Reports that Disney might acquire key parts of 21st Century Fox have been out there for almost a month. CNBC now reports that those talks have progressed, and that a deal could be announced as early as next week. All told, Disney would reportedly pay more than $60 billion for the new assets. Properties included in the deal could include National Geographic, Star, movie studios, regional sports nets, and stakes in Sky and Hulu. Speaking of which, Disney and Fox each own 30% of Hulu; if Disney acquires Fox’s stake, it’ll own a controlling stake in the service. At the same time, Disney is planning to launch its own streaming services in the coming years, having recently declined to renew its licensing arrangement with Netflix. Assuming the Fox deal goes through, Disney will be able to pack additional movies and TV shows onto those platforms. Bottom line: In a few years, Disney will likely be giving Netflix a run for its money.
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