BIG Update 3/12/19: After key approvals in Brazil and Mexico, it has been announced that the Disney acquisition of Fox will be final at 12:02 am Eastern Time on March 20, 2019. It has also been announced that films will continue to market films under the 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight banners.
(Note: That is not a typo, the top-level company Disney is buying is called “21st Century Fox,” but the movie studio it owns is titled “20th Century Fox.”
Update 11/6/18: The EU has officially approved the Disney/Fox deal with a catch- they need to divest of their ‘factual channels’ like History and Lifetime to avoid a competition-less situation.
Update 10/10/18: According to WDW News Today, the deal should close on January 1, 2019.
Update 9/26/18: Disney has consented to Fox’s decision to tender their 39% stake in Sky. The full release can be read here.
Update 7/27/18: The Disney purchase of 21st Century Fox has officially been approved by both Fox and Disney stockholders. Details of the votes can be found here.
Update 7/19/18: Apparently the latest Disney offer for Fox is too rich for Comcast’s blood as they have officially dropped out of the race. This leaves Disney as the only bidder for Fox and the presumed winner in this sweepstakes.
Update 6/28/18: Variety is reporting that a new date has been set for the Fox shareholder vote on the $71.3 billion Disney acquisition. The new voting day will be July 27th. Hopefully, then, we will have a bit of closure to this saga!
Update 6/27/18: Disney has announced that the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice has cleared the potential Fox purchase. This obviously gives Disney a bit more of a leg-up on Comcast in this bare-knuckle brawl for the valuable Fox intellectual properties. You can read the entire Disney announcement here.
Update 6/20/18: It appears Disney isn’t going to let Fox slip away to their rival Comcast. It was just announced that Disney will see Comcast’s bid of $65 billion and raise them to roughly $71 billion! More precisely, the new offer is for $38 per share in cash and stock. Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc has agreed to this amount. It is also being reported that the July 10th acquisition vote will be postponed, although it is not clear when it will happen now. Keep checking back, this one is getting very interesting….
Update 6/13/18: Well, Disney’s purchase of Fox may have just hit a bit of a snag as bitter rival Comcast (who owns Universal, among other things) has made a very aggressive all-cash offer of $65 billion. This news hit just as word was circulating of the Federal approval of the AT&T/Time Warner merger, which had significant ramifications on a Comcast/Fox marriage, more so than a Disney deal.
Updated 5/30/18: We now have a date for a Fox stockholder vote on the potential Disney purchase. Fox has set a July 10th special meeting for the vote. Be sure to check back soon on this post as there is bound to be more twists and turns in this Disney Fox saga before it is done,…
Original Post 12/14/17: What has been rumored for a few weeks now was made official this morning- The Walt Disney Company will be acquiring 21st Century Fox, Inc. It seems the $52.4 billion stock offer was enough for Fox to select Disney over other rumored suitors like Comcast.
Image courtesy Fox
As part of the Disney/Fox deal, Fox will be spinning off a few of its properties including Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News, Fox Business, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network. Some of the prime properties Disney will be getting in this deal include X-Men, Avatar, The Simpsons, FX Networks and National Geographic.
Also worth noting in this morning’s release was the announcement that Disney CEO Bob Iger will remain in his current position until 2021. Iger had previously announced a July 2019 retirement, but will now stick around to oversee the Disney Fox merger…
Here is the full release from Disney. As you can imagine, I will be writing much more about this big move and its ramifications in the coming days.
The Walt Disney Company To Acquire Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., After Spinoff Of Certain Businesses, For $52.4 Billion In Stock
BURBANK, Calif., and NEW YORK, New York, December 14, 2017—The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) and Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (“21st Century Fox” —NASDAQ: FOXA, FOX) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Disney to acquire 21st Century Fox, including the Twentieth Century Fox Film and Television studios, along with cable and international TV businesses, for approximately $52.4 billion in stock (subject to adjustment). Building on Disney’s commitment to deliver the highest quality branded entertainment, the acquisition of these complementary assets would allow Disney to create more appealing content, build more direct relationships with consumers around the world and deliver a more compelling entertainment experience to consumers wherever and however they choose. Immediately prior to the acquisition, 21st Century Fox will separate the Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network into a newly listed company that will be spun off to its shareholders.
