Disney in talks with Murdoch to take over Fox studios
DISNEY has held secret talks with media tycoon Rupert Murdoch about taking over large parts of his 21st Century Fox film and TV studios.
The multi-billion-pound deal would see Fox – which is behind the Planet Of The Apes and X-Men movie franchises – transformed into a sports and news company, retaining Fox News and Sky News, while Disney would take on its National Geographic and FX Networks.
The deal, if it went ahead, would also make Disney a dominant force in filmmaking. It follows its acquisitions of Pixar in 2006 and Marvel in 2009. In 2012, Disney bought Lucasfilm, which produces the Star Wars films, for £2.5billion and will release the latest episode, The Last Jedi, next month.
Disney and 21st Century Fox have reportedly been holding on-off talks over the past few weeks. While the two sides are not currently in discussions, it is understood that the deal is not com-
‘Take control of parts of Sky’
pletely off the table. Internet streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon have changed the way people get their entertainment, and Disney has been left playing catch-up. The company is now in the process of creating its own streaming service for sports and another for its Star Wars and Marvel franchises. It also recently announced it will be withdrawing all its films from Netflix.
It comes as Mr Murdoch is hoping to buy the remaining 61 per cent stake in Sky that he does not currently own. Fox’s £11.7billion bid for Sky is being investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority, as there are concerns the move would give Mr Murdoch – who also owns The Sun and Times newspapers through his News Corp business – too much influence over the UK news agenda.
Disney is also reportedly seeking to strike an agreement that would see it take control of parts of Sky, thought to comprise the broadcaster’s TV production business, which would give it access to the UK and other international markets such as Germany and Italy.
A Disney spokesman did not respond to a request for a comment last night. Fox declined to comment.