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21st Century Fox

Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (doing business as 21st Century Fox) was an American multinational corporation that operated as a diversified and from its formation in until its partial in following acquisition by . The entity emerged from the corporate of , which separated its publishing businesses (retained under ) from its more profitable entertainment and assets to streamline operations and unlock shareholder value, with the entertainment division rebranding to 21st Century Fox under the leadership of the Murdoch family. At its peak, 21st Century Fox controlled key assets including the Twentieth Century Fox film and television studios, Fox Broadcasting Company, cable networks such as FX and National Geographic Partners (a joint venture), Star India, a significant stake in Sky plc, and a 30% ownership in Hulu, generating substantial revenues from content production, distribution, and international expansion. Notable achievements encompassed blockbuster film franchises like Avatar and X-Men from its studios, high-rated programming on Fox networks, and strategic investments in streaming and markets that positioned it as a dominant force in Hollywood despite competitive pressures from tech giants. The faced defining controversies, including multimillion-dollar settlements related to sexual harassment allegations at Fox News Channel (part of its assets until the spin-off) and regulatory scrutiny over media concentration, which highlighted tensions between commercial success and governance standards in the industry. In December 2017, Disney announced its $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets, completed in March 2019 after antitrust approvals requiring divestitures like regional sports networks, fundamentally reshaping media ownership by consolidating content libraries while the Murdoch interests formed the separate Fox Corporation to retain news, sports, and broadcast properties.

Corporate Overview

Formation and Corporate Identity

Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. was formed on , 2013, through the corporate separation of 's entertainment and media assets from its publishing and news operations. This restructuring, announced by in June 2012, aimed to isolate the more profitable film, television, and cable network businesses from the liabilities associated with newspapers and publishing, including ongoing legal issues from phone-hacking scandals. The separation resulted in two independent publicly traded entities: the new , focused on publishing, and Twenty-First Century Fox, encompassing global entertainment properties valued at approximately $75 billion in total corporate assets prior to the split. Shareholders of the original News Corporation received shares in both successor companies via a distribution: for every four shares of News Corporation Class B common stock held as of June 21, 2013, holders received one share of Twenty-First Century Fox Class B common stock, alongside shares in the new News Corp. Trading of Twenty-First Century Fox shares commenced on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbols FOXA (Class A) and FOX (Class B) and on the Australian Securities Exchange on July 1, 2013. Rupert Murdoch retained majority voting control through his family entities, serving as executive chairman of the new company. The of emphasized its as a diversified multinational and conglomerate, headquartered at in Midtown Manhattan, . The name "" was selected to signal a forward-looking from the historic while it from the retained assets in the restructured News Corp. This branding positioned the company primarily in content creation and distribution, including film studios, television production, and international cable networks, rather than print , aligning with a strategy to capitalize on high-growth sectors amid digital disruption in publishing.

Ownership and Leadership Structure

Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (21CF) maintained a dual-class share that concentrated in the hands of the . Class B common , held predominantly by and trusts, carried 10 votes per share, compared to one vote per share for Class A common , the to exercise with approximately 39-40% of the . This governance mechanism, inherited from its News Corporation predecessor, ensured oversight despite broader public ownership, with Saudi investor Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal as the largest non-family shareholder prior to his stake's partial divestment. Rupert Murdoch founded and led 21CF as Chairman and from its on , 2013, following the , until , 2015. His son then succeeded him as CEO, serving until his on , 2017, amid reported strategic disagreements within the . Post-resignation, and his son assumed roles as co-Executive Chairmen, with Lachlan having the company in 2014 as a . held the of , overseeing divisions, while the , including independent members, provided nominal oversight under the dominant influence. This leadership configuration persisted until 21CF's assets were largely acquired by The Walt Disney Company in March 2019, after which remaining entities reorganized into the Murdoch-controlled Fox Corporation.

Historical Development

Origins in News Corporation

News Corporation, established by Rupert Murdoch in 1979 as a holding company for his expanding media interests, initially emphasized publishing operations across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States before venturing into filmed entertainment. The company's diversification into Hollywood began in earnest in 1985 with the acquisition of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation from oil magnate Marvin Davis, granting News Corporation ownership of the studio's production facilities, backlot in Los Angeles, and a vast library of over 1,500 films dating back to the silent era. This move positioned News Corporation as a significant player in the global film industry, enabling it to produce and distribute content under the storied Fox banner while integrating the assets into its broader portfolio. Building on the Fox acquisition, News Corporation capitalized on the studio's brand recognition to disrupt the U.S. broadcast landscape. In 1986, it launched the , the first new national network since 1948, initially airing on independent stations acquired through a separate $2 billion purchase of Metromedia's outlets in 1985-1986. The network debuted with programming aimed at younger demographics, including hits like and , which differentiated it from the established "Big Three" networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) by emphasizing edgier, countercultural . This initiative marked the core of News Corporation's entertainment division, blending film production with broadcasting to create synergies in and distribution. The entertainment arm continued to expand under News Corporation through strategic investments in cable programming, such as the formation of in 1994 and acquisitions like the 50% stake in Channels in 1997, fostering a vertically integrated model that spanned domestic and international markets. By the early 2010s, these assets—rooted in the 1985 Fox studio purchase and subsequent network buildout—constituted the bulk of News Corporation's non-publishing revenue, prompting a 2013 corporate restructuring to isolate entertainment operations from print media liabilities, including phone-hacking scandals in the UK. The split, effective June 28, 2013, reorganized these origins into the independent entity known as Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc.

