for anything anymore, that is another issue-- but their big propagandist never did; he was a sell out fascist. Mango Mussolini is the perfect match for their Fascist agenda -- Trump is no Hitler but it is scary how close to Mussolini he is, right up to the way he disrespects his wife.
I trust there will always be ISPs who want customers.
Oh sure, there will always be people who think that they can make a decent business of giving their customers what they want -- and they'd be right. Their problem is the entrenched fellows have managed to make it illegal to set up alternate providers. The barriers to entry are so incredibly high that in many places they go with the big boys, and anyone else who wants to bury cables or get pole access can take a hike. Any attempt to set up a municipality for Internet service gets attacked and struck down in the courts.
The Sun just ate the Moon.
Fortunately I don't live in the USA, so that helps too.