Walt Disney Company now owns the rights to the ‘Deadpool’ franchise, and the television series, ‘American Horror Story.’ This is because Disney has made a deal to purchase most of the TV and film business of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. Comcast had also approached 21st Century Fox to express interest in a possible acquisition.
According to reuters.com, this transaction “will aid the efforts of Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger to transform the company from a traditional media operation dependent on pay TV distributors to one that streams shows and movies directly to consumers online.”
The edgier Fox shows are quite a difference from the wholesome, family-friendly Disney vibe. People in the entertainment industry are waiting to see if the two ideals will clash. Fox networks have received critical acclaim for their riskier programs, but Disney simply wants to increase its global enterprise. Under Chief Executive Bob Iger’s tutelage, Disney has managed to negotiate many acquisitions, including that of Pixar in 2006. Disney also owns a majority stake in Hulu.
Iger noted that noted that he sees it as an extension for more mature Fox series.
“There’s a lot of Fox intellectual property that fits extremely well into Disney-branded direct-to-consumer services,” Iger said. “There’s a lot of product that we believe will be of great use to growing Hulu as it already is. Hulu is a more adult-oriented product [that will benefit from] Fox television production and FX.”
