*By Jim Roberts* The see-saw battle for the assets of 21st Century Fox may take another turn after Comcast said on Monday that it would make an all-cash bid for Fox’s assets if AT&T wins its legal fight to acquire Time Warner, according to a report by CNBC. A federal judge in Washington is expected to rule Tuesday on AT&T’s $85 billion bid for Time Warner, which has been opposed by U.S. antitrust regulators. The government sought to block the acquisition, fearing that AT&T would use its control over Time Warner content to extract higher licensing payments for popular entertainment. Those higher costs would likely be passed along to consumers. Rupert Murdoch agreed in December to sell most of his 21st Century Fox media empire to Disney in a $52-billion all-stock deal. In the deal, Disney [agreed to buy](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/18/business/media/comcast-21st-century-fox-disney.html) the 20th Century Fox studio, Hulu, the FX cable network, and stakes in two overseas television-service providers, Sky of Britain and Star of India. The deal did not include the Fox broadcast network or Fox News. But BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield [told Cheddar exclusively](https://cheddar.com/videos/rich-greenfield-murdoch-no-longer-set-on-selling-to-disney-for-stock) that Murdoch was no longer set on selling to Disney. Comcast, which previously made an all-stock bid for the company that Murdoch rebuffed, has suggested for some time that it would prepare an all-cash bid around $60 billion. On Monday morning, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts told investors that the cable company was in the [“advanced stages”](https://deadline.com/2018/06/brian-roberts-comcast-advanced-stages-offer-fox-annual-shareholders-meeting-1202407754/) of preparing an offer, pending the outcome of the AT&T-Time Warner antitrust suit. [According to CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/11/comcast-announcing-fox-bid-on-wednesday-if-att-time-warner-approved.html), Comcast executives believe their company’s bid for Fox will put pressure on Disney's shares, putting pressure on Disney to raise the value of it’s all all-stock offer.

Share:
More In Business
Starbucks’ Change Flushes Out a Debate Over Public Restroom Access
Starbucks’ decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom use policies that varies by state and city. Starbucks announced last week a new code of conduct that says people need to make a purchase if they want to hang out or use the restroom. The coffee chain's policy change for bathroom privileges has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to go and when. The American Restroom Association, a public toilet advocacy group, was among the critics. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. The National Retail Federation says private businesses have a right to limit restroom use.
Trump Highlights Partnership Investing $500 Billion in AI
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
Load More