Disney in talks to acquire FOX RSN's UPDATE 8/23 FOX may buy them back

[SpookyTsuki]

does this mean the mighty ducks are back?

I would love that

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Their pickup of Hulu is huge. Adding all the Disney content will make them a MAJOR competitor of Netfilx.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Their pickup of Hulu is huge. Adding all the Disney content will make them a MAJOR competitor of Netfilx.

Yep. I already use Hulu more. It’s def A big blow

 

[Svechhammer]

Yep. I already use Hulu more. It’s def A big blow

I wouldn't call it a big blow. In this specific case, it gives legitimate competition to Netflix, so it could encourage the two to increase the quality of their product to make it better for the customers.

Unfortunately, what's likely to happen is that various existing properties will be divvied between the two and they both introduce artificially high prices because, while they are both streaming properties, they're not competitors because they both have exclusive rights to the content they stream.

 

[Chrispy]

Their pickup of Hulu is huge. Adding all the Disney content will make them a MAJOR competitor of Netfilx.

Disney is still planning to roll out their own dedicated streaming service and said today Hulu will not become the Disney streaming service. So it sounds like there will be 2 major Netflix competitors.

Edit: it appears the current thought process is Hulu will have more adult-oriented programming and Disney will create a separate streaming service for Disney content, Marvel content, and ESPN.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

I wouldn't call it a big blow. In this specific case, it gives legitimate competition to Netflix, so it could encourage the two to increase the quality of their product to make it better for the customers.

Unfortunately, what's likely to happen is that various existing properties will be divvied between the two and they both introduce artificially high prices because, while they are both streaming properties, they're not competitors because they both have exclusive rights to the content they stream.

There’s already a lot of stuff leaving Netflix, and rumors of Netflix increasing pricing.


Edit: looks like it won’t be as the post above shows what is likely to happen

 

[NSH615]

The real question is what happens to the Fox Sports RSN's. Will they become Disney Sports South/North/etc or ESPN or something all together different.

 

[Brodie]

Disney is still planning to roll out their own dedicated streaming service and said today Hulu will not become the Disney streaming service. So it sounds like there will be 2 major Netflix competitors.

Edit: it appears the current thought process is Hulu will have more adult-oriented programming and Disney will create a separate streaming service for Disney content, Marvel content, and ESPN.

This makes a lot of sense, however Disney would be make their new streaming service part of the Hulu brand. I can see wanting to keep Cinderella as far away from accidentally showing up next to The Handmaid's Tale as possible, but if you bundled the two somehow you would get a massive number of subscribers especially as time marches on and Millennials start having kids

 

[SpookyTsuki]

The real question is what happens to the Fox Sports RSN's. Will they become Disney Sports South/North/etc or ESPN or something all together different.

And how will we be watching it now. The espn app couldn’t handle a basic college football game for most of the season.

 

[Svechhammer]

This makes a lot of sense, however Disney would be make their new streaming service part of the Hulu brand. I can see wanting to keep Cinderella as far away from accidentally showing up next to The Handmaid's Tale as possible, but if you bundled the two somehow you would get a massive number of subscribers especially as time marches on and Millennials start having kids

I'm curious on what they'd do with the Marvel movies. For example, they're not acquiring a character like Deadpool only to neuter the singular reason that movie became popular (the over the top adult humor). But, he also seems like a perfect fit to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming years because of how much a hit that movie was. But how do they split the Marvel franchise between the Disney streaming and Hulu?

I'm guessing the Disney streaming will primarily be for what you would consider children's movies (rated G and PG) and Hulu will get everything for families and above (PG-13 and R).

 

[Vamos Rafa]

So regional Fox Sports streams will be transfered from FS Go to Watch ESPN?

 

[rent free]

I would love that

guess whos back, back again? quack attack, quack again.

 

[Fenway]

Simpsons - Season 10 Episode 9 - November 8, 1998

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

guess whos back, back again? quack attack, quack again.

