OT: Disney-FOX merger
Lots of talk in the news this week about Disney buying significant parts of 21st Century Fox. It's not clear yet what exactly they may be buying, but it has pretty big implications for sports fans.
It looks like Disney could be purchasing the Fox regional sports networks. As a Detroit fan, it would be great to consolidate the Tigers, Wings and Pistons under the ESPN umbrella, where most Michigan football and basketball games are already broadcast and streamed. However, it sounds like Fox will be keeping FS1 and the regular Fox broadcast channel.
Fox owns 51% of the BTN, and that may be moving over to Disney as well. IMO if the BTN got ESPN production value it would be an upgrade.
Part of the reason the B1G conference has so much TV money is that they have been very successful in playing potential broadcasters off each other to get max value, which is why Fox started broadcasting B1G football this year. I thought an ABC/ESPN/FOX congolomorate would reduce the B1G's leverage at first, but after further reading it looks like they will stay separate for now.
Outside the sports world, lots of big movie franchises would move, and be unified, under Disney. This includes Marvel characters and all Star Wars movie rights.
The articles below have more information. The WSJ one in particular focuses on the impact to sports fans and cable subscribers/cord-cutters, and how sports TV rights are an important piece for anti-trust regulators to consider as part of the deal.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/12/13/if-disney-buys-fox-…
https://www.wsj.com/articles/will-regulators-penalize-fox-disney-deal-o…
December 13th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
I agree. It's true men are up against a stacked deck.
I'm also for equality because women are just as good at sports as men. Everyone should play on the same team.
December 13th, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 10:26 AM ^
Huzzah! I'm glad someone is sticking up for the men. They've been beaten down for too long. /adusts monacle and tophat.
December 14th, 2017 at 7:30 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 10:11 AM ^
It looks as though I read the wrong reviews lol.
December 13th, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^
Many reviews calling it the best since EmpireBut honestly, what have we gotten since Empire? Return of the Jedi is definitely the weakest of the original trilogy. My young self enjoyed the Ewoks but I find them cringe-worthy now. And the prequels/Force Awakens . . . eh.
December 13th, 2017 at 11:45 AM ^
Ewoks were 10x worse than Jar-Jar. Hell, maybe 11x.
December 13th, 2017 at 12:48 PM ^
December 14th, 2017 at 7:33 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 12:10 PM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 12:36 PM ^
Poor dialog, nonexistant world building/new lore, we're back at square one after a new "Republic" was built over the course of 30 years for another Empire vs. Resistance battle. Republic fleet is non-existant, apparently all of the ships were docked on-planet when the superweapon blew up the system (a faster than light super weapon, lazy deus ex machina storytelling)
December 13th, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^
lol whats something you like so I can just pick it to shreds.
December 13th, 2017 at 2:59 PM ^
is correct
December 13th, 2017 at 1:42 PM ^
tomorrow night on the IMAX here in Charlotte. Here's hoping a good show!
December 13th, 2017 at 2:57 PM ^
So pretty much that it's 5th best??
- Return
- Hope
- Empire
- Rogue one
- Last Jedi
Agree, Disagree, thoughts?
Love that this is becoming a SW thread now
December 13th, 2017 at 10:09 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 10:12 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 10:16 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 10:35 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 10:10 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 11:30 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 11:41 AM ^
I think some fans are pissed because they basically cancelled the expanded universe. But, at that point of the explanation, my eyes usually start to glaze over and I think about other things, so I can't say for certain.
December 13th, 2017 at 10:20 AM ^
Early Reviews for The Last Jedi at Rotten Tomatoes are showing that it's rating 95% "Fresh" with Top Critics.
Last year's Rogue One had a 77% "Fresh" rating with Top Critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
December 13th, 2017 at 11:40 AM ^
Initial reboot of star wars was really disappointing. '
Rogue one was better.
Hopefully, they hit one out this time.
December 13th, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^
I cannot explain thoroughly enough how 100% wrong you are.
December 13th, 2017 at 1:06 PM ^
of Star Wars is this:
(and yes, I am a SW fan as well as a fan of humor)
December 13th, 2017 at 10:06 AM ^
What I am interested in all of this is the final shake down. Disney has indicated that they want to start their own streaming service in 2019 and seem to be buying up properties with an eye towards taking on Netflix. What I’m really curious about is how long the Murdoch kid stays on the board for. Disney is hyper sensitive to bad PR and lousy optics and they don’t come much worse in that respect than the Murdoch family.
December 13th, 2017 at 10:07 AM ^
If Comcast cant buy TimeWarner the FCC isnt going to allow this.
