Disney In Talks To Sell ABC. Bids Coming In

[RAMROD 90,614]

Bob Iger's grand plan for Disney is moving fast with reported talks to sell ABC

As Deadline reported Thursday, Byron Allen is interested in Disney’s linear TV assets, and overnight that interest progressed to a formal offer.

Sources familiar with the discussions said Allen late Thursday offered $10 billion for ABC, Disney’s eight local TV stations, FX and the National Geographic Channel. Bloomberg and Reuters are among the media outlets reporting the official offer.

The offer is pegged at eight times EBITDA, but it uses estimated financials and could be adjusted, sources said. Strategically, the notion of removing FX and Nat Geo — both of which are embedded within Disney streaming outlets Hulu and Disney+ — from Disney control raises a number of questions. But the Charter carriage renewal earlier this week, which left networks like Freeform and FXX without distribution on the No. 2 pay-TV service in the U.S., indicate the climate change in the media business.

Allen joins Nexstar in being interested in Disney’s linear TV assets, which CEO Bob Iger said in July “may not be core” to the company. That comment set off a wave of interest from a range of parties, including private equity firms.

Alarm bells are going off at ABC News.

The Disney-owned newsroom was jolted on Thursday after a report suggested that the outlet could soon be expelled from the Magic Kingdom. Bloomberg’s Christopher Palmeri and Thomas Buckley reported that Disney has “held exploratory talks” about selling ABC to Nexstar Media Group. The duo also reported that media mogul Byron Allen has also spoken with Disney about a possible deal.

In conversations with more than a half-dozen people inside and around ABC News that CNN spoke to Thursday evening, it was made clear that a feeling of dread and trepidation is washing over the outlet as they face the unknown.

As one television executive put it, “Once, they were Iger’s jewel in the crown. Their $20 million+ anchors were trotted out for board meetings and glitzy dinners in NYC. Now, they’re on the chopping block.”

But, the executive added, “Iger is unsentimental and cold-blooded. He will do what is best and necessary for Disney. He will not hesitate to cut off well-paid anchor friends, cast out beloved networks, or sell the jewels in the crown.”

https://deadline.com/2023/09/disney-says-abc-station-sale-talks-unfounded-but-keeps-strategic-options-open-1235547332/amp/
 

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/09/14/media/abc-disney-reliable-sources/index.html

https://www.businessinsider.com/disneys-sale-abc-bob-iger-grand-plan-tv-streaming-espn-2023-9?amp

People would think Disney would sell smaller ones like FX, or Hulu, and many now are in shock when it's something as huge and valuable as ABC that is offered.

Another signs that Apple getting Disney is never impossible reality. It's business.

Edited September 16 by RAMROD

[bluemonkey 635]

“He will do what is best and necessary for Disney.”

Yes because we all asked for an unbearable snotty actress playing Snow White with a woke storyline. Screw you Iger, you just can’t admit you aren’t qualified for the job. All your business decisions have only lead to alienating the customers yet Disney sits there scratching their heads at what went wrong. 

Edited September 16 by bluemonkey

[Bonkers 24,477]

Watch Chick-Fil-A buy it 

[CoolTrainerTerry 873]

Not here for this at all. Plus they always use ABC to promote everything: Movies, TV, theme park news, etc. Would they really willingly get rid of that?

[Reginald 13,646]

51 minutes ago, bluemonkey said:

 unbearable snotty actress playing Snow White with a woke storyline. 

It's really not that serious. A near-90 year old animated movie obviously isn't going to translate 1:1 to 2023  Would you complain if they remade Song of The South and removed the blatant racism? 

[TortureMeOnReplay 4,563]

44 minutes ago, bluemonkey said:

“He will do what is best and necessary for Disney.”

Yes because we all asked for an unbearable snotty actress playing Snow White with a woke storyline. Screw you Iger, you just can’t admit you aren’t qualified for the job. All your business decisions have only lead to alienating the customers yet Disney sits there scratching their heads at what went wrong. 

Iger led a 30% growth in park attendance until Covid, led the most successful film franchise in history, led the acquisition of X-Men, the acquisition of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and the acquisition of Pixar. I don't think he's led a bad business at all.  Also under him most studios and directors were allowed a lot of control over how the films are made. Your Snow White gripe isn't on him, it's on the director. 

