Will Disney acquire Hearst Corporation?

[comcastlover33]

Disney owns a lot, but shares some of it with Hearst:
A&E Networks - 50% Disney, 50% Hearst
ESPN - 80% Disney, 20% Hearst
Wouldnt Disney want to own 100% of ESPN and A&E?
Would you see Disney buying Hearst?

 

[Eoghann]

Why would anyone want Hearst? Magazines, radio, television stations... these are not good businesses to invest in.

There may be some valuable assets, but as a whole it sounds like a money sink.

 

[Josh Hendy]

Would it include the rights to Citizen Kane? That whole franchise could use a re-boot.

 

[comcastlover33]

Why would anyone want Hearst? Magazines, radio, television stations... these are not good businesses to invest in.

There may be some valuable assets, but as a whole it sounds like a money sink.

Yeah, seems like Hearst just deals with dying businesses.

 

[Eoghann]

Yeah, seems like Hearst just deals with dying businesses.

The cable channels and some of the multi-media stuff may have value.

 

[cheryllarsen]

Disney is going to do what makes them money. I don't see a huge profit there!

 

[cheryllarsen]

Good info there tho. Thanks for posting!

 

[kalmajo]

They would be better off waiting for Hearst to get into financial crisis over the dying industries and buy them out at a lower cost.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Absolutely not...if anything, Disney will look to divest/lessen the share of longterm expenses with these stations as revenues decline.

 

[seascapemvy]

Why would anyone want Hearst? Magazines, radio, television stations... these are not good businesses to invest in.

There may be some valuable assets, but as a whole it sounds like a money sink.

Actually it might be a good idea but they also need a news channel. In the near future it will be critcal to be able to sell a small bundle directly to consumers. Adding A&E and Lifetime to ESPN, ABC and the Disney Channels would make a nice bundle if there were a news channel too.

The future of TV is on the internet with direct advertising to individual customers. The cable bundle will die but so will wired internet. See all the stories about 5G cell service. I know there are people who think cable TV companies like comcast are the future internet providers but even Verizon has stopped expanding FIOS and large cities are installing free wifi so IMO wired service will die just like the cable bundle. Cable companies are even being hurt by the FCC decision on set top boxes.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

A&E and lifetime is already bundled with ESPN, Disney, etc.

 

[seascapemvy]

A&E and lifetime is already bundled with ESPN, Disney, etc.

So why not own it all? Again the future is in small budles directly to the consumer with direct advertising. That will take a large enough company to work it all out and it would be better for the sports leagues to let a company like Disney ESPN handle it and share revenue than try to do it themselves. With proper handling ESPN will continue to be the leader in sports programming and bypass the cable TV systems thus keeping all the money themselves. Who cares about Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Optimum and Fios?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

So why not own it all? Again the future is in small budles directly to the consumer with direct advertising. That will take a large enough company to work it all out and it would be better for the sports leagues to let a company like Disney ESPN handle it and share revenue than try to do it themselves. With proper handling ESPN will continue to be the leader in sports programming and bypass the cable TV systems thus keeping all the money themselves. Who cares about Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Optimum and Fios?

I'm no expert...but network bundling is exactly the model that currently exists that the entertainment people fear is over.

It's a complicated, somewhat paradoxical story...but that's the way it is.

 

[seascapemvy]

I'm no expert...but network bundling is exactly the model that currently exists that the entertainment people fear is over.

It's a complicated, somewhat paradoxical story...but that's the way it is.

The old belief was that people would buy a tripple play package in the 120 to 150 a month range. The problem is cell phones. Now over a third of homes do not have a landline and so tripple play does not work. With only 2 services there is no cost benefit for cable and internet. Then with netflix there is no need for the TV portion. That leaves just the internet. Now the cable company and Fios offer the best service but wireless is catching up amd has a major cost advantage because they dont neee a wire. I would be willing to subscribe to a micro package of sports, news and some other networks but will be giving up wired service once the first cell phone company offers me a deal where I can get unlimited data plan on a phone I can connect to a TV and get a cleaf HD picture. This will happen with 5G and hopefully within 5 years. How much would I pay? I currently pay over 150 a month for 2 phones with unlimited 4g data and have 2 tripple play packages. So if I could get a deal on phones for 200 a month I would be willing to pay Disney 50 to 60 a month for a complete new service specializing in Business and regular news all the Disney Channels and some other entertainment channels and ABC. I can get CBS, NBC FOX and other broadcast channels without paying for them.

 

[M-I-C-K-E-Y]

10-22 -- Disregard. I'll keep my questions to myself.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Pretty sure nobody cares

 

[k5jm]

I see no Troll. Discussion forums, Folks! Discuss!!

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I see no Troll. Discussion forums, Folks! Discuss!!

Seriously...was that comment incendiary?

Was it incorrect?

I think somebody called me the antichrist once when I said Le cellier stinks...I didn't even blink

 

[comcastlover33]

10-22 -- Disregard. I'll keep my questions to myself.

Regarding my username, its just a joke. Ive been on disboards for a while, and had a legitimate question.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Disney will do whatever it takes to make money. Whether a Hearst acquisition will make or lose money, I don’t know. However it will create a lot of headaches for Disney.

According to Wikipedia (granted, not the best source), Hearst holds joint ventures in television distribution with NBCUniversal Television Distribution. Although Hearst already owns 14 ABC affiliated stations, Hearst also owns a number of television stations that are not ABC affiliates; 12 NBC, 2 CBS, 2 CW, and one each MyNetworkTV and an independent. Will these stations maintain their network affiliations, or will they go ABC?

I live in the Cincinnati DMA, and the longtime (going on 70 years) NBC affiliate is Hearst-owned. I know it’s business, but I don’t want it to suddenly have to change networks. I think Disney would have to sell off many of the non-ABC Hearst stations. (Not necessarily a bad thing if they can get top-dollar for these stations).

But I can’t see a Hearst-sale-to-Disney happening. I’m not sure the money is there. But the headaches are.