2013 Restructuring and Launch

In June 2012, News Corporation announced plans to separate its publishing assets from its entertainment and broadcasting operations, a driven by the desire to isolate underperforming print —impacted by declining ad revenues and the UK phone-hacking —from the more profitable , , and cable . The board formally approved the on , 2013, setting June 28, 2013, as the distribution for shareholders. On June 28, 2013, the separation was completed, with News Corporation distributing shares of the new publishing-focused entity (retaining the News Corporation name) to existing shareholders on a one-for-four basis, while the entertainment assets rebranded as Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (commonly 21st Century Fox). Key assets transferred to 21st Century Fox included Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Sports, cable networks such as FX and National Geographic (partial stake), Star India, and international operations, excluding newspapers like The Wall Street Journal and The Times of London, which remained with the publishing company. Rupert Murdoch served as chairman and CEO of the new entity, with Chase Carey as president and COO, maintaining continuity in leadership from the prior structure. Trading of 21st Century Fox shares under the ticker FOXA (Class A) and FOX (Class B) commenced on the NASDAQ and Australian Securities Exchange on July 1, 2013, marking the operational launch of the company as a standalone entertainment conglomerate valued at approximately $50 billion in market capitalization at inception. The restructuring enabled focused capital allocation toward high-growth media sectors, unencumbered by print liabilities, though it faced scrutiny over governance amid ongoing investigations into News Corporation's ethical practices.

Growth Phase (2013-2017)

Following the 2013 spin-off from News Corporation, Twenty-First Century Fox experienced initial revenue expansion, rising 15% to $31.867 billion in fiscal year 2014 from $27.675 billion in 2013, primarily driven by higher affiliate fees in cable networks and strong filmed entertainment performance. This growth reflected the company's focus on core entertainment assets, including cable channels like FOX News and FX, alongside international operations such as Star India, which bolstered advertising and subscription revenues in emerging markets. Strategic maneuvers underscored ambitions for scale. In 2014, the company pursued an $80 billion unsolicited bid for Time Warner, aiming to consolidate content production and distribution amid rising competition from streaming services, but withdrew the offer in August after Time Warner's rejection and concerns over regulatory hurdles and share dilution. Concurrently, Fox restructured its European pay-TV holdings by selling Sky Italia and a 57% stake in Sky Deutschland to form a unified Sky plc in November 2014 for approximately $9.4 billion, while retaining a 39% interest to position for future pan-European dominance. Content and partnership expansions diversified revenue streams. In September 2015, Fox formed , a acquiring 73% of the Society's media assets—including channels, the magazine, and digital properties—for $725 million, enhancing nonfiction programming and reach while committing to editorial independence safeguards. India's double-digit in subscribers and , fueled by cricket rights and local content, contributed to international segment strength, with overall cable revenues supported by sports and entertainment affiliates. By late 2016, Fox advanced its European strategy with a December agreement to acquire the remaining 61% of Sky plc for £10.75 per share, valuing the deal at about $15 billion, to fully integrate pay-TV operations across the UK, Italy, and Germany amid cord-cutting pressures. Revenue fluctuated thereafter—declining 9% to $28.987 billion in 2015 and 6% to $27.326 billion in 2016 due to filmed entertainment variability and prior-year comparisons—before rebounding 4% to $28.500 billion in 2017, aided by affiliate and advertising gains. Net income attributable to stockholders varied significantly, peaking at $8.306 billion in 2015 from hits like X-Men: Days of Future Past, but stabilizing around $2.8-3 billion annually by 2017. These efforts positioned Fox for broader content leverage, though regulatory scrutiny in Europe highlighted risks in cross-border consolidation.

