Potential acquisition of Disney by Apple

I think this deserves its own thread.

I am sure you all have seen the Hollywood reporter article now on the potential buyout of Disney by Apple or another Silicon Valley giant (Amazon)

I was going to post this in one of the numerous Kathleen Kennedy threads but I feel it deserves it’s own thread. If it were to go down it would be one of if not the biggest acquisitions in American history if not world history.

I feel this deserves its own discussion.

I am against it of course not for some love of what Disney has done with the franchise although I like what they have done mostly. I just very much doubt one mega corporation buying up another is good for anyone.

but what are your thoughts on this potential hypothetical. Right now it’s no where near certain. Acquisition?

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-apple-deal-1235559416/

Even ignoring my concerns over apple having a monopoly on the tech we own the things we watch. And everything in between. Do you think Disney being subservient to someone else and thus Lucasfilm is a good thing?

 

This theory isn't new. It has been going around for several years and will continue to go around as long as major companies continue to merge. Right now there is nothing to it but speculation.

 

Yes but this is the biggest and most trustworthy source to report it. Hence why now I think it deserves it’s own thread. And if it was brought before the FTC I am 80% sure if Disney got rid of ABC, Fox TV and ESPN. (Basically it’s TV assets) the FTC would okay it.

 

The biggest obstacle to a deal like this ever happening is would Apple want to put up with the hassle of continuously running all the parks and cruises and things like that that Disney has (which is a far bigger part of Disney's business than their movie and tv side). Apple currently has nothing even remotely similar to that currently.

 

It’s always possible they’ll sell them off. Disney Tokyo is already barely controlled by Disney the company. Maybe apple does something similar.

https://skift.com/2017/08/25/tokyo-disney-resort-remains-a-key-asset-in-asia/

 

Chances of that ever happening is extremely minute. Saying they will sell off ABC or ESPN is one thing. Selling off what the company is basically built from is quite another.

 

Eh. When rumblings of a 20th century fox buyout started going in what 2016? 2017? I thought it was insane. Even more insane that it would be allowed. Yet here we are.

 

Fox didn't run theme parks. And Apple isn't going to buy the parks and then sell them off. Who would they even sell them to if Disney is now officially apart of them now?

 

This has been a rumor for years

 

Could be worse - could be Elon Musk.

 

If it leads to a change in leadership at LFL I won't complain. I can't imagine Apple would be that hands on unless LFL starts losing money on productions.

 

I'm all for it. Apple have made a few decent shows, but their streaming platform is held back by a limited amount of content. There are good reasons for Apple to acquire a company with a large catalogue of shows and movies. Apple is mostly a tech company, Disney is mostly a content producer, there is little crossover between the two, so there should be little effect on competition. I've also heard Paramount might be an alternative acquisition for Apple. I'd be all for them snapping up one of the other. Both however would start to reduce competition too much.

Either way, Apple and Disney seem to be working closely together these days. Disney+ will be available on Vision Pro from day one, which will make watching SW a whole new experience.

 

Actually economically the Disney revenue stream would add less then 5% to Apple‘s. The content they would get certainly could boost AppleTV but would consumers accept that? Disney merges with Hulu and then it becomes Apple … all within 5 years? Hm. I would strongly consider that question as a board member. Also Apple would likely look for a deal that is partially Apple stock and once the lock up on those shares would fall their free float they keep low by buying back their own stocks would suddenly become a lot bigger. Which could cause a drop they might not want to have.

Also everything above on the parks I agree with. To alien as a business model for them.

Last but not least … too early. Disney is seeing a steady price drop after several box office debacles, looses value as Disney+ is eating up too much profit and sees decline in the park business. I would wait. See if Snow White becomes another debacle, Ashoka and The Acolyte fail, LFL runs into problems delivering those movies again … Marvel has it‘s first year without a billion dollar movie and Pixar falters after another flop. The stock could drop to 50%. Seriously could. That is quite a rebate. Also if those shares are on your books suddenly it would be quite a loss, which I wouldn‘t risk if I were them.

Actually I see why Disney would like to sell. I don‘t see why Apple (or anyone) would like to buy them right now. It is a year too early.

I see the sale of parts as a more likely scenario. Question is will it be the sour apples like ABC or the crown juwelry like Marvel and LucasFilm? Disney is at the point of desperation where they would allow a buyer to do cherry picking, but another year line this and things might start looking very different for them.

