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What Disney's Acquisition of Fox Means For the Future of Film and TV (qz.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the rich-get-richer-and-the-poor-get-poorer dept.

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.)

87 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Like Star Wars by Errol+backfiring · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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!
    1. Re:Like Star Wars by hazardPPP · · Score: 5, Funny

      It means you can expect X-Men on Ice!

    2. Re:Like Star Wars by Esteanil · · Score: 5, Funny

      Probably not. The most important part of this, however, is that Xenomorph XX121 (The alien from Alien, Aliens, etc) is now a Disney princess, as it was born by a queen and is owned by Disney.

      --
      I'm a dreamer, the world is my playpen. But hey, I'm a serious person, I can't dream all the time.
    3. Re:Like Star Wars by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      ...on ice? Even more infrastructure destruction, then?

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    4. Re:Like Star Wars by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Additionally Princess Sophia the First, was not born by a queen, she was simply an acquisition when her mom married King Roland II. The lore here is pretty convolution and basically boils down to "Can we sell your daughter a doll and/or a dress? Yes? Princess."

      So I dub Xenomorph XX121 Princess Sophia the Second, because my opinion is that King Roland II likes to play around and eventually Xenomorph's will get in his sights.

    5. Re: Like Star Wars by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      No, they didn't. Lucas himself did that with the prequels. Disney is doing a decent job of picking up the pieces.

  2. Re:Imagine.... a repeats channel by jellomizer · · Score: 1

    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.
  3. Will Disney become the new Netflix? by JonnyCalcutta · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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).

    1. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      First, it's obvious the government should block this deal as the media is way too conglomerated as it is, which of course means the Trump admin will approve it wholeheartedly (not that immediate previous admins would have blocked it either).

      Second, Disney won't become netflix. Disney is way too greedy for that. It will do some type of tiered pricing bullshit and then add PPV on any streaming they serve and the basic will be real shit. But on top of that, I can guarantee they'll do commercials.

      Which isn't to say Netflix isn't in big trouble. It is. It should have taken a loan long ago, brought HBO for original programming long ago, and built on that with acquisitions of libraries rather than trying to build the library one by one. Now all content is in a bubble getting more and more expensive.

    2. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by geekmux · · Score: 1

      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.

      First off, don't assume Netflix will become "worse". Disney is greedy enough that they'll likely release their streaming service in a tiered format, where they feel it right and proper to charge you a different rate based on their massive content portfolio (like charging you more to access "premium" Disney content). I'm certain by 2019 we'll be feeling the full fuck-up of the Net Neutrality dismantling, so tiered streaming services isn't far-fetched.

      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).

      It was best to think about these things well before government allowed massive monopolies like this to even exist. Today, it's far too late. The cable cutters who felt they were getting ripped off with 50 channels of what they want bundled with 500 channels of shit they don't will now pay a dozen streaming providers for the 50 streaming channels of what they want bundled with 50,000 streaming channels of shit they don't. The only difference is your internet service and streaming costs will likely make cable seem like a bargain in the end.

    3. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Your entire comment is ... well ... is the right word "uneducated"?
      a) Netflix is worth $92 billion. Double of the Fox company Disney is buying.
      b) Netflix will be spending $8 billion next year on content.
      c) Disney's revenue is declining. Properties like ABC, people aren't watch tv as much.
      d) Disney's revenue and profit declined despite the big revenue that the remade Star Wars movies made.

      So no "Netflix isn't in big trouble".

      What does Disney do after no one cares about the Star Warts "remakes" and after people aren't interested in Avengers XIV? Disney released "Cars 3" this year and it didn't do well -- Disney doesn't have any new ideas.

      Disney is not a company with creativity -- they have to acquire properties because their bureaucracy can't produce creativity internally. So they must buy Star Wars and other other properties to sustain their size.

      Netflix isn't a "streaming service". There are other streaming services out there. Netflix is a user experience.

      Netflix is like Google.
      Disney is like Bing.

    4. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      >welcome to the world of paying for multiple streaming providers

      Which will generate a market for services to offer a consolidated viewing experience.

      Enter the regional MSP (Media Service Provider) to fill the role previously filled by the cable companies. They will take others' content and redistribute it to you through a single interface and a single monthly bill. They'll handle billing and local caching and probably employ all of two or three people for any given urban area, but they'll exist.

      The streaming services will slowly lose interest in carrying other's content as this happens (though most of them have more or less started that way anyway), and they will become the new television studios (again, most of them are starting this way).