Late Developments and Strategic Repositioning (2017-2019)

In 2017, 21st Century Fox pursued full of plc, its European pay-TV , by seeking to the remaining 61% it did not own, valued at approximately £10.75 per share from a prior offer. The approved the transaction unconditionally on April 6, 2017, citing no significant competition concerns under EU merger rules. However, British regulators, including and the Culture , raised issues related to and standards, partly influenced by ongoing sexual harassment allegations and executive departures at Fox News Channel, which heightened scrutiny of influence. On September 12, 2017, the UK referred the bid to the () for further , delaying amid these concerns. Facing regulatory hurdles and shifting media landscapes, 21st Century Fox initiated exploratory discussions in November 2017 to divest certain entertainment assets, including its film studios and in Sky, as part of a broader to streamline operations and on core strengths. On December 14, 2017, announced an agreement to acquire 21st Century Fox's key entertainment assets—such as 20th Century Fox film and television studios, FX Networks, National Geographic partnership, and international channels—for $52.4 billion in Disney stock, contingent on spinning off the company's news, sports, and local broadcast assets into a new entity to be called Fox Corporation. Rupert Murdoch, executive co-chairman, described the deal as positioning 21st Century Fox to "unlock significant long-term value for shareholders" by separating high-margin news and information businesses from cyclical entertainment operations, allowing the Murdoch family to retain majority control of the spun-off Fox Corporation while receiving an approximately 17% in the enlarged Disney. The agreement faced competition in 2018 when Comcast Corporation launched a rival $65 billion all-cash bid on June 13 for the same 21st Century Fox assets, prompting a brief auction process and forcing Disney to amend its offer to $38 per share (totaling about $71.3 billion in value) on June 20. 21st Century Fox's board ultimately favored the revised Disney proposal, citing strategic fit and shareholder benefits, with Disney securing approval from Fox shareholders on July 27, 2018; Comcast withdrew its bid on July 19, redirecting efforts toward acquiring Sky independently. Regulatory approvals followed, including U.S. Department of Justice clearance in June 2018 (bolstered by the prior AT&T-Time Warner merger approval) and European Commission conditional approval in November 2018 requiring divestitures like Hulu stake sales. The transaction closed on March 20, 2019, dissolving 21st Century Fox as a standalone and integrating its acquired assets into Disney's to enhance libraries for streaming services like Disney+. This repositioning reflected Rupert Murdoch's long-term of concentrating on ideologically aligned and assets—projected to generate over $10 billion in for the new —while capitalizing on valuations amid cord-cutting pressures and disruption. The yielded $2.5 billion in breakup fees from regulatory concessions and positioned the Murdoch holdings for focused growth in linear television and live events, free from the capital-intensive film production .

Business Operations and Assets

Film and Animation Studios

21st Century Fox's film production was anchored by Twentieth Century Fox, a historic studio that developed, produced, and distributed blockbuster across genres including , , and drama. During the 2013–2019 period, it released major franchises such as the series, , and , leveraging extensive for global theatrical and . Specialized subsidiaries complemented studio. focused on and specialty , acquiring and distributing arthouse projects like () and (), often targeting awards-season contention. handled mid-budget adaptations and literary aimed at audiences, producing titles such as () and (). In animation, operated as the primary computer-animation division, producing family-oriented franchises including (2002–2016) and (2011–2014), with five feature films grossing over $3.7 billion worldwide by 2019. The studio, integrated into Fox's operations since its 1997 majority acquisition via visual effects subsidiary VIFX, emphasized proprietary rendering technology for photorealistic effects and . Additionally, 20th Century Fox Animation oversaw in-house animated projects, including distribution deals with external partners like from 2012 onward. These units collectively generated significant through theatrical releases, merchandising, and licensing, forming a cornerstone of Fox's entertainment portfolio until the 2019 Disney acquisition.

Television Production and Broadcasting

21st Century Fox's television broadcasting operations were anchored by the , a national over-the-air network that distributed primetime programming, sports, and to affiliates across the . Following the corporate restructuring, operated as a asset within 21st Century Fox's portfolio, generating significant through and affiliation fees. In fiscal year , broadcast contributed substantially to the company's earnings, with projections estimating it would account for 26% of the restructured entity's profits by 2020. To enhance coordination between content creation and distribution, 21st Century Fox reorganized its leadership in July , appointing 20th Century Fox Television co-chairmen and Gary Newman to oversee alongside their production duties. This move integrated studio development with network scheduling, fostering shows like long-running series that originated from in-house production. The structure supported a pipeline of original scripted content, with the network relying on studio output for competitive primetime slots amid declining linear viewership trends. Television production under 21st Century Fox was led by 20th Century Fox Television, a prolific studio responsible for developing and producing hundreds of hours of series content annually for domestic and international markets. The division focused on high-profile scripted dramas and comedies, licensing output to Fox Broadcasting and external platforms, which drove revenue growth through syndication and streaming deals. In response to global demand, 21st Century Fox expanded its production footprint in 2014 by forming a joint venture combining its Shine Group with Endemol and Core Media, creating one of the world's largest unscripted television producers to bolster factual and reality formats. By the late 2010s, Fox Television's operations included elevated SVOD licensing, particularly for animated properties, contributing to quarterly revenue increases in the television segment. However, impending divestitures loomed; following the December 2017 Disney acquisition announcement, production strategies shifted, with Fox anticipating reliance on third-party suppliers post-sale of the studio assets, as it would retain but lose in-house production control. This transition highlighted vulnerabilities in a studio-dependent model, prompting executives to explore deals to sustain programming supply.

