Deals
Disney Is About to Become the ‘Walmart of Hollywood’
- Companies got 40% of North American box office combined in ’16
- New Disney could squeeze theaters, trigger more consolidation
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Walt Disney Co.’s deal with 21st Century Fox Inc. will transform Hollywood’s most successful studio into an even more powerful force, potentially pressuring rivals to consolidate, squeezing theater chains and furthering the industry trend of blockbusters and sequels.
Disney will acquire Fox’s studio, cable channels such as FX and National Geographic, and international assets in a deal valued at $52.4 billion, the companies said Thursday. The deal can be completed in 12 to 18 months if regulators approve it, Disney said.