December 13th, 2017 at 1:26 PM ^
But Disney and Fox, for the merger, are content providers. The argument is the industry has several large producers and numerous independent ones plus overseas ones. So Comcast is not a good example.
If Disney and Fox were to merge ABC and Fox TV, or ESPn and FS1, that would probably not be allowed. But thats not the deal.
December 13th, 2017 at 10:11 AM ^
More importantly, the X-Men and Fantastic Four are coming home to Marvel Studios where they will be done justice.
December 13th, 2017 at 10:24 AM ^
Besides the competing with Netflix this is the second biggest motivation for Disney. This gives them another 2/3 "phases" to the MCU.
December 13th, 2017 at 10:32 AM ^
Maybe then they can stick with an X-Men timeline that makes sense. Right now it's fuck if I know.
December 13th, 2017 at 1:22 PM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 10:12 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 10:20 AM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
The all-Detroit station sounds good in theory, with 4 major pro teams, a potential MLS expansion team, and two huge universities, I could definitely see Detroit supporting something like that. However, I still think you need to latch onto a national player (ESPN) for the network effects. Otherwise you are always on your own for negotiating with cable companies, securing talent, etc. Otherwise you're like the early BTN, always looking like the JV squad compared to ESPN.
Thanks for the insight, it will be interesting to see how it plays out. I was kinda wondering what Tellem would do now that the Pistons have moved and the MLS bid seems to be in the final stages.
December 13th, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^
Bring back PASS Sports!
December 13th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
Trying to launch your own regional all-sports cable channel in this environment of cord cutting and competition seems really dumb. Its also not really possible since they've already signed rights agreements with Fox Sports that extend into 2020 and beyond.
Plus, people tend to underestimate what it takes to launch a network and fill all of those hours of programming. That's why FSD has so much of that affliate programming. Its just easier and cheaper to pay $20k or something for an episode of bass fishing that's not going to get any ratings than it is to create original programming whether that's a studio based show ($$) or something feature ($$$) or documentary ($$$$) based.
December 13th, 2017 at 10:14 AM ^
let's get down to brass tax, here. Is this going to impact Toy Story 4 in any way?
December 13th, 2017 at 10:31 AM ^
John Lasseter being gone does.
December 13th, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^
hope that it doesn't too much. The allegations against him are troubling, but he has very little creative input into the production at this point, from what I understand, and hasn't since the Cars 2 debacle. From what I have seen, he had very little to do with the production of Toy Story 4 and I don't that his leave (as of now) will have an effect on the release.
December 13th, 2017 at 11:42 AM ^
I am not sure what you are talking about - He was slated to direct and was apparently really into the development. He hasn't done much directing beyond since Toy Story 2 except Cars and Cars 2 because he oversees all creative.
December 13th, 2017 at 12:26 PM ^
Cooley has been set to indvidually direct since July (and has been listed as co-director since 2015). Andrew Stanton has basically written the entire movie. John Lasseter was last credited as "co-executive producer" which essentially means nothing. He had almost nothing to do with Coco and Cars 3. Not sure what you are talking about.
December 13th, 2017 at 2:30 PM ^
Uh, yeah, he was named director after JL took his leave. JL was excited to direct it and it would have been the only director had it not been for this. It's also why they have pushed the release by another year.
December 13th, 2017 at 4:01 PM ^
December 13th, 2017 at 11:01 AM ^
I think you want these.
December 13th, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^
The trilogy was ended on a completely perfect note. Everyone who grew up with Buzz and Woody loved it and we had a very emotional good bye to Andy and these characters.
So...where is the need for Toy Story 4? Do you give a shit about these new characters? A moron doll and a porcupine acting like Fraser Crane or some shit? I certainly fucking don't.
I guess proper narrative still matters to me, I get that there's money to be made but man allmighty...if they just left it alone it would be cemented as one of the strongest trilogies of all time but alas, they're giving us a 4th movie that might be a musical. I won't be seeing it. It will make a billion dollars, but in terms of story there's 0 reason for this movie to exist.
December 13th, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
have no reason to believe it will be anything but really good. Each Toy Story movie has been better than the last. The concept works, the characters work, my guess is that it will be good. It may not have the same narrative impact of part 3, but not all animated features have to have serious or emotional import to be good. And it has Lotso Bear in it, so I'm in.
December 13th, 2017 at 12:15 PM ^
Carried on bitter winter winds across snow-laden hills, a tired raspy voice whispers at the edge of one's consciousness...
Rosebud....