Under the terms of the agreement, shareholders of 21st Century Fox will receive 0.2745 Disney shares for each 21st Century Fox share they hold (subject to adjustment for certain tax liabilities as described below). The exchange ratio was set based on a 30-day volume weighted average price of Disney stock. Disney will also assume approximately $13.7 billion of net debt of 21st Century Fox. The acquisition price implies a total equity value of approximately $52.4 billion and a total transaction value of approximately $66.1 billion (in each case based on the stated exchange ratio assuming no adjustment) for the business to be acquired by Disney, which includes consolidated assets along with a number of equity investments.
Popular Entertainment Properties to Join Disney Family
Combining with Disney are 21st Century Fox’s critically acclaimed film production businesses, including Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox 2000, which together offer diverse and compelling storytelling businesses and are the homes of Avatar, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool, as well as The Grand Budapest Hotel, Hidden Figures, Gone Girl, The Shape of Water and The Martian—and its storied television creative units, Twentieth Century Fox Television, FX Productions and Fox21, which have brought The Americans, This Is Us, Modern Family, The Simpsons and so many more hit TV series to viewers across the globe. Disney will also acquire FX Networks, National Geographic Partners, Fox Sports Regional Networks, Fox Networks Group International, Star India and Fox’s interests in Hulu, Sky plc, Tata Sky and Endemol Shine Group.
“The acquisition of this stellar collection of businesses from 21st Century Fox reflects the increasing consumer demand for a rich diversity of entertainment experiences that are more compelling, accessible and convenient than ever before,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “We’re honored and grateful that Rupert Murdoch has entrusted us with the future of businesses he spent a lifetime building, and we’re excited about this extraordinary opportunity to significantly increase our portfolio of well-loved franchises and branded content to greatly enhance our growing direct-to-consumer offerings. The deal will also substantially expand our international reach, allowing us to offer world-class storytelling and innovative distribution platforms to more consumers in key markets around the world.”
“We are extremely proud of all that we have built at 21st Century Fox, and I firmly believe that this combination with Disney will unlock even more value for shareholders as the new Disney continues to set the pace in what is an exciting and dynamic industry,” said Rupert Murdoch, Executive Chairman of 21st Century Fox. “Furthermore, I’m convinced that this combination, under Bob Iger’s leadership, will be one of the greatest companies in the world. I’m grateful and encouraged that Bob has agreed to stay on, and is committed to succeeding with a combined team that is second to none.”
At the request of both 21st Century Fox and the Disney Board of Directors, Mr. Iger has agreed to continue as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company through the end of calendar year 2021.
“When considering this strategic acquisition, it was important to the Board that Bob remain as Chairman and CEO through 2021 to provide the vision and proven leadership required to successfully complete and integrate such a massive, complex undertaking,” said Orin C. Smith, Lead Independent Director of the Disney Board. “We share the belief of our counterparts at 21st Century Fox that extending his tenure is in the best interests of our company and our shareholders, and will be critical to Disney’s ability to effectively drive long-term value from this extraordinary acquisition.”
Benefits to Consumers
The acquisition will enable Disney to accelerate its use of innovative technologies, including its BAMTECH platform, to create more ways for its storytellers to entertain and connect directly with audiences while providing more choices for how they consume content. The complementary offerings of each company enhance Disney’s development of films, television programming and related products to provide consumers with a more enjoyable and immersive entertainment experience.
Bringing on board 21st Century Fox’s entertainment content and capabilities, along with its broad international footprint and a world-class team of managers and storytellers, will allow Disney to further its efforts to provide a more compelling entertainment experience through its direct-to-consumer (DTC) offerings. This transaction will enable Disney’s recently announced Disney and ESPN-branded DTC offerings, as well as Hulu, to create more appealing and engaging experiences, delivering content, entertainment and sports to consumers around the world wherever and however they want to enjoy it.
The agreement also provides Disney with the opportunity to reunite the X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool with the Marvel family under one roof and create richer, more complex worlds of inter-related characters and stories that audiences have shown they love. The addition of Avatar to its family of films also promises expanded opportunities for consumers to watch and experience storytelling within these extraordinary fantasy worlds. Already, guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort can experience the magic of Pandora—The World of Avatar, a new land inspired by the Fox film franchise that opened earlier this year. And through the incredible storytelling of National Geographic—whose mission is to explore and protect our planet and inspire new generations through education initiatives and resources—Disney will be able to offer more ways than ever before to bring kids and families the world and all that is in it.