Cable, Satellite, and International Networks

21st Century Fox's networks in the United States formed a component of its , encompassing , , and programming distributed via multichannel video programming distributors. outlets included , a targeting demographics with original scripted series and acquired , alongside FXX, which emphasized and younger-skewing . Factual and exploration programming was provided through National Geographic Channel and its companion Nat Geo Wild, operated as a joint venture with the National Geographic Society. and business coverage came via and Fox Business Network, while sports interests featured Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and Fox Sports 2 (FS2), which aggregated live events, analysis, and studio shows. Internationally, 21st Century Fox expanded through satellite and pay-TV platforms, holding full ownership of and as leading subscription services delivering movies, sports, and premium content to millions of households. The company maintained a 39.1% in BSkyB (later Sky plc), the dominant satellite broadcaster in the UK and , and a stake in Tata Sky, India's direct-to-home satellite provider serving pay-TV subscribers. In Asia, Star India, a wholly owned subsidiary based in Mumbai, operated over 70 channels spanning general entertainment, sports, and regional languages, commanding significant viewership and advertising revenue through exclusive broadcasting rights to events like the Indian Premier League cricket series. The broader Fox International Channels portfolio extended branded networks—such as localized versions of Fox, FX, and National Geographic—across more than 160 countries, adapting content for regional audiences via cable, satellite, and IP delivery. Additionally, the Star TV platform provided pan-Asian satellite programming focused on premium entertainment and sports.

Digital and Other Ventures

21st Century Fox held a significant stake in Hulu, a joint venture streaming service launched in 2007, where it owned approximately 30% as one of the founding partners alongside NBCUniversal and others, contributing content from its networks to the platform's library. This investment positioned Fox as a key player in over-the-top video distribution, with Hulu reaching over 20 million subscribers by 2017, bolstered by Fox's programming including shows from FX and Fox Broadcasting. The company developed FoxNow, an authenticated streaming app introduced in 2013 and expanded by 2017 to deliver live and on-demand content from Fox, FX, and National Geographic channels to cable and satellite subscribers via devices like Roku, iOS, and Android. FoxNow facilitated TV Everywhere access, allowing users to stream episodes such as those from Empire and Legion shortly after broadcast, aiming to retain viewers amid cord-cutting trends. Complementing this, Fox Sports Go provided live streaming of sports events from Fox Sports networks, targeting mobile and connected TV audiences with authenticated access tied to pay-TV credentials. In digital advertising, 21st Century Fox acquired true[X] Media in December 2014 for about $200 million, a platform specializing in ads that replaced traditional banners with engaging formats to boost viewer and completion rates. This purchase enhanced Fox's proprietary ad through the Fox Audience Network, which offered a for programmatic buying and selling of digital inventory across its properties. Additionally, Fox pursued investments in emerging digital firms, including stakes in over 20 startups via its venture arm, such as a minority investment in live-streaming platform Caffeine in September 2018, to diversify beyond linear TV into interactive and social video technologies.

Financial Performance

Revenue Sources and Key Metrics

21st Century Fox's streams were diversified across its segments, with affiliate fees from multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) forming the largest component, followed by and licensing or . Affiliate fees, paid for of and s, accounted for a significant portion of Cable Network Programming and Television segment , totaling $13.569 billion in 2018 (ended , 2018). , derived from both networks like and , as well as the and owned stations, contributed $7.772 billion in the same period, bolstered by high-demand events such as sports programming and political cycles. The Filmed Entertainment , encompassing Twentieth Century and television , generated revenues through theatrical releases, (DVD/Blu-ray and ), , and licensing, reaching $8.479 billion in for fiscal 2018. Other sources included operations, such as from Sky's broadcast services, though these were reported separately and to acquisition bids during the company's . Overall, these reflected a reliance on traditional MVPD , with growing from trends impacting linear . Key financial metrics demonstrated steady post-2013 restructuring. Total annual revenues increased from $28.500 billion in fiscal 2017 to $30.400 billion in fiscal 2018, a 7% year-over-year driven by affiliate escalations and in and . Operating income for the company hovered around $6.307 billion in fiscal 2018, up from earlier years like $5.375 billion in 2013, amid volatile filmed entertainment results tied to such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Deadpool 2. Segment margins varied, with Cable Network Programming exhibiting higher profitability due to stable affiliate revenues, while Filmed Entertainment faced cyclical risks from production costs exceeding $10 billion annually. By 2019, ahead of the Disney acquisition, revenues were projected to sustain growth through digital licensing expansions, though exact figures were influenced by divestitures like the Sky stake sale.

