It's official. Disney will buy Fox properties for $52 billion in stock. Rich Greenfield, Media & Tech Analyst at BTIG, joins Cheddar soon after the announcement to break down why he thinks this deal cements Disney in the past, rather than projecting it into the future.
Greenfield says if Disney bought Snap, Twitter, Activison, or Spotify it would have been more exciting than this Fox deal. Its mobile strategy is lacking, so although it will have tons of content, it still doesn't have that mobile presence and is taking on a lot of risk by buying Fox. Who are the biggest losers in this deal? Greenfield believes it's the consumer.
As far as how this deal impacts streaming networks: Greenfield thinks this will actually help Netflix in the short-term. Hulu, though, will still be a mess ownership-wise, as no one was able to give a clear answer as to who's in charge of the streaming network.
This deal is not a slam dunk and will have to jump through many regulatory hurdles before it's closed in the projected 12-18 months. Fox shareholders will hold a 25% stake in Disney, and the deal is expected to save $2 billion in costs. Disney CEO Bob Iger will stay at the company through 2021.
Orangetheory Fitness is redefining the future of workouts with smarter tech, strength-based programming, and community-driven studios built for what’s next.
Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
