Is it likely that if AT&T decided to buy another media company (maybe Fox, Viacom and/or CBS, etc.) instead of Time Warner in 2016 that Disney might attempt to buy Time Warner in 2017 or later?
Is it likely that if AT&T decided to buy another media company (maybe Fox, Viacom and/or CBS, etc.) instead of Time Warner in 2016 that Disney might attempt to buy Time Warner in 2017 or later?
I'm pretty sure antitrust regulators would have something to say about that
I'm pretty sure antitrust regulators would have something to say about that
I doubt it, disney will double dip and keep them separated, maybe an special crossover to try to intice more sales but mostly separated. I wonder how angry (or excited) all the comic-book geeks will be if DC and Marvel properties were all merged into one big franchise.
1st we gotta look at the attempt by a joint purchase of Warner brothers by Disney and Fox. They went and joint because there are some Warner brothers properties that 1 company could absorb without earning the ire of anti-trust laws while the other company could not.
There are relatively few details about the proposal known. Disney for example would have bought the rights to the Warner brothers animation archive including merry melodies and looney tunes. S Disney already owns Marvel Comics Fox would have gotten DC - And Fox would have had to give the rest of their remaining Marvel film rights back to Disney.
Then you have to look at the reason why Disney didn't pursue it as aggressively as they did their eventually successful purchase of Fox. The short answer is that Fox had more to offer - More than just ip and movie rights Fox has extensive holdings in emerging markets like Latin America and India.
The ability to get Disney products in front of the eyes of well over a billion new customers was what made disney's pursuit of Fox so perfect.
The question you need to ask if you want Disney to buy WB is why would they want to?