That being said, it surely looks like Iger is grooming the bride with his cost cutting program. So his board might have ordered him to initiate negotiations. Just don‘t think they will make it through the die diligence process. Too many problems Apple has no reason to buy, too bad the prognosis for their next year. If so Apple will prolong the deal negotiations to see Disney decline further (which happens with companies who are in the process of selling quite often).

My 2 cents.

 

Also both Disney and apple know Disney will likely have to sell off almost all of its TV stations.

If Disney continues to have box office failures like recent marvel movies and Indiana Jones may make others interested as well.

@Darkslayer it will almost certainly mean new leadership. At both companies. Not that I think they’ll put some creative genius in charge.

@TCF-1138 your also correct. Hollywood is already controlled something like 70% by the major studios. One of those studios being owned by the biggest company in the world wouldn’t be good for anyone except apple.

 

Anybody wanting this to happen just as a way to get KK ousted she will definitely have retired by the time any of this would happen anyways.

 

Isn’t she like 73?

edit: 70 close enough

 

They won't. When Kennedy chooses to step down and Star Wars doesn't return to whatever it is they were wishing for, a new scapegoat will be found.

 

Oh almost certainly. Apple would likely liquidate whatever it is they don’t want.

I still think it’s unlikely this will happen. But I think unlikely things happen every day. So… what do I know.

 

I don’t think people really understand the type of financial problems that Disney is having right now. The only way out for them is to dismantle the company and sell it in pieces. No one is going to want ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel or Freeform so they’re going to have no choice but to eventually sell assets like Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar.

They’ve been crushed by cord cutting and it’s clear Iger was brought back to scale down the company for a sale. He admitted last year that Disney could not compete with the tech companies that have come to Hollywood in recent years.

 

I think Disney will try to unload ESPN. They've recently let go of a lot of expensive "talent" to cut costs. They also teamed up with Penn Entertainment to set up ESPN BET, a gambling venture which just gave the network 1.5 billion over the next decade. I think they will be looking for buyers very soon.

 

The irony of course is that Iger's decisions caused a lot of Disney's current financial problems. Buying Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and FOX. Then being the man in charge when making decisions that have slowly eroded away Disney's brand of family friendly entertainment and innovation. Moving away from new animated movies to live action remakes of old ones with modern twists. Building new theme parks or expanding existing theme parks. The core brands of Disney and everything Disney has bought have all been eroded, and it's sad. Not to mention some seriously unprofessional behavior from Lucasfilm employees. Again this is part of the damage done to the Lucasfilm brand, but it's worse in a way since Lucasfilm used to be much more welcoming of fans. Why no more annual fan film awards?

Disney has also not kept up on maintaining the parks well. I haven't been in 4 years, but when I was there last things were obviously in need of repair & paint. Plus park attendance is down. Then there's Disney's legal issues with Florida.

The problem doesn't stop there, with a few lawsuits involving Lucasfilm and at least 1 lawsuit about serious financial shenanigans by Disney. Which implicates Iger as well. Plus financial issues with some Lucasfilm projects too.

I don't know if Disney employees have attacked fans, but I know that's happened with some Lucasfilm employees in the past. Which is part of what turned some Star Wars fans off of the stuff Disney has made. Again, historically both Disney and Lucasfilm were known for excellent customer relations. Not so much anymore, and the behavior by Lucasfilm employees also reflects back on Disney.

We're not just talking about the purchase or construction prices, either. But shows and movies that have gone over budget and underperformed. Things that just haven't done well at the box office. Merchandise that was made and hasn't been sold, thus tying up capital. The price of every ad and commercial they run, especially since they don't seem to be putting butts in seats.

Plus the entire way corporate America works now is something George Lucas was opposed to, because it stifles creativity, imagination and innovation. You can't have a group of people come together a write a story without it becoming a paint by numbers thing. The best you can get from that is cookie cutter carbon copies of basically the same thing ad infinitum. Again, kinda counter to both Lucasfilm & Pixar brands.

From a business perspective, both Disney & Lucasfilm are not good investments. They're eroded so much of their own value with their own behaviors. Things that should not have been financial losses have been. If either company wants to survive in any form, broken up or not, they are both going to have to radically change to once again be on brand.

 

Who would want to buy ESPN? I don’t see a buyer.