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The Walt Disney Co. has set a $52.4 billion, all-stock deal to acquire 20th Century Fox and other entertainment and sports assets from Rupert Murdoch's empire. The deal between Disney and 21st Century Fox marks a historic union of Hollywood heavyweights and a bid by Disney to bolster its core TV and film businesses against an onslaught of new competitors in the content arena.
Disney is betting on an ambitious purchase of a sizable chunk of 21st Century Fox, hoping that more cable networks, production studios and other properties will buoy it into the future as it dives into the direct-to-consumer streaming distribution business with sports and entertainment services planned to launch in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/disney-fox-merger-deal-52-4-billion-merger-1202631242/
Also at The NYTimes, The Verge, and the The LATimes
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 15 2017, @09:05AM (3 children)
Why not merge the entire entertainment industry into one corporation. The plebs care not by which hand they are fed their diet of bread and circuses.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Friday December 15 2017, @09:32AM
One or five, it's the same thing when they're all in bed with each other, and the government makes the bed.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Friday December 15 2017, @09:40AM
Because they don't know how to carve up the profits without mergers and lawyers sorting it out.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 15 2017, @05:43PM
Exactly. Another too-big-to-fail corp.
(Score: 5, Funny) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Friday December 15 2017, @10:59AM (2 children)
Expect future Star Wars films to portray the Sith in a more sympathetic light.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 15 2017, @05:53PM
Because changing the existing films would be sacrilege. ;)
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 16 2017, @02:29AM
Darth Kelly Ann can describe the 'alternate facts' about how the Empire is good for everyone, and Jabba the Trump can declare tax cuts for the extremely wealthy.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Friday December 15 2017, @11:59AM (3 children)
Netflix and others, beware, the behemoth want to gulp a sizeable size of the streaming market.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday December 15 2017, @05:04PM (2 children)
I'm assuming, that things like this merger are partly why Netflix is seriously investing in Original content.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Saturday December 16 2017, @12:08AM (1 child)
Stuck between Disney/Amazon on one side, and Comcast/AT&T on the other, I don't see how Netflix survives.
I give them a couple years before their US assets get purchased by one of the big content or ISP guys.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday December 18 2017, @03:53PM
Perhaps, but Netflix is the front runner here. They are the ones that killed off Blockbuster and really pushed the Online consumption model. Everyone else is playing catch up. I also prefer the reasonable monthly fee, with no "premium" pay-per-view. Pay-per-view can die a miserable death and I would be fine with that. I would go to the theater, if I want pay-per-view. Somewhat more expensive that way, but an arguably better experience. (2yr old kid kinda makes it hard to do much Theater going, though.)
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Leebert on Friday December 15 2017, @12:04PM (3 children)
Does this mean we can have the proper intro returned to Star Wars movies?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 15 2017, @02:12PM
Imperial Storm Troopers with Mickey Mouse ears?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 15 2017, @02:13PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCPj4JPbKtA [youtube.com]
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 15 2017, @03:57PM
Also Fantastic 4 and X-Men movie rights reunite with Marvel.