Disney accepts the EU’s condition of approval for Fox acquisition

Disney’s buyout of Fox’s entertainment division was approved by the US Department of Justice in July, under the condition that it offloads the 22 Sports Regional Networks within 90 days of the acquisition. Disney has now secured approval from the European Commission, however the firm will have to sacrifice even more from the overall deal.

The EC will allow Disney and Fox’s deal to go ahead, provided that the former divests all “factual channels” it houses within the European Economic Area. This includes History, H2, Crime & Investigation, Blaze and Lifetime channels controlled by the Disney-ABC/Hearst Communications joint venture A+E  Networks.

Disney has already begun laying its plans to adhere to the new requirements, potentially lining up buyers for the channels and networks that hinder one of the largest acquisitions in entertainment history. The sheer size of the deal is set to make waves in the industry, expanding Disney’s already unmatched library exponentially.

Once the transaction goes through, Disney will see Fox’s X-Men, Deadpool and Fantastic Four reunited with other Marvel heroes, undoubtedly set to cause a shake-up in the already-established Marvel Cinematic Universe. Beyond that, Disney will also be the new home of Fox’s plethora of adult animation such as The Simpsons, and range of blockbuster titles like Avatar. It’s currently unknown what will happen to the very many sequels currently in production once the merger has been processed.

KitGuru Says: Even though I’m excited to see what Disney will do with its new roster of characters, it’s scary to think that one company will be in control of so many properties. There’s no stopping Disney now, though. Are you looking forward to everything being housed under one company?

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