Enhancing Disney’s Worldwide Offerings
Adding 21st Century Fox’s premier international properties enhances Disney’s position as a truly global entertainment company with authentic local production and consumer services across high-growth regions, including a richer array of local, national and global sporting events that ESPN can make available to fans around the world. The transaction boosts Disney’s international revenue mix and exposure.
Disney’s international reach would greatly expand through the addition of Sky, which serves nearly 23 million households in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy; Fox Networks International, with more than 350 channels in 170 countries; and Star India, which operates 69 channels reaching 720 million viewers a month across India and more than 100 other countries.
Prior to the close of the transaction, it is anticipated that 21st Century Fox will seek to complete its planned acquisition of the 61% of Sky it doesn’t already own. Sky is one of Europe’s most successful pay television and creative enterprises with innovative and high-quality direct-to-consumer platforms, resonant brands and a strong and respected leadership team. 21st Century Fox remains fully committed to completing the current Sky offer and anticipates that, subject to the necessary regulatory consents, the transaction will close by June 30, 2018. Assuming 21st Century Fox completes its acquisition of Sky prior to closing of the transaction, The Walt Disney Company would assume full ownership of Sky, including the assumption of its outstanding debt, upon closing.
Transaction Highlights
The acquisition is expected to yield at least $2 billion in cost savings from efficiencies realized through the combination of businesses, and to be accretive to earnings before the impact of purchase accounting for the second fiscal year after the close of the transaction.
Terms of the transaction call for Disney to issue approximately 515 million new shares to 21st Century Fox shareholders, representing approximately a 25% stake in Disney on a pro forma basis. The per share consideration is subject to adjustment for certain tax liabilities arising from the spinoff and other transactions related to the acquisition. The initial exchange ratio of 0.2745 Disney shares for each 21st Century Fox share was set based on an estimate of such tax liabilities to be covered by an $8.5 billion cash dividend to 21st Century Fox from the company to be spun off. The exchange ratio will be adjusted immediately prior to closing of the acquisition based on an updated estimate of such tax liabilities. Such adjustment could increase or decrease the exchange ratio, depending upon whether the final estimate is lower or higher, respectively, than the initial estimate. However, if the final estimate of the tax liabilities is lower than the initial estimate, the first $2 billion of that adjustment will instead be made by net reduction in the amount of the cash dividend to 21st Century Fox from the company to be spun off. The amount of such tax liabilities will depend upon several factors, including tax rates in effect at the time of closing as well as the value of the company to be spun off.
The Boards of Directors of Disney and 21st Century Fox have approved the transaction, which is subject to shareholder approval by 21st Century Fox and Disney shareholders, clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, a number of other non-United States merger and other regulatory reviews, and other customary closing conditions.
Investor Conference Calls
Disney will conduct an investor conference call at approximately 8:00 a.m. EST / 5:00 a.m. PST today, Thursday, December 14, 2017. To listen to the live webcast, please visit www.disney.com/investors. The webcast presentation will be archived.
21st Century Fox senior executives will host a conference call at approximately 9:00 a.m. EST / 6:00 a.m. PST today, Thursday December 14, 2017, to discuss the creation of “New Fox” and the Disney transaction. The conference call will be webcast on 21stCentury Fox’s investor relations website at www.21cf.com/investor-relations.
Disney will also hold a previously scheduled investor meeting with Disney management at approximately 5:00 p.m. EST / 2:00 p.m. PST today, Thursday, December 14, 2017, which will be webcast at www.disney.com/investors. The webcast presentation will be archived.
About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks, Parks and Resorts, Studio Entertainment, and Consumer Products & Interactive Media. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $55.1 billion in its Fiscal Year 2017.
About 21st Century Fox
21st Century Fox is one of the world’s leading portfolios of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets spanning six continents across the globe. Reaching more than 1.8 billion subscribers in approximately 50 local languages every day, 21st Century Fox is home to a global portfolio of cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FOX Sports, Fox Sports Network, National Geographic Channels, Star India, 28 local television stations in the U.S. and more than 350 international channels; film studio Twentieth Century Fox Film; and television production studios Twentieth Century Fox Television and a 50 per cent ownership interest in Endemol Shine Group. The Company also holds approximately 39.1 per cent of the issued shares of Sky, Europe’s leading entertainment company, which serves nearly 23 million households across five countries. For more information about 21st Century Fox, please visit www.21CF.com.