Major Transactions and Valuations

In 2014, 21st Century Fox offered to acquire Time Warner in an unsolicited bid valued at approximately $80 billion, proposing $85 per share in and for Time Warner's outstanding shares. The offer represented a 17% over Time Warner's closing to the announcement, aiming to create a combined with in film, television, and cable assets. Time Warner's board rejected the proposal on July 16, 2014, arguing it undervalued the company and lacked strategic fit, prompting Fox to withdraw the bid on August 5, 2014, after antitrust concerns and Time Warner's resistance made approval unlikely. On September 9, , 21st Century Fox formed , a for-profit , by acquiring the Society's assets—including its , , and —for $725 million, securing a 73% controlling stake while the Society retained 27%. This transaction integrated 's nonfiction content into Fox's , leveraging synergies with Fox's like (in which Fox already held a majority interest). The deal valued the operations at the purchase price, reflecting Fox's strategy to bolster premium factual programming amid cord-cutting pressures. In December 2016, 21st Century Fox agreed to purchase the 61% of Sky plc it did not already own for £10.75 per share, valuing the transaction at approximately £18.5 billion ($23 billion). The bid, which faced regulatory scrutiny over media plurality in the UK, escalated amid competition from Comcast; Fox raised its offer to £15.67 per share by mid-2018, implying a total equity value for Sky exceeding £30 billion including Fox's existing 39% stake. Ultimately, after losing a blind auction on September 22, 2018, Fox sold its entire Sky holding to Comcast for £12 billion in cash, realizing a gain on its prior investment while forgoing full control of the European pay-TV operator. These transactions underscored 21st Century Fox's aggressive expansion efforts, with deal values reflecting market perceptions of its entertainment assets' worth amid industry consolidation. The failed Time Warner bid, for instance, implied a combined post-merger valuation north of $100 billion before synergies, though regulatory hurdles limited feasibility. Similarly, the Sky pursuit highlighted Fox's international ambitions, with iterative bids signaling rising asset premiums in pay-TV; Fox's pre-deal market capitalization hovered around $40-50 billion in 2016-2017, based on FOXA share prices trading in the $25-35 range against roughly 2 billion shares .

Acquisition by Disney

Announcement and Deal Structure

The Walt Disney Company announced on December 14, 2017, an agreement to acquire significant entertainment assets from Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (21CF) in an all-stock transaction valued at $52.4 billion in equity, representing an enterprise value of approximately $66 billion including net debt. The deal focused on 21CF's film and television production entities, such as Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Fox Television Group (excluding the Fox broadcast network), cable networks including FX Productions and a 60% stake in National Geographic Partners, international channels, and a 30% ownership interest in Hulu, while 21CF planned to spin off non-entertainment assets like the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports, and local television stations into a separate entity to be known as the "New Fox." Under the , Disney shareholders would own about 73% of the combined , with 21CF shareholders receiving 0.4434 Disney shares per 21CF share, to customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals. The aimed to Disney's for its upcoming streaming and enhance its , with stating it would create "more choice for consumers and more stories for storytellers." Facing competitive bidding from Comcast Corporation, which offered $65 billion in cash in May 2018, Disney amended the agreement on June 20, 2018, raising the equity value to $71.3 billion through a mix of $35.7 billion in cash—financed via new debt and cash reserves—and the issuance of approximately 343 million Disney shares, allowing 21CF shareholders to elect all-cash, all-stock, or a proration mix at $38.00 per share. This revised structure implied a total transaction value of around $85 billion when accounting for assumed debt, and it included a $2.5 billion termination fee payable by 21CF if it pursued an alternative deal. The amendment maintained the asset scope from the original announcement, with the spin-off of non-acquired businesses proceeding ahead of closing to address antitrust concerns.

Competitive Bidding and Negotiations

In May 2018, following the U.S. Department of Justice's approval of AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner on June 12, 2017—which alleviated concerns over horizontal media mergers—Comcast began exploring a bid to acquire the same 21st Century Fox assets targeted by Disney, including its film and television studios, cable networks, and international operations. Reports indicated Comcast had informally approached Fox earlier but formalized interest after the regulatory landscape shifted, aiming to challenge Disney's all-stock offer with a cash alternative. On June 13, 2018, Comcast submitted a superior all-cash proposal valued at approximately $65 billion, or $35 per share for the Fox shares involved, representing a 19% premium over Disney's prevailing offer and including no financing contingencies alongside a readiness to pay Fox's $2.5 billion termination fee to Disney. This unsolicited bid prompted Fox's board to terminate the original Disney agreement on June 19, 2018, citing fiduciary duties to evaluate higher-value proposals, though it emphasized Disney's strategic merits in content synergies. Disney responded swiftly on June 20, 2018, by amending its offer to $71.3 billion, or $38 per share in a of and , surpassing Comcast's valuation by about 10% and providing Fox shareholders the option to or Disney in the combined . Negotiations intensified amid the , with Fox's directors weighing Comcast's certain payout against Disney's potential tied to synergies in streaming (e.g., ESPN and Hulu ) and ; reportedly favored Disney for preserving family-oriented assets over Comcast's cable-heavy focus. Comcast withdrew its bid on July 19, 2018, after assessing that outbidding Disney further would invite protracted antitrust —particularly vertical risks between and Fox's and regional —while Disney's faced primarily horizontal merger reviews already in . Fox shareholders subsequently approved the amended Disney on July 27, 2018, solidifying the negotiations' outcome without further , as the higher bid and regulatory deterred additional competitors.

