Verizon eyeing Disney?

[Breaking News 839]

Seems to be many articles about this situation, so could those circle 7s in major markets have a new owner instead of Mickey Mouse? We see it every year local broadcast companies exchanging hands, and even big powerful media conglomerates like Disney trying to get out of the business. Verizon and AT&T are both looking into the future because technology has changed the way we get content. Thoughts?

 

http://deadline.com/2017/07/is-verizon-really-eyeing-disney-musing-bar-bound-banker-1202123444/

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-shares-up-almost-2-on-report-verizon-is-eyeing-deal-2017-07-03

 

http://nypost.com/2017/07/01/verizon-rumored-to-be-eyeing-purchase-of-disney/

[oklahomanewsman 210]

Here's my thoughts on this one:

 

I don't think Disney needs to merge with Verizon, I think they realize that streaming Over-The-Top (OTT) Content IS the future, if they didn't believe in that would WatchESPN, WatchABC, WatchDisney Channel, etc. be where it stands today? No they wouldn't, would Disney even have a stake in BAMTech? Nope, they wouldn't

 

If anything Disney needs to spin ESPN off (which requires Hearst to sell it's 20% stake and we all know that ain't happening) otherwise let AT&T acquire ABC and it's stations (although such acquisition would be at least a year and a half to 2 years out and AT&T may not even want to own one of the "Big Four" major TV Networks) I say AT&T gets ABC because CBS isn't going to merge with AT&T and if anything, CBS and Viacom may actually get back together

[David Salter JR 66]

Wasn't there a takeover attempt of Disney in the 1980s?

[ToriElectra 292]

Wasn't there a takeover attempt of Disney in the 1980s?

I've heard that Coca-Cola considered a takeover, but that was in the early 80s when the company was in bad shape, so they went after Columbia instead (which got Columbia started on the road to Sony).

[Eat News 4745]

Amazing that Disney has 4 cable channels and no OTT apps...yet.

Very 2003.

[Weeters 1969]

Here's my thoughts on this one:

 

I don't think Disney needs to merge with Verizon, I think they realize that streaming Over-The-Top (OTT) Content IS the future, if they didn't believe in that would WatchESPN, WatchABC, WatchDisney Channel, etc. be where it stands today? No they wouldn't, would Disney even have a stake in BAMTech? Nope, they wouldn't

 

If anything Disney needs to spin ESPN off (which requires Hearst to sell it's 20% stake and we all know that ain't happening) otherwise let AT&T acquire ABC and it's stations (although such acquisition would be at least a year and a half to 2 years out and AT&T may not even want to own one of the "Big Four" major TV Networks) I say AT&T gets ABC because CBS isn't going to merge with AT&T and if anything, CBS and Viacom may actually get back together

 

[KevCor 344]

I could've sworn the going rumor this year was an Apple-Disney Conglomerate? I, for one, was looking forward to the never (never land) ending commercials of Mickey Mouse trying to sell me the latest Apple product...

[channel2 982]

Wasn't there a takeover attempt of Disney in the 1980s?

 

Saul Steinberg tried to buy the company in 1984, and that's when Roy E. Disney brought in Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg (the future co-founder of DreamWorks SKG), and Frank Wells (to whom The Lion King was dedicated).

[Rusty Muck 4405]

Make no mistake, Verizon is eyeing all of the spectrum from the ABC O&Os. That's the only reason why this is a thing. Verizon would make a killing selling off even a fraction of that spectrum.

 

Apple probably is thinking the same way, although they are not in the data business... but they could get into it, with a ready-made audience. (To say nothing about Apple being able to utilize Disney's output to their advantage.)

 

Or... and this is just speculation... why not have Verizon and Apple team up for a Disney takeover so Verizon can get the spectrum and Apple gets all the valuable Disney content output?

[KevCor 344]

Make no mistake, Verizon is eyeing all of the spectrum from the ABC O&Os. That's the only reason why this is a thing. Verizon would make a killing selling off even a fraction of that spectrum.

 

Apple probably is thinking the same way, although they are not in the data business... but they could get into it, with a ready-made audience. (To say nothing about Apple being able to utilize Disney's output to their advantage.)

 

Or... and this is just speculation... why not have Verizon and Apple team up for a Disney takeover so Verizon can get the spectrum and Apple gets all the valuable Disney content output?

 

New company name: Disverizpple

 

-head explodes-

[Eat News 4745]

New company name: Disverizpple

 

-head explodes-

 

Does that mean I need to buy ANOTHER dongle?

[mre29 1563]

I would think Disney is way too big for Verizon to attempt to acquire.

[Eat News 4745]

Really you guys???

 

I expected a Mickey Mouse "Can you hear me now." meme from one of you by now.

[NEOMatrix 1307]

Really you guys???

 

I expected a Mickey Mouse "Can you hear me now." meme from one of you by now.

Ehh. I expect Mickey to dress in a turtleneck and Levi's and shill the iPhone 8s.

[TheRob 938]

[mre29 1563]

 

 

H-I-P....S-T-R....

[Action Newsroom 1300]

 

H-I-P....S-T-R....

 

S-H-I-L-L.

Hipstr Shill!

[Rusty Muck 4405]

I would think Disney is way too big for Verizon to attempt to acquire.

By the same token, if Apple wanted to, they could buy Sinclair AND Nexstar and have plenty of spare change.

[KevCor 344]

Does that mean I need to buy ANOTHER dongle?

 

You'll need to buy a whole new house once the Disverzipple merger is completed.

[mre29 1563]

By the same token, if Apple wanted to, they could buy Sinclair AND Nexstar and have plenty of spare change.

 

You had me at "they could buy Sinclair".

 

(Of course, the chances of it happening are incredibly small, but it'd be fun to watch.)

[Eat News 4745]

You had me at "they could buy Sinclair".

 

(Of course, the chances of it happening are incredibly small, but it'd be fun to watch.)

 

Why not buy it and hold on to it...develop it.

 

Tech may be the only hope for TV news as we know it. Tech is the only place that has money to burn.

 

I heard Microsoft wanted to use empty tv spectrum to fill in rural internet holes. Interesting application that solves a major problem.

 

All this TV stuff is going IP based sooner then we think.

[KevCor 344]

You had me at "they could buy Sinclair".

 

(Of course, the chances of it happening are incredibly small, but it'd be fun to watch.)

 

I'm sure this is slipping into Speculatronism...but could you imagine: the most conservative broadcaster company in the US being owned by, what is probably considered one of the most "liberal elite" companies in the country?

 

"The Bottom Line with Boris is brought to you by Disney"

[WestleyWolf 122]

Didn't Disney have a phone service for a while using Verizon's towers years ago called Disney Mobile and ESPN Mobile? i know this because it was sometime around 2005.

[ns8401 957]

Didn't Disney have a phone service for a while using Verizon's towers years ago called Disney Mobile and ESPN Mobile? i know this because it was sometime around 2005.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Mobile

 

It's in the history of their mobile app development division... it's wiki so use caution but it looks like it's evolved over the years...

[Action Newsroom 1300]

but could you imagine: the most conservative broadcaster company in the US being owned by, what is probably considered one of the most "liberal elite" companies in the country?

 

"The Bottom Line with Boris is brought to you by Disney"

You know what would be funnier? When a Disney-related piece airs,

and an anchor--like one at the O&Os, is forever forced to say

"Disney is the parent company of (insert Sinclair station here)."

You can imagine feeling the acid reflux building when Boris Badenov or Hyman say this.