UH, Samueli's last I checked still own Anaheim, AL, so no

 

[rent free]

UH, Samueli's last I checked still own Anaheim, AL, so no

i wasn't implying they were back

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

i wasn't implying they were back

yes, yes u were

 

[rent free]

yes, yes u were

i would have posted a link confirming it

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Simpsons - Season 10 Episode 9 - November 8, 1998

Haha, heard that mentioned on BBC Radio not 2 hours ago: "Simpsons predicted the future again!"

 

[LadyStanley]

I really find it interesting.....1st time a major studio bought another major. Who would have ever seen this happening 10 years ago...

Ummm. No. To name two such transactions:
Columbia/TriStar: 1987
United Artists/MGM: 1981

And don't forget Pixar and LucasFilm.

Article from January on "Hollywood" merger mania Hollywood's Merger Mania: Inside the Studios' "Size Anxiety," Scramble to Match Silicon Valley

And how will we be watching it now. The espn app couldn’t handle a basic college football game for most of the season.

There are models on what is needed and how you have to be able to expand capacity (quickly, seamlessly).

I'm curious on what they'd do with the Marvel movies. For example, they're not acquiring a character like Deadpool only to neuter the singular reason that movie became popular (the over the top adult humor). But, he also seems like a perfect fit to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming years because of how much a hit that movie was. But how do they split the Marvel franchise between the Disney streaming and Hulu?

I'm guessing the Disney streaming will primarily be for what you would consider children's movies (rated G and PG) and Hulu will get everything for families and above (PG-13 and R).

Disney has segregated content for decades. Touchstone is their PG-13+ outlet.

Touchstone's films: List of Touchstone Pictures films - Wikipedia

 

[Gnashville]

Simpsons - Season 10 Episode 9 - November 8, 1998

Simpsons predicted a Trump presidency also

This has the word MONOPOLY written all over it. Disney owns a ton of cable channels and can charge whatever they want now.

Given how openly liberal ESPN is I wonder how coverage is going to change.

 

[madhi19]

This deal is so vast whatever cultural interest you might have will be impacted. Disney is getting the Simpsons, Archer, It's Always Sunny, American Horror Story, Alien, Predator... People have been listing stuff on Twitter all day. Edit: NHL wise that big network TV deal the league been chasing for the better part of Bettman tenure... Well there one less bidder to raise the price.

 

[NSH615]

Simpsons predicted a Trump presidency also

This has the word MONOPOLY written all over it. Disney owns a ton of cable channels and can charge whatever they want now.

Given how openly liberal ESPN is I wonder how coverage is going to change.

They don't own the distribution like Comcast. Comcast owns just as many TV channels, and is the TV provider. Because they aren't the "Cable" company, they still can't charge what they want cause the cable company will just laugh at them.

This deal is so vast whatever cultural interest you might have will be impacted. Disney is getting the Simpsons, Archer, It's Always Sunny, American Horror Story, Alien, Predator... People have been listing stuff on Twitter all day. Edit: NHL wise that big network TV deal the league been chasing for the better part of Bettman tenure... Well there one less bidder to raise the price.

How? Fox still will have FS1, FS2, and the main network. Will be no different than what NBC had when they bid on the current deal.

 

[Fenway]

The key thing here is - Rupert Murdoch never sells. Does he think the bubble is about to burst?

 

[LadyStanley]

The key thing here is - Rupert Murdoch never sells. Does he think the bubble is about to burst?

I think Disney made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

<insert theme from The Godfather>

 

[madhi19]

How? Fox still will have FS1, FS2, and the main network. Will be no different than what NBC had when they bid on the current deal.

I don't see what left of Fox bidding up anybody post merger. What they did not sold to Disney was all the stuff that would have triggered some regulator intervention.

As for ESPN their interest in Hockey is mild on a good day. That may change with all the regional content they just acquired, or it might get worse and they dump a lot of it. Not everything that Fox used to own will make it post merger. Long story short everybody involved in this merger will have bigger fishes to fry for the next couple of years than going after the NHL tv deal.