Disney will take one step closer to its ultimate goal of world domination next Wednesday. The studio will officially merge with Fox on March 20. Disney purchased Fox’s assets for $71 billion in July 2018. Since then, both studios have been waiting for the deal’s approval.
In the deal, Disney will acquire 20th Century Fox, a controlling stake in Hulu, and an array of entertainment channels like FX and National Geographic. The move was made in preparation for the launch of the studio’s streaming service, Disney+. Through the acquisition of Fox, Disney is able to supply enough content to justify a subscription. The merger also puts a strain on established streaming services like Netflix. Instead of creating a better product or utilizing the market to establish a more competitive price point, Disney plans to suffocate its competitors by limiting their access to content. The studio will slowly pull all of its assets from its competing channels.
Fox-controlled networks have been in a state of limbo since the deal was confirmed. Fox staffers are bracing for substantial changes in content, distribution, production, and staff. While Disney has not released specific plans, it is forecasted that the company will cut up to $2 billion in cost synergies by 2021. Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Sports and Fox News were not included in the deal. Murdoch will maintain those assets under a new company simply known as Fox.
Notable film assets include Avatar, Planet of the Apes, and Alien. All of a sudden, the dream of seeing Deadpool, Fantastic 4, and X-Men in the MCU is more than possible. I’m sure Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool will have a lot to say about his new rodent overload.
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