The Walt Disney Company struck a deal to acquire the bulk of the assets of Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, including the Fox TV studio (The Simpsons, Homeland, This Is Us), FX and Nat Geo networks, and overseas TV service providers Sky of Britain and Star of India. The agreement also gives Disney Fox’s stake in Hulu, which would make it the streaming service’s majority holder. “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 Disney chief Bob Iger, who agreed to delay his retirement until the end of 2021. Not included are the Fox broadcast network, Fox News nets and Fox Sports 1, which Murdoch said he will spin into a new company. The deal, valued at $52.4 billion (all stock) and is subject to regulatory approval, better positions Disney to compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon as it charts its streaming services course and dives deeper into international waters.
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