18 minutes ago, CoolTrainerTerry said:

Not here for this at all. Plus they always use ABC to promote everything: Movies, TV, theme park news, etc. Would they really willingly get rid of that?

Do they still need ABC to report news on Disney? Pay TV numbers have almost halved in the past 10 years and it's so much easier to reach consumers directly. Disney's fanatics do pretty well at spreading theme park news too. 

[Roughhouse Dandy 2,424]

1 hour ago, bluemonkey said:

“He will do what is best and necessary for Disney.”

Yes because we all asked for an unbearable snotty actress playing Snow White with a woke storyline. Screw you Iger, you just can’t admit you aren’t qualified for the job. All your business decisions have only lead to alienating the customers yet Disney sits there scratching their heads at what went wrong. 

What a strange take. Especially here. Gross. 

[Railing 1,616]

6 hours ago, Reginald said:

It's really not that serious. A near-90 year old animated movie obviously isn't going to translate 1:1 to 2023  Would you complain if they remade Song of The South and removed the blatant racism? 

I mean the main issue people have with the new Snow White is that Disney are trying to turn these remakes into progressive feminist stories, instead of just letting any of them depict a woman who would be happy as a housemaker and a wife (e.g. Snow White), and that is a very narrow-minded view of feminism

They also cast an actress for the role of Snow White who vocally hates the original film and has taken any interview opportunity to talk **** about it & praise the new film for what it changes. Not saying I support the bandwagon hate train against her, but I'd imagine that's kinda sad if one of your favorite films is Snow White and you were looking forward to the remake

Edited September 16 by Railing

[bionic 34,192]

1 hour ago, Railing said:

I mean the main issue people have with the new Snow White is that Disney are trying to turn these remakes into progressive feminist stories, instead of just letting any of them depict a woman who would be happy as a housemaker and a wife (e.g. Snow White), and that is a very narrow-minded view of feminism

They also cast an actress for the role of Snow White who vocally hates the original film and has taken any interview opportunity to talk **** about it & praise the new film for what it changes. Not saying I support the bandwagon hate train against her, but I'd imagine that's kinda sad if one of your favorite films is Snow White and you were looking forward to the remake

yeah I don't usually throw the word around but this Snow White movie literally sounds like a forced 'woke' interpretation of the story thats making changes solely to push an agenda rather than for any artistic merit or because its a natural evolution of the story. everything i hear about it feels like a bad conservative parody of 'woke culture'

other examples include:

• the seven dwarves will now just be a band of merryman (and merrywomen) because Peter Dinklage said having dwarf characters in 2023 is offensive (which OK I get, but a lot of actors with dwarfism were pissed because Dinklage made them lose rules and basically used the 'dwarf' character to get a step up the ladder than pulled it up behind him)
• the 'who is the fairest of them all' is being changed to literally meaning who is most fair... like in an equality and justice kind of way... because comparing beauty is outdated (as if its still not an insatiable desire in a lot of men and women...)
• rachel zegler boasted that the film was written in a way that any male characters can be removed without it affecting the plot
• as you say, the approach that being feminist = you must be boss & CEO is harmful. its supposed to be about choice and opportunity. if someone is happy with the choice to be a housewife that is equally feminist as someone who aspires to be president

i kind of feel like rachel has been encouraged to ragebait because the film sounds like a flop in general (box office poison gal gadot is in it after all)

Edited September 16 by bionic

[Amidana 4,201]

Omg…. I wonder what’ll happen to the restaurant I used to work at Disney World if the deal goes through… 

[Karl 2,451]

19 minutes ago, Amidana said:

Omg…. I wonder what’ll happen to the restaurant I used to work at Disney World if the deal goes through… 

ABC commissary? They'll proba just rename it tbh. The only issue I see with this is there will be even less content on Disney Plus which is supposed to be their main focus right now. 