Regulatory Process and Outcomes

The regulatory review of The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of select assets from Twenty-First Century Fox began following the initial agreement announcement on December 14, 2017, and the amended deal on June 20, 2018, valued at $71.3 billion. In the United States, the of (DOJ) conducted an antitrust investigation focusing on potential competitive harms in programming distribution. On June 27, 2018, the DOJ approved the transaction subject to Disney divesting Fox's 22 regional networks (RSNs) to an independent buyer acceptable to the DOJ, within 90 days of closing, to preserve competition in licensing content to multichannel video programming distributors. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) did not require a formal review, as the transaction involved no transfers of broadcast licenses that would trigger its jurisdiction. In the European Union, the examined overlaps in , pay-TV, and video-on-demand services. On , 2018, it conditionally approved the , requiring to divest its 50% stakes in European factual channels operated through joint ventures with Fox, including , Lifetime, and , to address reduced competition in those markets. Approvals from other jurisdictions followed, such as China's on June 22, 2018, and Brazil's on February 27, 2019, after committed to selling Fox Sports assets there. These divestitures and approvals facilitated the transaction's completion on March 20, 2019, without major litigation or blocks, though the RSN sales to Sinclair Broadcast Group faced subsequent DOJ scrutiny in 2019, leading to modifications. The process highlighted regulators' emphasis on remedying localized market concentrations rather than broader horizontal overlaps in entertainment content.

Controversies and Criticisms

Internal Governance and Scandals

21st Century Fox's featured a dual-class share structure that concentrated voting power in the hands of the , with Class B supervoting shares enabling and his heirs to exert outsized despite owning a minority of equity. This arrangement, inherited from News Corporation's pre-2013 split, positioned as executive co-chairman from the company's formation in 2013 until the 2019 Disney acquisition, often alongside , fostering family-centric that drew for entrenching and limiting oversight. Institutional investors, including pension funds, repeatedly urged reforms such as independent board majorities and enhanced harassment reporting mechanisms, citing ethical lapses in handling claims. The company's internal scandals centered on widespread sexual harassment allegations at Fox News, its flagship cable network. On July 6, 2016, former anchor Gretchen Carlson sued Fox News CEO Roger Ailes for retaliation after rejecting his sexual advances, prompting an internal investigation by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison that substantiated claims from multiple employees. Ailes resigned as chairman and CEO of Fox News on July 21, 2016, receiving a $40 million severance package amid accusations from over 20 women of serial harassment spanning decades. In response, 21st Century Fox created the Workplace Professionalism and Inclusion Council (WPIC) in 2017, an independent body to oversee anti-harassment policies, conduct audits, and recommend board changes, following shareholder litigation that highlighted board failures in risk oversight. Additional fallout included the 2017 dismissal of host O'Reilly after revelations of a $32 million settlement in 2017 with a former colleague alleging and other claims; the company had paid approximately $13 million to six women accusing O'Reilly by that point. Overall, 21st Century Fox disclosed expenditures exceeding $90 million in 2017 settlements tied to Fox News and discrimination allegations, including non-disclosure agreements that shielded executives from public scrutiny. Rupert Murdoch, in December 2017 testimony, characterized many accusations as "largely political and false," attributing them to partisan motivations rather than systemic failures, though subsequent payouts and advertiser boycotts underscored operational vulnerabilities. These events prompted fiscal 2018 amendments to the corporate governance statement, affirming commitments to zero-tolerance policies, though critics argued the family-dominated board diluted accountability.

Market Power and Antitrust Debates

21st Century Fox held significant market positions across multiple media sectors prior to its partial acquisition by Disney in 2019. In film production and , its Fox studio consistently ranked among the players, contributing approximately 10-15% of annual domestic box office revenue in peak years like , driven by franchises such as and . In television, Fox operated the , reaching nearly 95% of U.S. households through owned-and-operated stations and affiliates, while its —including FX (a performer) and (commanding over 40% of primetime viewership in )—underscored from to . This structure enabled Fox to leverage synergies in programming and advertising, with assets alone generating billions in affiliate fees annually. Antitrust debates intensified around Fox's proposed mergers, highlighting concerns over reduced in content markets. In July 2014, 21st Century Fox offered $80-85 billion to acquire Time Warner, aiming to combine Fox's broadcast stations (reaching about 40% of U.S. TV households when paired with Time Warner's assets) and cable networks with Time Warner's HBO, Turner channels, and Warner Bros. studio. Regulators and analysts warned that the deal would concentrate over pay-TV subscribers (potentially 25-30% ) and , exacerbating vertical foreclosure risks where the merged could withhold programming from , though proponents argued efficiencies against rising threats. Time Warner rejected the unsolicited bid, citing undervaluation, prompting Fox to withdraw in August 2014 and redirect $6 billion toward buybacks. Fox Channel's dominance in conservative-leaning fueled separate discussions on , though formal antitrust actions were pre-2019. Averaging 2-3 million primetime viewers—far exceeding and combined—it secured lucrative deals, with affiliate revenues exceeding [$1](/page/1) billion annually by 2015. Critics, including groups, alleged anticompetitive bundling practices that pressured distributors to carry alongside must-have channels, potentially inflating costs without corresponding viewpoint . However, U.S. antitrust enforcers historically viewed markets as differentiated by , prioritizing over , which deferred broader scrutiny until post-merger challenges against successor . These debates reflected broader consolidation trends, where Fox's assets amplified merger risks without standalone divestiture pressures. Empirical analyses post-2014 indicated no immediate consumer harm from Fox's positions alone, as streaming entrants eroded traditional shares, yet vertical integration persisted as a flashpoint for potential exclusionary conduct. Regulatory approvals of prior Fox deals, like station ownership expansions, hinged on public interest findings under FCC rules, balancing against localism.

