10 Reasons Why Disney's Fox Takeover Is Terrifying
1. It Sets A Worrying Precedent
The Fox acquisition may have cost Disney 25% of the business in shares, but it’s doesn’t change the fact that it means the total worth of Disney’s assets has increased by more than half, now sitting at around $145 billion. And crucially, this is going to pass without any sign of serious concern from anti-trust regulators, the last line of defence against large companies establishing a monopoly and damaging the free market.
There have been calls for hearings on the acquisition by a number of US senators, but a firm decision has yet to be made. And at the same time, there are predictions that Apple will buy Netflix by the end of the year, while Disney’s expansion isn’t going to stop any time soon, with plans in motion to acquire the remaining 61% of Sky through Fox.
In short, it’s getting less and less likely that the free market will remain that way, and that we’re going to move closer and closer to the industry being controlled by just a few major companies on the world stage. Because if Disney can swallow up $52 billion worth of film, television, and telecoms assets without there being any serious debate about it affecting the free market, it’s a very worrying sign of where the media industry is heading.
What do you think could happen after the Fox-Disney deal? Let us know in the comments below...