What About Streaming?
The comic book stuff is fun to speculate about, but I’m more interested in the future of Hulu. If Disney buys Fox, they’ll become the majority owner of Hulu – which we always thought was a bit strange, considering Disney’s announcement that they’re planning to launch their own proprietary streaming service in 2019. In the past, we’ve wondered if Disney plans to utilize Hulu’s R&D to create a new interface for their new streaming service. But if that deal doesn’t go through, then it seems like Hulu would still be a viable outlet for storytellers to produce content that may be objectionable in the family-friendly eyes of Disney.
Who Might Disney Buy Instead?
But it’s clear Disney is in a buying mood, so there are still a few other options out there for them if the company doesn’t end up acquiring Fox. Sony has been struggling to find its identity as a film studio ever since they were hacked back in 2014, so I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Disney try to make a play for the Culver City studio. Paramount has also been relatively quiet lately (they’re looking to launch a new young adult movie franchise to stay in the hunt for box office supremacy), so Disney may decide to set its sights on that studio as well.
We simply aren’t sure how this is going to shake out at this stage. But it’s interesting that things may not be quite as finalized as we all originally thought. It should be fascinating to see if there are any other players that enter the fray before the ink is dried on these acquisition contracts and the regulatory bodies make their final decisions.
By Ben Pearson/Feb. 12, 2018 7:00 am EST
Multiple sources have told CNBC that Comcast might consider outbidding Disney if the situation calls for it, backing up claims we wrote about months ago. Essentially, the entire industry is waiting to see what happens with AT&T’s $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, which was blocked by the Justice Department and now awaits a court’s judgment of its legality. It’s a decision that will have ripple effects throughout multiple media platforms, and could set the tone for further media company acquisitions to come.
What Happens if Comcast Acquires Fox?
But what about Universal’s comic book properties? What’s the crossover potential there? Well, Universal doesn’t really own many comic book properties at the moment (the Incredible Hulk’s standalone rights are still tied up with them), so the closest thing we’d get is the X-Men meeting the characters from the Unbreakable universe. That doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as Professor Xavier and pals meeting up with Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and Spidey.
What About Streaming?
The comic book stuff is fun to speculate about, but I’m more interested in the future of Hulu. If Disney buys Fox, they’ll become the majority owner of Hulu – which we always thought was a bit strange, considering Disney’s announcement that they’re planning to launch their own proprietary streaming service in 2019. In the past, we’ve wondered if Disney plans to utilize Hulu’s R&D to create a new interface for their new streaming service. But if that deal doesn’t go through, then it seems like Hulu would still be a viable outlet for storytellers to produce content that may be objectionable in the family-friendly eyes of Disney.
Who Might Disney Buy Instead?
But it’s clear Disney is in a buying mood, so there are still a few other options out there for them if the company doesn’t end up acquiring Fox. Sony has been struggling to find its identity as a film studio ever since they were hacked back in 2014, so I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Disney try to make a play for the Culver City studio. Paramount has also been relatively quiet lately (they’re looking to launch a new young adult movie franchise to stay in the hunt for box office supremacy), so Disney may decide to set its sights on that studio as well.
We simply aren’t sure how this is going to shake out at this stage. But it’s interesting that things may not be quite as finalized as we all originally thought. It should be fascinating to see if there are any other players that enter the fray before the ink is dried on these acquisition contracts and the regulatory bodies make their final decisions.
We simply aren’t sure how this is going to shake out at this stage. But it’s interesting that things may not be quite as finalized as we all originally thought. It should be fascinating to see if there are any other players that enter the fray before the ink is dried on these acquisition contracts and the regulatory bodies make their final decisions.