      The market simply will not tolerate massive vertically integrated media empires where the population is divided by what content they have access to. When people can't gather around the water cooler and talk about the latest trending show because half of them have never even heard of it... the walls will crumble.

    5. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Actually, people didn't pay for the 50 channels they wanted. They paid for the 50 shows they wanted. And this is not going to be any different. Be honest, all you "CBS all access" subscribers, who of you is watching anything other than STD? Possibly because of "I pay for it anyway, so I can just as well...", but NONE of these other formats is something you'd pay for.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    6. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      So glad my daughter doesn't really care that much for Disney movies and shows

    7. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Which isn't to say Netflix isn't in big trouble. It is. It should have taken a loan long ago, brought HBO for original programming long ago, and built on that with acquisitions of libraries rather than trying to build the library one by one. Now all content is in a bubble getting more and more expensive.

      It's not clear that HBO was ever available for sale to Netflix. Instead of buying HBO, Netflix is simply copying them, and developing their own original content. It seems to me like they are doing exactly what they should be doing. New original content is worth more than old original content.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    8. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by squiggleslash · · Score: 2

      Disney released "Cars 3" this year and it didn't do well -- Disney doesn't have any new ideas.

      The Disney side of Disney is actually doing quite well. Coco, Moana, Frozen, etc were all smash hits, and were relatively original for the current landscape. Now, the Pixar side is falling back on its laurels a little, but it's hard to believe they're completely out of ideas.

      Disney's a giant conglomerate that owns a lot of franchises. Of course you're going to see sequels and variations of those franchises from them. But they're far from being a company that doesn't do original content, they seem to be better at that than they were in the past.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    9. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by qubezz · · Score: 1

      They probably will block it, considering that Republican conservatives in power might lose their right-wing spin machine to a bunch of bleeding heart liberals.

    10. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by orlanz · · Score: 1

      Disney isn't a company meant for "creativity" in the making new stuff sense. They are an entertainment company with assets in movies/shows, plays, theme parks, toys, and leasing. They are creative in the sense of bring generation after generation into the fold using pretty much the same assets.

      Netflix is streaming media company with just a small media sector. Comparing the two would be like comparing a regular restaurant to an ice cream shop. The restaurant's dessert ice cream isn't going to kill off the shop. They aren't direct competitors.

      Also, having seen what all these big companies put out in streaming apps/players.... those developers should perform harakiri (joking of course) to retain some honor in the profession. I don't think the dripping off color vanilla ice cream in a paper plate is going to beat the shop making fresh ice cream served in waffle bowls.

    11. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Notabadguy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It was best to think about these things well before government allowed massive monopolies like this to even exist. Today, it's far too late. The cable cutters who felt they were getting ripped off with 50 channels of what they want bundled with 500 channels of shit they don't will now pay a dozen streaming providers for the 50 streaming channels of what they want bundled with 50,000 streaming channels of shit they don't. The only difference is your internet service and streaming costs will likely make cable seem like a bargain in the end.

      Speak for yourself.

      II'm doing more reading and playing more video games than in recent years. I've converted my library of DVDs into H.265 digital files, and we have plenty of entertainment content without having to subscribe to a procession of streaming services. I'm lazy. I'm too lazy to subscribe to multiple streaming services, follow up with which one has a show I might want to watch, pay multiple subscriptions...so I have a library of digital movies that have replaced my VHS and DVD physical copies, an occasional trip to the theater, an occasional pirate bay foray if my wife is desperate to see something - but other than that, alternative entertainment.

      How many other people are that kind of lazy? Not willing to deal with the hassle? Switching to a different mode of entertainment?

      Cable cutting isn't about cutting a cable subscription, then filling in X hours per week with alternate television programming found elsewhere. It's a viable option. Its more about cable as a failing entertainment medium - both in content and medium delivery (mounting costs and ads).

      I should think a lot of people are watching less TV. Polls say the younger generations certainly are.

    12. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by fropenn · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The merchandising for the Cars franchise has produced over $10 billion in sales. Cars 3 made money on its own, but it really served as an advertising avenue for the more profitable aspects of the business, such as the theme park, toys, branded clothing, etc. http://www.cartoonbrew.com/box...

    13. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by JonnyCalcutta · · Score: 1

      As the AC said - you are describing Netflix (except for the number of employees). Since Netflix are slowly losing content from more and more studios what makes you think the content makers are going to allow other companies to come along and aggregate it?

