Imagining a timeline where Disney did not buy Fox

TheMisterManGuy

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Last month, Disney completed its acquisition of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Which included 20th Century Fox, their TV division, their 30% stake in Hulu, and much of Fox's cable assets including FX Networks, and their 70% stake in National Geographic. The remains of the parent company, 21st Century Fox, including The Fox Broadcasting Company, and their News and Sports assets, were re-incorporated as "Fox Corporation". This is a very big moment in the entertainment industry, because Disney has now taken out one of the "Big Six" major Film Studios, reducing it to the "Big Five". I, like many, was not a fan of this move, but this was inevitable. Disney needs content for its streaming service, Rupert Murdoch wanted out of Film and TV, so this was the conclusion we ended up with. However, lets pretend for a moment that there are alternate timelines and dimensions. Basically, let's say, the Disney buyout never happened, what would Fox's future be like? Fox was going to get sold regardless because as I said, Murdoch wanted to get out of Film and TV, so the question now becomes, who would Fox's new parent company be?

If there was a company that I think should've made the move to acquire Fox, It would have to be another telecommunications company, Verizon. They're currently the only one of the big 3 (the others being Comcast and AT&T) that doesn't have a media empire. As much as I don't like my mainstream entertainment being controlled by Internet Service Providers, I'd rather Fox be in Verizon's hands than Disney's. At the very least, the Big 6 would still be the Big 6, and Disney wouldn't have the degree of control of entertainment it has currently. Plus, The Fox Network wouldn't have to be spun off into another company, and could still be part of 21st Century Fox. And with Verizon's Internet infrastructure, Fox could have its own Streaming Service to rival Disney and WarnerMedia's upcoming offerings. Of course it doesn't have to be Verizon, Amazon could've also been up to bat as well, and I'm sure Amazon would've loved having the one of the most renowned Media companies under its wing.

Neither scenario would've been ideal, but If there was a less cruel fate for Fox, then it'd be in the hands of Verizon. They'd at least still be their own company, rather than just yet another branch of Disney.
 

Peter Paltridge

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Comcast was the second highest bidder and that would have been a far worse fate.

Best case scenario, somebody long ago would have made it illegal to just turn around and dump a company that huge, so Fox would still be its own entity even if Rupert didn't want any part of it.
 

TheMisterManGuy

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Comcast was the second highest bidder and that would have been a far worse fate.

Best case scenario, somebody long ago would have made it illegal to just turn around and dump a company that huge, so Fox would still be its own entity even if Rupert didn't want any part of it.

Comcast would've been worse. They already have their own Entertainment company (NBCUniversal), so they don't need two. Disney at least sort of makes sense as their Family friendly nature necessitates alternative brands for more adult content.

A Verizon-Owned Fox would still be the kindest Fate you could've given them since Verizon doesn't have a media conglomorgate like Comcast and AT&T do.
 

NeoplanDan

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AFAIC, no mergers should have existed since it kills the main importance of surviving in a cruel competive business world of being solidly of a strong independent media company, as of know, there aren’t that much companies that are independent left (in other words, not merged by any company like Disney etc), so it pretty much left us less competition in multiple ways, but limited to worst extent like Comcast, for their pathetic excuse for acquiring NBC and among others, considering for their rather abysmal reception among other monopolies that goes upon the list.
 

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