OT: Disney-FOX merger

Submitted by Sambojangles on

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…

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Dennis

December 14th, 2017 at 7:30 AM ^

I'm with you on most of your comments, but I also don't get all the self hate a lot of dudes wag around just to signal their virtue. Nothing wrong with being manly or being a man. I don't think I've seen any guy worth his own salt shouting out how ethically virtuous he is on a football forum, while assuming everyone who disagrees "just doesn't get it" and needs to be educated. You ever think maybe you're just annoying?

Joined: 10/08/2017

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karpodiem

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)

Joined: 06/30/2008

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Orlando

December 13th, 2017 at 10:09 AM ^

The series was fine how it was. Adding a 7th movie was good, 8th was acceptable. This 9th movie is pushing into “Not O.K” territory. I’m pretty sure they still have three more Star Wars movies coming out after this. I feel like Disney’s movie production right now is 50% sequels. Pretty disappointing because it means we won’t be getting as many brilliant movies from Disney like we did in the 80’s and 90’s.

Joined: 12/12/2017

MGoPoints: 1007

teldar

December 13th, 2017 at 10:35 AM ^

Not just Disney, but Lucas as well. (Lucas should have been held responsible for the prequel trilogy) They are forcing the decay of the entire series by... producing... Garbage? Poorly written crap? Obvious money grabs? Unoriginal trash? in the main sequence of stories. Disappointing after the original series of movies.

Joined: 07/14/2009

MGoPoints: 8230

A2toGVSU

December 13th, 2017 at 10:10 AM ^

As a Star Wars fan, I am super excited for every opportunity to see the story continue. All the fans turning up their noses at Disney because of the sanctity of the original trilogy are just choosing misery. Just like Michigan fans upset about adding a 5* transfer quarterback in the same class as our super talented high 4* quarterback. It does far more good than bad. Also, the Disney movies so far have been FAR better than episodes I, II, and III (which I still enjoyed!)

Joined: 09/30/2009

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Nobody Likes a…

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.

Joined: 09/20/2013

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superstringer

December 13th, 2017 at 1:26 PM ^

Comcast and Time Warner were networks with customers. It was a political fiotball but came to too much consolidation in the cable industry. (Think of Verizn and ATT trying to merge as local phone companies -- they do not serve the same markets and so are not direct competitors but the FCC would never allow that.)

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.

Joined: 02/04/2009

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misterzolo

December 13th, 2017 at 10:12 AM ^

Need to get more details before we can make some of these assumptions, but the possibilities are endless. In Film, TV and Sports. I’m sure ESPN is salivating at the thought of gaining control of BTN. As for the local Fox Sports stations, specifically Detroit, I’ve heard something else is in the works. Arn Tellem, current Vice Chairman of the Pistons, was brought to Detroit to focus on two things: 1) Bridge the gap with the Ilitch family to open up the possibility of the Pistons moving downtown. (He succeeded) 2) Develop a new local all-Detroit sports station, with compelling content and larger commitments from all the teams. It would be similar to MSG in the New York area. More content from all of the Detroit teams, 24/7. Similar to FSD, without the Fox affiliate programming (bass fishing, low level boxing and UFC, poker, super cross etc.)

Joined: 01/31/2016

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Sambojangles

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.

Joined: 12/15/2008

MGoPoints: 10985

I Like Burgers

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.

Joined: 10/06/2012

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ijohnb

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.

Joined: 09/21/2009

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HimJarbaugh

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.

Joined: 12/23/2014

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ijohnb

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.   

Joined: 09/21/2009

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HimJarbaugh

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.

Joined: 12/23/2014

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PunchTheKeys

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.

Joined: 05/22/2015

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ijohnb

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.

Joined: 09/21/2009

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