Content Influence and Bias Allegations

, a of 21st Century Fox from its launch until the acquisition, to repeated allegations of conservative ideological in coverage and commentary. Critics, including watchdogs and academics, have claimed that systematically favored , with empirical analyses indicating that its slanted on issues like elections, , and to align with right-leaning narratives. For instance, a 2007 study by economists Stefano DellaVigna and Ethan Kaplan found that the introduction of in cable markets increased the vote share by 0.4 to 0.7 percentage points in the elections, attributing this to the persuasive effect of biased on marginal voters. Further research has quantified Fox News' causal influence on , demonstrating shifts in viewer attitudes toward upon sustained exposure. A analyzing from to concluded that consumption causally boosted Republican identification, conservative policy preferences, and voting for GOP candidates, with effects persisting over time and strongest among less-informed viewers. Experimental evidence supports this: a in 2020–2021 showed that viewers randomly assigned to switch from to CNN for one month exhibited significant leftward shifts in opinions on immigration, trade, and COVID-19 policies, implying Fox's default content exerts a comparable rightward pull. These findings counter claims of neutrality, as neutral information sources typically produce smaller or symmetric effects across ideologies, though left-leaning critics often amplify allegations of "propaganda" without equivalent scrutiny of mainstream outlets' opposing slants. Rupert Murdoch, as chairman of 21st Century Fox, exerted significant editorial influence, with detractors alleging he directed content to advance conservative political agendas, including support for movement during the Obama administration. Viewership data underscores the network's reach: by 2016, averaged over 2 million primetime viewers nightly, dwarfing competitors and correlating with heightened among conservative audiences. Allegations peaked around election coverage, where studies noted disproportionate airtime for figures and skeptical framing of Democratic policies, though maintained its "fair and balanced" slogan as a against claims. Empirical models estimate 's contributed to up to 0.5 standard deviations in ideological between viewers and non-viewers by the 2010s. While many bias accusations originate from left-leaning academic and media sources—potentially reflecting their own institutional skews toward progressive viewpoints—cross-ideological trust surveys reveal stark divides: 56% of Republicans trusted as of 2025, versus near-universal distrust among Democrats. This suggests Fox's reinforced in-group views more than it converted neutrals, amplifying within conservative echo chambers rather than broadly swaying the electorate. No equivalent large-scale empirical studies have shown comparable rightward in 21st Century Fox's entertainment divisions, such as Fox Broadcasting, where allegations focused more on cultural conservatism in programming choices.

Legacy and Impact

Innovations and Achievements in Media

21st Century Fox's subsidiaries pioneered the fourth major broadcast network in the United States through , launched on October 9, 1986, which disrupted the dominance of , , and by adopting an affiliate-based model that prioritized stations and targeted younger demographics with edgier programming. This approach enabled Fox to capture significant , becoming the highest-rated in the 18–49 group by the 2000s and introducing innovative like adult-oriented animation with The Simpsons, which premiered on December 17, 1989, and holds the record as the longest-running scripted primetime TV series. The 's success in reality television, exemplified by American Idol debuting in 2002, further expanded audience engagement through interactive voting formats that influenced industry-wide adoption of participatory media. In cable news, Fox News Channel, established on October 7, 1996, under the Murdoch umbrella and continued by 21st Century Fox, transformed the landscape by emphasizing opinion journalism and conservative viewpoints, achieving consistent primetime leadership with viewership often exceeding rivals by multiples—such as 2.5 million viewers in Q3 2025 compared to under 1 million for MSNBC and CNN combined. This dominance, capturing over 50% of cable news share in total day averages, stemmed from its 24-hour format and real-time coverage, which pressured competitors to adopt similar polarized structures, though critics attribute its rise to filling a perceived gap in viewpoint diversity amid left-leaning biases in outlets like CNN. By 2019, Fox News had generated billions in revenue for 21st Century Fox, underscoring its commercial viability and role in elevating cable news profitability. Technological advancements in film production were advanced through 20th Century Fox's output, notably Avatar (2009), which utilized pioneering motion-capture and stereoscopic techniques developed by director , grossing $2.78 billion worldwide and revitalizing adoption across . The Fox , 21st Century Fox's R&D established around in , focused on immersive technologies including prototyping and AI-driven tools like the Merlin Video neural for assessing promotional , influencing efficiencies. These efforts extended to , where collaborations enhanced broadcasting via Fox , incorporating advanced analytics and multi-angle replays that set standards for live event coverage. Overall, such innovations contributed to 21st Century Fox's pre-acquisition valuation exceeding $70 billion, reflecting tangible industry impacts despite varying source perspectives on their cultural effects.