      The closest to what you describe are the grey/black market services such as those provided through Kodi. With the right Kodi plugins you can stream anything on demand and it costs nothing but time (e.g. its a little bit less user friendly to setup and keep running). So as always, these guys think they are competing against each other, when in reality they are competing against piracy.

    14. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by JonnyCalcutta · · Score: 1

      I don't disagree with what you say, except I think the big losers are the viewers (as always). Netflix will just become one of many online portals providing their own content - they are clearly big enough to finish that transition and really have no choice now. But that leaves viewers still looking for somewhere they can get all the content they want at a reasonable price (and across platforms - which is a big deal for some).

      Basically, a win for piracy as content owners shoot themselves in the foot again.

    15. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      That's good to hear! I couldn't think of a recent Pixar thing that wasn't a sequel (not that that's necessarily a bad thing, I'm looking forward to Incredibles 2, but in general it underlined the GGP's point about a lack of originality), I think even Brave was a while ago. Glad Pixar are doing well reviewed things that are original.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    16. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by blankinthefill · · Score: 1

      I think you're completely right on the streaming service, and you only have to look at Hulu to see it. (Which will almost certainly be the basis for Disney's streaming service now that they own a controlling stake in it.) I refuse to touch Hulu with a 10 foot pole because I'm always told that my money is speech, and I refuse to endorse the crap that Hulu pulls. I'm sorry, but if you're going to charge me almost the same cost as Amazon Prime or Netflix for your 'plus' tier, then it had better not include commercials. The fact that I have to pay significantly more (more than half the cost of the 'plus' tier itself!) to rid myself of the commercials is just like rubbing salt in the wound. This doesn't even take into account the horrid interface and navigation options on Hulu, which are frankly just an embarrassment. Netflix's and Amazon Prime's aren't that great, but Hulu's make them look like the pinnacle of UI design. Overall... I do NOT think this is going to be a positive for streaming online in general...

    17. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by flink · · Score: 1

      Pixar also had Inside Out which was fantastic. Wreck It Ralph was also very good, although I don't know how well it did commercially.

    18. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      > welcome to the world of paying for multiple streaming providers

      People bitched about wanting TV a la carte.

      This is exactly what it looks like -- instead of having 1 over-priced subscription you'll have / want / need 5+ overpriced ones now.

    19. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      Netflix isn't a "streaming service". There are other streaming services out there. Netflix is a user experience.

      Are you posting this from Netflix headquarters? This is the sort of marketing speak used to dazzle investors that anyone with half a brain sees through as corporate blather. Netflix is a fucking streaming service (and very good but not as good as they used to be DVD/BluRay service), in some ways better, in many ways worse than its competition.

    20. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      That's good to hear! I couldn't think of a recent Pixar thing that wasn't a sequel (not that that's necessarily a bad thing, I'm looking forward to Incredibles 2, but in general it underlined the GGP's point about a lack of originality), I think even Brave was a while ago. Glad Pixar are doing well reviewed things that are original.

      Pixar has been off and on in quality. I think even their "off" productions are better than most animated movies, but here's the quick list this decade:
      Sequel 2010: Toy Story 3
      Sequel 2011: Cars 2
      Original 2012: Brave
      Sequel 2013: Monsters University
      Original 2015: Inside Out
      Original 2015: The Good Dinosaur
      Sequel 2016: Finding Dory
      Sequel 2017: Cars 3
      Original 2017: Coco
      Sequel 2018: Incredibles 2
      Sequel 2019: Toy Story 4
      Original 2020: Untitled Original Film
      Original 2020: Untitled Original Film
      Original 2021: Untitled Original Film

    21. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      They probably will block it, considering that Republican conservatives in power might lose their right-wing spin machine to a bunch of bleeding heart liberals.

      The Fox News Network is not included with the sale. Fox News, Fox Sports, etc remain with the old company.

    22. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      They will take others' content and redistribute it to you through a single interface and a single monthly bill. They'll handle billing and local caching and probably employ all of two or three people for any given urban area, but they'll exist.

      It'll probably be very expensive as well. And Pay-Per-View. Oh, they don't want to do that? Then they will get no distribution rights for the content. Just because customers want something, and a company is interested in providing it for a reasonable cost, doesn't mean it will happen. Legally, it won't be possible without media conglomerate blessing.

    23. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      Nope. That is what it looks like without a la carte.

      A la carte means you'd be paying for individual channels, not subscriptions to "providers."

    24. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by philmarcracken · · Score: 1

      but welcome to the world of paying for multiple streaming providers (or piracy).

