Roger Fingas
Comcast on Wednesday confirmed rumors that it intends to outbid Disney for 21st Century Fox and some of its subsidiaries, in a deal that could radically shake up the streaming media landscape — if it's approved.
Comcast said only that it's in "advanced stages" of preparing an all-cash offer, which would have to top Disney's $52.4 billion in stock. The bid would specifically cover the businesses Fox has agreed to sell to Disney, excluding Fox News, Fox Business, the Fox Broadcasting Company, and "certain other assets."
"The structure and terms of any offer by Comcast, including with respect to both the spin-off of 'New Fox' and the regulatory risk provisions and the related termination fee, would be at least as favorable to Fox shareholders as the Disney offer," Comcast added.
Either takeover would further homogenize the media world. Comcast is not only an internet and cable provider, but in control of NBC, Universal, DreamWorks, and many other related properties. It also has a 30 percent stake in Hulu along with 21st Century Fox, Disney, and Time Warner — that stake would probably increase after an acquisition.
Apple presumably favors Disney, with which it has close ties. Disney CEO Bob Iger is on Apple's board of directors, and former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was at one point Disney's largest individual shareholder, thanks to the latter's buyout of Pixar. Disney products are frequently pushed in Apple marketing.
Any acquisition would have to survive scrutiny from U.S. regulators, some of which have become concerned about the growing absence of competition.
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17 Comments
I really hope Disney closes this deal, if for no other reason than to keep Comcast from getting it. Comcast is likely the worst US company there is.
Yeah, Comcast is being such a bastard, I doubt they even seriously want Fox, their bid would never get regulatory approval and they know it, they are just trying to impede a competitor whose whooping their ass at the box office, many Disney flicks make a billion standard now "scary", Com just wants some of that Marvel money.
"Comcast said only that it's in "advanced stages" of preparing an all-cash offer, which would have to top Disney's $52.4 billion in stock. The bid would specifically cover the businesses Fox has agreed to sell to Disney, excluding Fox News, Fox Business, the Fox Broadcasting Company, and "certain other assets."
They all ready made a higher bid $60Bln I think even before the Disney deal was announced, the reason they are making an all cash offer is because Disney shares are much more valuable to own long term that a one time pay off, hopefully Rupert gets his troops in line and they resist the seduction. It's a pitty Tim lacks the ambition but IMHO I think blowing a 100 billion to buy wall street love is poor spending, yeah I know I know armchair CEO but honestly though $200 Bln buys you Disney Tim, Disney, if the regs would be fine with Com owning Fox, Apple could surely get Iger as chief of media content, surely.
I hope tne while thing flames out as neither the Evil Empire of Iger (Disney) or the Craptastic, Bombastic Comcast need more media properties. As for Murdochvision, it should all just hopefully shrivel up and blow away.
America doesnot need more concentration of media- it needs a more competitive market. The content producers and distributors both seem to have formed a cartel and consumers are the ones getting fleeced.
What would have been hilarious would have been if Murdoch included Fox Noise Channel and Comcast has won tbe bidding war. Then the owner of MSNBC would own TrumpTV - dba Fox “News” Channel aka Not Necessarily The News.
The Alex Jones crowd would have had a cow.
Where’s the FCC or whoever control acquisition of media companies. Comcast already owns Universal and other companies reducing competition by also owning the delivery pipe. If Apple tried to buy any of these companies everyone would complain.