Industry Consolidation Effects

The acquisition of 21st Century Fox by , completed on , , for $71.3 billion, exemplified broader trends in by merging significant , , and streaming assets, thereby enhancing Disney's across , , and platforms. This contributed to a wave of mergers in the late , including AT&T-Time Warner, which reduced the number of and centralized over and channels. Post-merger, Disney gained control of 20th Century Fox studios, FX Networks, and a 60% stake in Hulu, enabling synergies that bolstered its competitive position in the streaming market amid the shift from linear . Economically, the facilitated efficiencies through , allowing to amortize production expenses across larger audiences and integrate Fox's backlog into , which launched in and rapidly amassed subscribers by leveraging acquired libraries like and . However, it also amplified 's in segments, such as film exhibition and sports broadcasting, raising concerns over diminished competition; for instance, the merger positioned to a substantial portion of marquee franchises, potentially pressuring smaller studios to consolidate or exit markets due to reduced bargaining power in licensing and distribution. Critics, including the , argued that such integrations erode content diversity and consumer choice, as concentrated ownership could lead to homogenized programming slates favoring blockbuster over niche productions, while increasing leverage in negotiations with theaters and affiliates. Empirical outcomes post-2019 show mixed results: Disney's enhanced portfolio supported revenue growth to over $88 billion by fiscal 2023, but industry-wide streaming price hikes—Disney+ rising from $6.99 to $13.99 monthly by 2023—coincided with consolidation, though causal attribution remains debated amid broader market dynamics like cord-cutting. Regulatory divestitures, such as Fox's regional sports networks to Sinclair Broadcasting, mitigated some antitrust risks but did not fully offset the trend toward oligopolistic structures in entertainment. Overall, the deal accelerated a shift toward platform dominance, enabling scale advantages for survivors while challenging independent creators and distributors with heightened entry barriers.

Post-Sale Asset Integration and Long-Term Influence

Following the closure of the acquisition on , , initiated a multi-year of 's assets, focusing on operational streamlining, , and to align with Disney's ecosystem. Key studios such as were rebranded to in January , dropping the "Fox" name to emphasize within Disney's while retaining . Similarly, became in , reflecting a broader effort to phase out Fox-specific identifiers amid cultural and operational assimilation. This process involved significant workforce reductions, with projections estimating over 3,000 layoffs across overlapping functions in film, , and distribution to achieve cost synergies estimated at $5.5 billion annually. Content integration prioritized bolstering 's direct-to-consumer platforms, particularly , which launched in November 2019 and immediately incorporated Fox libraries including , , and Marvel-adjacent properties like the franchise, enabling cross-IP storytelling opportunities previously constrained by rights fragmentation. assumed full control of through the acquisition of Fox's 30% stake, increasing its ownership to 60% and facilitating unified streaming strategies that diversified beyond family-oriented fare. Operational synergies materialized in expanded international distribution via assets like and plc in , with realizing revenue growth exceeding 65% in operating income post-acquisition, partly attributed to integrated content pipelines and reduced licensing dependencies. By 2025, announced it would vacate the historic Fox Studio Lot in , signaling the culmination of physical asset consolidation into centralized facilities like Burbank. The long-term influence of the acquisition has manifested in Disney's fortified position in the streaming wars, where Fox's mature IP catalog contributed to subscriber retention and content differentiation amid competition from Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery. This integration reduced the number of major Hollywood studios from six to five, enhancing Disney's vertical control over production, distribution, and exhibition, though it drew scrutiny for concentrating market power in an era of declining theatrical revenues accelerated by the 2020 pandemic. Synergies in IP unification—such as incorporating Deadpool and Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe—have yielded box office and merchandising returns, with films under 20th Century Studios generating diverse output including 43 features from 2020 to 2023, blending legacy franchises with original properties. However, realization of full financial returns remains debated, as initial debt assumptions of $19.2 billion and integration costs tempered short-term profitability, with long-term value hinging on sustained streaming monetization projected to exceed acquisition costs by 2040 through licensing and global expansion. Overall, the merger accelerated industry consolidation, prioritizing scale over diversity and positioning Disney as a content behemoth capable of absorbing shocks like cord-cutting and economic downturns.

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