      Welcome? I never really left. Streaming services have only one thing over torrents, access speed. They shit on network topology creating peak hours, their pricing model doesn't allow for winners and losers, they have a massive incentive to drive down bitrates to save on bandwidth costs, you cannot take anything with you on trips, you can't edit anything and you can't use your video player of choice. Thats before the difference between free and paid.

      If they released a platform like steam, in which I download the game I want, pay the developers directly, play it exactly how I wish, without internet access on the go, in an open codec open container(vp9/mkv) then we can talk. Until then torrents are still the better product.

    25. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      HBO is part of Time Warner. That is too big a buyout for Netflix to finance, plus it would come with a bunch of properties (all those cable channels, and until a few years ago magazines) that are outside of their core business. Buying HBO alone would have been a nice deal for Netflix but TW is unlikely to want to sell it.

      Now that the deal with AT&T is off the table, I suppose a merger of Netflix and Time Warner isn't out of the question, treating the two companies are equals or nearly so, followed by a selloff of some assets like Turner Sports and perhaps some of the cable channels. There are some potential difficulties, like the fact that HBO Go is partly in competition with Netflix, but I could see them doing a tiered thing where HBO Go would get you HBO shows immediately and Netflix would get them all a couple of years later, and perhaps a higher priced Netflix+ that merges HBO Go programming into Netflix.

    26. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      Some of Pixar's sequels have also been fine films. I think Toy Story 3 was the best of that series, and I'm looking forward to Incredibles 2. I do think that Toy Story 4 will be going to the well one time too many.

      Cars and its sequels a special case. Even the first one wasn't very good (the backgrounds were the most memorable thing about it) and it's gone downhill from there. But they are a merchandising bonanza; over $10 billion worth of Cars toys have been sold, making it one of the top movie franchises for merchandise sales. (Star Wars is the leader, followed by Frozen and Harry Potter, but Cars is not far behind.) The Cars movies (and the TV shows, and the Planes spinoff movies that are made by Disney's TV animation division DisneyToon) are really just a way to sell toys; they would be profitable even if you eliminate all the ticket revenue.

    27. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      Wreck-It Ralph was Disney, not Pixar. It was a success but not a blockbuster: $189 million gross domestic, $471 million worldwide, with a $165 million production budget. Source: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/m...

    28. Re:Will Disney become the new Netflix? by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      You can download some Netflix movies now and take them with you on trips; it's available in the mobile apps and the Windows 10 app. Sadly it's only a small fraction of their catalog, though all Netflix originals are included.

      Netflix does have an incentive to drive down bandwidth. But they also seem to be aware of the need to maintain quality. In the past they cut bandwidth by developing improvements to their H.264 codec, and more recently by switching to VP9 if the user's equipment is compatible. I expect that they will be among the first adopters of AV1 when it is ready. YouTube also has an incentive to cut bandwidth and has driven improvements in codec technology.

      Torrents (and ripped DVDs and Blu-Ray discs) still have the advantage for the other reasons you cite. You can store the files without restriction, convert them to other formats, and edit the video.

  4. It will suck, like all other monopolies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:It will suck, like all other monopolies by ausekilis · · Score: 1

      I don't know about that. It's true that the Disney-branded offerings on the AppleTV are total crap - limit all shows to the latest 3 episodes and "rent" all movies. With a majority stake in Hulu and their acquisition of that other streaming provider, they finally have a means to reach the couch. They could expand Hulu and make it a real competitor with all of their content. At least their Disney stuff only advertises their own things, much like HBO.

      Eh, who am I kidding, they'll probably squeeze every penny they can and still force choke commercials down everyones throat.

    2. Re:It will suck, like all other monopolies by orlanz · · Score: 1

      Hulu was actually one of the best streaming services out there. I considered them better than Netflix... in the first year that they came out. Every year after they became worse. Primarily due to the owners trying to "monetize" the service. Hulu is a joke now. Disney can't really make it worse, but I am pretty sure none of the owners have the competency to make it better.

  5. Re:COMPETITION CRUSHING MONOPOLY! by Suki+I · · Score: 1

    Yes, the one that took AIM away from us today, LOL!

    --
    Home of The Suki Series
  6. 52B by Danathar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:52B by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      If the Trump administration vetoes the buyout: not much.

      If the Trump administration supports the buyout: re-electing the Republicans. It'll all go to Fox News and the rest of the Murdoch media empire.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    2. Re:52B by crow · · Score: 1

      They'll own a quarter of Disney. The question is whether they'll sell it, keep it as an investment, or try to influence Disney.

