Several weeks ago, Disney outbid Comcast for the rights to Fox’s assets, and we all thought that the merger was a sure thing. But now, Comcast has put the Disney deal in jeopardy by adding almost $13 billion dollars to their original bid. They upped the ante even further when they offered to pay Fox in cash, as opposed to Disney’s offer of stocks.
Logan (IMDB)It’s difficult to predict which bid will be the winner, especially since Comcast included a 43-page letter to pitch their proposed deal to Fox’s shareholders. We’ll learn whether their tactics win over the shareholders’ after they meet on July 10, unless that meeting is postponed to give them more time to consider this new development.
Deadline was first to break the story of the new bid. They commented that the bidding war is far from over now, and we can expect that Disney will move to match or beat Comcast’s new bid. It isn't as if they lack the necessary resources!
This could mean that Marvel fans’ dreams of seeing the X-Men and Fantastic Four join the MCU would never come to fruition. We should keep in mind that, according to some unsubstantiated online rumors, Fox is barred from selling the rights to Marvel characters.
Unless Disney submits a highly impressive new bid, their deal with Fox will never be finalized. Their only alternative would be to just sit back and wait until the Fox shareholders make a decision, but that could be a long wait, especially if the July 10 meeting is scrapped.
