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LIZ: IT IS OFFICIAL OFFICIAL,
THE MERGER OF DISNEY AND 21ST
CENTURY FOX'S ENTERTAIN THEMENT
ASSETS HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE
GOVERNMENT AND SHAREHOLDERS.
BUT WHILE THE BIG BATTLE SEEMS
TO HAVE BEEN WON, THERE ARE A
COUPLE OF SKIRMISHES ABOUT TO
BREAK OUT.
EVERYBODY IN THE MEDIA WORLD
TALKING ABOUT WHO WILL GET THE
UNITED KINGDOM'S SKY TV, BUT THE
FIGHT THAT COULD MATTER EVEN
MORE IS OVER WHO AND ITS HITS
LIKE THE HANDMAID'S TALE AND
CASTLE ROCK.
DISNEY AND FOX BOTH HAVE A 30%
STAKE IN HULU.
THIS WILL GIVE DISNEY A MAJORITY
WITH 10%.
OF A BUNCH OF BUSINESSES THAT
GOT TOGETHER YEARS AGO AND SAID
LET'S PUT THIS TOGETHER.
AND NOW THEY'RE GOING TO FIGHT
OVER THE PIECES.
LET'S GAME WHO GRABS THIS HOT
POTATO.
PORTER BIBB IS MANAGING PARTNER
AND MEDIA TECH CAPITAL PARTNERS.
LIKE THE NEXT --
>> 25 MILLION CORD CUTTERS IN
THE LAST TWO YEARS.
LIZ: OKAY.
VIEWERS GAIN?
>> IT'S GOING TO BE A TOSS-UP,
BECAUSE DISNEY HAS ANNOUNCED
THEY'RE GOING A DISNEY
COMPETITOR, WHAT THEY CALL A
NETFLIX KILLER.
AND WITH THE FOX ENTERTAINMENT
ASSETS, THEY'VE GOT SO MUCH
ONE OF THE INTERESTING SIDELINES
HE'S GOING TO JACK UP THE PRICES
AGAIN ON NETFLIX.
IN THE SHARE PRICE.
THEY'VE TIERED IT.
THEY'VE SAID --
LIZ: WHAT DOES DISNEY DO WITH
HULUSOME.
>> WELL, THEY WILL OWN 60%, AS
YOU POINTED OUT.
THEY DON'T REALLY NEED HULU, BUT
HULU HASES 20 PLUS MILLION
SUBSCRIBERS RIGHT NOW --
LIZ: HYPER-VALUABLE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
SO MY -- WE'RE AT THE EPITAPH OF
A SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA BETWEEN
BRIAN ROBERTS AND BOB IGER.
THEY FOUGHT OVER THE FOX
ENTERTAINMENT ASSETS, THEY'RE
GOING TO BATTLE RIGHT DOWN TO
THE DEATH ON SKY.
AND WHEN HULU COMES UP FOR
DISNEY DOESN'T REALLY NEED IT,
MY SUSPICION IS THAT BOB IGER'S
HULU.
LIZ: WELL, COMCAST DOESN'T WANT
TO WALK AWAY BLOODIED AND EMPTY
HANDED, OBVIOUSLY.
>> NO.
LIZ: BRIAN ROBERTS WANTS SKY.
>> THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET
I HULU, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE --
LIZ: YOU MEAN SKY.
>> COMCAST WILL GET HULU.
BUT BOB IGER WANTS SKY BECAUSE
DISNEY DOESN'T HAVE AN
INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT, AND
THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING OUTSIDE
TO HAVE U.S. IN STREAMING.
THEY HAVE ESPN, AND THEY'RE
GOING TO HAVE THE DISNEY CHANNEL
STREAMING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE
HUGE.
AS I SAID, A SERIOUS COMPETITOR
TO NETFLIX.
BUT SKY GIVES THEM 23 MILLION
SUBSCRIBERS ACROSS EUROPE.
LIZ: HECK, WALMART WANTS TO GET
INTO THE STREAMING BUSINESS.
CBS, THE NEWS BROKE AROUND
NOON --
>> REALLY SAD.
LIZ: -- THAT THERE MAY BE
ANOTHER SEXUAL HARASSMENT
INVESTIGATION, THIS TIME AROUND
LES MOONVES OF, OF COURSE, CBS.
>> THE CBS BOARD IS DOING A FULL
INVESTIGATION.
LIZ: PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE
TIME, DOES IT NOT, FOR THIS
COMPANY IN A PITCHED BATTLE WITH
SHERRY RED STONE AND VIACOM.
>> -- SHARI REDSTONE AND VIACOM.
>> I SUSPECT IF LES IS GONE,
WHICH IS LIKELY, SHARI --
LIZ: WAIT, CAN I JUST PUSH BACK?
CBS HAS TO LAUNCH AN
INVESTIGATION.
>> THEY ALREADY ANNOUNCED THAT'S
UNDERWAY.
LIZ RIZ SO I DON'T KNOW THAT LES
IS GONE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE
I, YOU KNOW, LES MOONVES HAS
BEEN INCREDIBLE TO ME --
>> I HAVE TO SAY HE'S A FRIEND
OF MINE, AND I'M REALLY
DISAPPOINTED AND REALLY SADDENED
BY THIS WHOLE EVENT --
LIZ: WELL, HE WAS AT THE HELM
WHEN CHARLIE ROSE WAS REMOVED.
>> HE FIRED CHARLIE ROSE IN TWO
SECONDS, AND LES HAS ALWAYS
BEEN, IN MY ESTIMATION, A
CHAMPION OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
COMCAST, DISNEY, ALL OF THEM
>> YOU'RE SEEING THE LANDSCAPE
OF LEGACY MEDIA IN A TECTONIC
CHANGE.
AND OLD MEDIA, OLD TELEVISION --
ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT SOME
OF THE ANALYSTS HAVE MADE IS
MAYBE COMCAST SHOULD BUY
CHARTER.
ACTUALLY, THEY SHOULD BUY
CHARTER --
LIZ: WELL, THERE WAS NEWS ON
PUSHING BACK ON CHARTER BUYING
TIME WARNER CABLE.
CAN YOU PUT THAT GENIE BACK IN
THE BOTTLE?
>> THEY PROBABLY CAN.
BUT IT'S GOING TO BE -- IT
DEPENDS ON WHERE THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT AND THE FCC END UP,
BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDER A LOT OF
PRESSURE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
RIGHT NOW TO LET THESE DEALS
HAPPEN.
IT WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT TO TRUMP
THAT SINCLAIR GOT BANNED BY THE
FCC.
SO WE DON'T KNOW.
LIZ: CHARTER DOWN JUST A QUARTER