    3. Re:52B by Kormoran · · Score: 1

      What makes me wonder: does Fox News make profits? Or its political placement makes Fox unpalatable to advertisers? (I'm a foreigner, never been in USA)

  7. All your facts are far wrong by raymorris · · Score: 5, Informative

    > 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.

    1. Re:All your facts are far wrong by Solandri · · Score: 1

      You actually bring up an interesting point people aren't mentioning. Disney owns ABC, so this will in effect be a reduction of the national TV studios from 4 (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) to 3 (CBS, NBC, Disney).

      I'm actually old enough to remember when there were just three big TV networks (ABC, CBS, NBC). Fox managed to claw its way up into becoming the 4th national TV network in the late 1980s/early 1990s. I suspect that'll be the rationale to approve this merger - we've had only 3 national networks before and it didn't prevent a 4th from joining their ranks.

    2. Re:All your facts are far wrong by q4Fry · · Score: 1

      As I understand it, Disney isn't buying the broadcast network. Now, Fox (the broadcaster) may well die off now that it doesn't have its own production studio, but that can't be directly inferred.

    3. Re:All your facts are far wrong by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      Disney isn't buying the network but it is buying the studio. So the OP about reducing the number of studios to three is correct, whether or not the studio-less Fox broadcast network survives.

      How the Fox network will avoid a slow death is unclear. It could double down on sports and news, commission a bunch of cheap reality shows, or fade away into being a rerun network like the various third-tier networks (MeTV, MyNetworkTV, etc).

      Fox won't disappear immediately because of its existing programming. But it will be harder for them to acquire new scripted shows going forward. The captive studios either won't sell them shows or will only offer them second-rate programs, and many of the non-network studios have deals with streaming networks now.

    4. Re:All your facts are far wrong by q4Fry · · Score: 1

      Disney isn't buying the network but it is buying the studio. So the OP about reducing the number of studios to three is correct, whether or not the studio-less Fox broadcast network survives.

      A good point, thank you. My mistake.

  8. What this means is... by Pollux · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:What this means is... by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 3, Funny

      It's the freakin' blob, another Hollywood invention.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:What this means is... by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      Comcast NBC Universal is already huge and probably won't be allowed to merge with anybody. But we could see activity among the others, either merging with each other or perhaps joining forces with Netflix or other streaming companies.

    3. Re:What this means is... by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      CBS is another potential merger partner. Maybe CBS-Warner Bros, bringing together the two partners of The CW?

  9. Re:Fox News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    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!

  10. Hulk vs Wolverine by stinkyjak · · Score: 1

    More x-men with avengers.

  11. Re: Imagine.... a repeats channel by aliquis · · Score: 1

    Married with children 10 times over. Easily.

    But I'm Swedish and need some Bundy-sense on a daily basis.

  12. Re: Fox News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    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.

  13. Coincidence? by jenningsthecat · · Score: 2

    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.
  14. Underestimating? by sjbe · · Score: 2

    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).

    1. Re:Underestimating? by Kjella · · Score: 2

      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).

      Yeah, except Netflix is - willingly or unwillingly - being forced into the traditional movie/TV production company model rather than being universal gateways like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal etc. are for music. Like Disney got Frozen, Moana etc., HBO got GoT, Westworld etc., Netflix got The Crown, Stranger Things etc. and people buy the service because of that exclusive content. That's just a new competitor in an old market, not something revolutionary. Which I suppose could work okay like on Steam you buy one and one game, it's not like you buy a "Steam subscription". If you could shop content like that, but I expect that instead you'll have five different services with five different clients and five different quirks and none of the non-mainstream content. The one-stop "shop" will still be torrents...

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    2. Re:Underestimating? by raymorris · · Score: 1

      Netflix may certainly grow. A LOT of people are Netflix subscribers now. I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually get 50% more subscribers. They need ten to a hundred times as many subscribers in order to justify their *current* stock valuation, and I don't see that happening.

      > Which won't mean dick if they have the wrong business model.

      The right business model sure is important! Size, maturity of the organization, and experience does matter, though, and in fact a company the size of Fox, Google, or Disney can choose the wrong business model several times and survive. Fox has three different movie studios, TV studios, production companies, Fox Music, 30% of Hulu, Fox Digital Entertainment, etc. They could have totally the wrong business model for any of those for several years and it wouldn't hurt the parent company *that* badly. Heck even if they ceased all operations in all of their businesses, just syndication of their existing shows would bring more profit than Netflix makes.

