- Joined
- Jun 3, 2009
- Messages
- 85,003
- Reaction score
- 18,017
Marvel Might Get X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR Back as Talks of Disney Buying Fox
Disney has spoken to 21st Century Fox about acquiring most of its assets in a move that, should it come to fruition, would allow the Rupert Murdoch-controlled company to focus almost exclusively on sports and news, according to CNBC.
The negotiations come at a pivotal time, as Disney is readying a streaming product to rival Netflix and could use movie and TV content from 21st Century Fox to do so. As for 21st Century Fox, it is trying to purchase European satellite TV service Sky, which would help it distribute both news and sports, along with all other content.
Executives at Disney and Fox spoke for the past few weeks but are no longer negotiating, David Faber of CNBC reported Monday. He added that negotiations could begin again but that there's no guarantee a deal will get done.
The potential purchase would finally bring the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and all ancillary characters under the Disney-owned Marvel umbrella.
For Fox, a deal to unload its TV and movie studio on Disney would mean partially exiting a rapidly changing space where competition suddenly includes richly funded digital companies like Amazon.com, Facebook, Google and Netflix. News and sports, on the other hand, remain slightly more predictable businesses.
Disney's need for content, meanwhile, has never been greater, given the streaming business it is creating with its acquisition of BAMTech in August is meant to go head-to-head with Netflix.
Disney, in fact, is pulling its Pixar and Disney-branded content from Netflix so that consumers desiring those shows and movies will have incentive to subscribe to Disney's upcoming service, which will also include Marvel and Star Wars product and could conceivably add movies and shows from Fox at a later date.
Disney already owns one broadcast TV network in ABC, so it couldn't also purchase Fox's broadcast network without violating current FCC rules. But it would like to get its hands on the rival conglomerate's cable channels, such as National Geographic and FX, although Fox News Channel is presumably off the table.
Disney Held Talks to Acquire Most of 21st Century Fox (Report)
Disney has spoken to 21st Century Fox about acquiring most of its assets in a move that, should it come to fruition, would allow the Rupert Murdoch-controlled company to focus almost exclusively on sports and news, according to CNBC.
The negotiations come at a pivotal time, as Disney is readying a streaming product to rival Netflix and could use movie and TV content from 21st Century Fox to do so. As for 21st Century Fox, it is trying to purchase European satellite TV service Sky, which would help it distribute both news and sports, along with all other content.
Executives at Disney and Fox spoke for the past few weeks but are no longer negotiating, David Faber of CNBC reported Monday. He added that negotiations could begin again but that there's no guarantee a deal will get done.
The potential purchase would finally bring the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and all ancillary characters under the Disney-owned Marvel umbrella.
For Fox, a deal to unload its TV and movie studio on Disney would mean partially exiting a rapidly changing space where competition suddenly includes richly funded digital companies like Amazon.com, Facebook, Google and Netflix. News and sports, on the other hand, remain slightly more predictable businesses.
Disney's need for content, meanwhile, has never been greater, given the streaming business it is creating with its acquisition of BAMTech in August is meant to go head-to-head with Netflix.
Disney, in fact, is pulling its Pixar and Disney-branded content from Netflix so that consumers desiring those shows and movies will have incentive to subscribe to Disney's upcoming service, which will also include Marvel and Star Wars product and could conceivably add movies and shows from Fox at a later date.
Disney already owns one broadcast TV network in ABC, so it couldn't also purchase Fox's broadcast network without violating current FCC rules. But it would like to get its hands on the rival conglomerate's cable channels, such as National Geographic and FX, although Fox News Channel is presumably off the table.
Disney Held Talks to Acquire Most of 21st Century Fox (Report)