And Snow White is like 100 years old of course it's gonna change 

[bluemonkey 635]

On 9/16/2023 at 2:04 AM, bionic said:

yeah I don't usually throw the word around but this Snow White movie literally sounds like a forced 'woke' interpretation of the story thats making changes solely to push an agenda rather than for any artistic merit or because its a natural evolution of the story. everything i hear about it feels like a bad conservative parody of 'woke culture'

other examples include:

• the seven dwarves will now just be a band of merryman (and merrywomen) because Peter Dinklage said having dwarf characters in 2023 is offensive (which OK I get, but a lot of actors with dwarfism were pissed because Dinklage made them lose rules and basically used the 'dwarf' character to get a step up the ladder than pulled it up behind him)
• the 'who is the fairest of them all' is being changed to literally meaning who is most fair... like in an equality and justice kind of way... because comparing beauty is outdated (as if its still not an insatiable desire in a lot of men and women...)
• rachel zegler boasted that the film was written in a way that any male characters can be removed without it affecting the plot
• as you say, the approach that being feminist = you must be boss & CEO is harmful. its supposed to be about choice and opportunity. if someone is happy with the choice to be a housewife that is equally feminist as someone who aspires to be president

i kind of feel like rachel has been encouraged to ragebait because the film sounds like a flop in general (box office poison gal gadot is in it after all)

All the remakes have been garbage yet they continue to churn them out and not focusing on making original content. 
 

it’s what pisses me off, they don’t care about artistic or creative expression but more of how can we gouge more profits out of what we already have. Then this movie comes along making them look like a Nark at a night club just screams desperation to be “hip” with the youngsters. 

[Natalia Kills 185]

On 9/16/2023 at 5:04 AM, bionic said:

yeah I don't usually throw the word around but this Snow White movie literally sounds like a forced 'woke' interpretation of the story thats making changes solely to push an agenda rather than for any artistic merit or because its a natural evolution of the story. everything i hear about it feels like a bad conservative parody of 'woke culture'

other examples include:

• the seven dwarves will now just be a band of merryman (and merrywomen) because Peter Dinklage said having dwarf characters in 2023 is offensive (which OK I get, but a lot of actors with dwarfism were pissed because Dinklage made them lose rules and basically used the 'dwarf' character to get a step up the ladder than pulled it up behind him)
• the 'who is the fairest of them all' is being changed to literally meaning who is most fair... like in an equality and justice kind of way... because comparing beauty is outdated (as if its still not an insatiable desire in a lot of men and women...)
• rachel zegler boasted that the film was written in a way that any male characters can be removed without it affecting the plot
• as you say, the approach that being feminist = you must be boss & CEO is harmful. its supposed to be about choice and opportunity. if someone is happy with the choice to be a housewife that is equally feminist as someone who aspires to be president

i kind of feel like rachel has been encouraged to ragebait because the film sounds like a flop in general (box office poison gal gadot is in it after all)

Agreed, this "feminism = girl boss" take has some undesirable consequences.

This is 100% anecdotal, but I've met quite a few female leaders in business who are essentially alpha males (to fit in with men). We're essentially giving bonus points to women who try to be more masculine while making feminine women/people less valuable. Feminine personalities in women and men are less desirable under this philosophy, even if it's not intentional.

If I had to remake the plot with a new twist, I would repeat the same storyline as before with a kind, innocent Snow White. But instead of the Queen/Hag dying, Snow White mentors her into becoming a "fair" person who is kind. It would be a good comedy to see a deluded, vain queen learn to be nice to people, kinda like Maleficent meets Princess Diaries.

[Roughhouse Dandy 2,424]

Just a heads up since it's still being discussed: Walt expressed desire for the company to revisit properties like Snow White both to retain relevance in the zeitgeist throughout generations as well as something to do with copyright/trademarks. The remakes and reworks probably aren't ever going to stop. 

[bluemonkey 635]

1 minute ago, Roughhouse Dandy said:

Just a heads up since it's still being discussed: Walt expressed desire for the company to revisit properties like Snow White both to retain relevance in the zeitgeist throughout generations as well as something to do with copyright/trademarks. The remakes and reworks probably aren't ever going to stop. 

It’s not the fact that it’s a remake and honestly all Walt’s films when he was alive were remakes of old fairytales. He wasn’t praised for his original storyline but for his innovative storytelling, I don’t think think Walt would want to sacrifice creativity for profits since he was known to overspend to get the right look he wanted. This though screams “let’s take what Twitter says to update our storyline because we can’t think for **** so this is easier.”