    3. Re:Underestimating? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Yeah, except Netflix is - willingly or unwillingly - being forced into the traditional movie/TV production company model rather than being universal gateways

      It has always been a potential danger to Netflix's business model that anyone willing to spend enough to hire competence can do what they do. That's why producing content is the only viable way forward for them. HBO was once in a similar position on cable. They produced their own original content, and that enabled them to continue to exist and even thrive even though they originally made their name by showing other people's movies.

      Nobody's had to force Netflix to create content. It was the only viable path forward, since streaming competitors were bound to crop up eventually.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  15. Net neutrality vs disney by sjbe · · Score: 1

    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.

  16. Already had that by sjbe · · Score: 1

    Does that mean we can expect X-men: The Rip-off

    It was called X-Men The Last Stand.

  17. Fox News Anchors by worf_mo · · Score: 1

    It means we will soon see Fox News anchors in a new business attire.

    1. Re:Fox News Anchors by EvilSS · · Score: 1

      It means we will soon see Fox News anchors in a new business attire.

      This makes no sense, Fox News isn't part of the deal with Disney. They are staying with Fox. Why would they change their attire to this? It wouldn't make any sense.

      --
      I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
  18. Re: Disney's Slut-Generation Plant by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    Walt was gay, the guy is the tramp. I guess it fits.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  19. Obligatory Garak by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  20. Re:Imagine.... a repeats channel by Kernel+Kurtz · · Score: 1

    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.

  21. Re:LGBT en SJW by JonnyCalcutta · · Score: 1

    Most LGBT people I know have the same agenda as everyone else - to live a nice normal life. Your fantasies about gay people coming to 'get you' say more about yourself than anything else (but you know what, its OK)

  22. Interesting.... by rgbatduke · · Score: 1

    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.
  23. Why nobody thought of The Simpsons? by wwalker · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Why nobody thought of The Simpsons? by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      Something along the lines of Itchy and Mickey having a gay wedding. And Scratchy crashes the wedding after refusing to make a wedding cake, only to get drunk and go home with the best man (Goofy).

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    2. Re:Why nobody thought of The Simpsons? by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      The production of The Simpsons would move over. I expect that the Fox broadcast network will retain control of the broadcast rights for a while.

  24. Re:Imagine.... a repeats channel by EvilSS · · Score: 2

    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.
  25. THE BEST NEWS REGARDING THIS MERGER!!! by PortHaven · · Score: 2

    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.

  26. What this megadeal really means... by bjdevil66 · · Score: 1

    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.

  27. Just like cell companies by PortHaven · · Score: 1

    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.

    1. Re:Just like cell companies by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      Further consolidation of cell companies is stalled for now. AT&T's proposed buyout of T-Mobile was blocked on antitrust grounds. The more recent attempts at a merger of T-Mobile and Sprint fell apart because the sides couldn't agree on who would run the company. (Softbank, the big Japanese company that now owns Sprint, wanted to retain control, but pretty much everybody else wants the Sprint management to go away and have the T-Mobile people run it.) I don't think AT&T or Verizon will be allowed to make any major acquisitions, but T-Mobile - Sprint will return and happen eventually.

  28. We're neck deep in marketing bullshit by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    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
  29. goats A, B, where's C ? by Thud457 · · Score: 1

    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

  30. Free market by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    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
  31. Re:Imagine.... a repeats channel by Rakarra · · Score: 1

    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?

  32. Re:LGBT en SJW by Rakarra · · Score: 1

    Most LGBT people I know have the same agenda as everyone else - to live a nice normal life. Your fantasies about gay people coming to 'get you' say more about yourself than anything else (but you know what, its OK)

    His stupid religious philosophy likely claims that God doesn't make anyone born gay, so you somehow have to be "converted" away from the natural (heterosexuality). The wingnuts believe that the "homosexual agenda" is converting schoolkids to homosexuality, because they refuse to believe that this could be a trait inherent in anyone. It's always a choice, and the wrong choice that should be guarded against and punished.

  33. Re:Imagine.... a repeats channel by Kernel+Kurtz · · Score: 1

    I trust there will always be ISPs who want customers.

  34. Re:Imagine.... a repeats channel by Rakarra · · Score: 1

    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.

  35. Re:Imagine.... a repeats channel by Kernel+Kurtz · · Score: 1

    Fortunately I don't live in the USA, so that helps too.