Before getting into the heart of my post, I want to make a few things clear. The first is that I'm not one of the people who thinks Disney or any other company should own or control all mass media. The second is that I recognize that there are many intellectual properties that Disney owns and does little to nothing with. Now, with that out of the way, I can get on to the heart of my post.
The time we live in has become an age of mass media consolidation. In order to survive, mass media companies have to acquire new content and new means of distribution and this means they have to make mergers and acquisitions or allow themselves to be acquired by another company which will help them better compete. This is also an age when broadcast television is dying and cable is seriously ailing. In the past when Disney was severely ailing, Disney made important acquisitions and these acquisitions transformed not only Disney, but also all of mass media.
Now is the time for Disney to make another acquisition. Yes, in 2014, they bought Maker Studios and they just finished buying controlling interest in BAM Tech. However, now that they for the time being have resolved their distribution problem, they have a need for new content which only an acquisition will adequately satisfy. Their biggest competition in animation, DreamWorks Animation, was recently bought by Comcast which owns NBC-Universal and starting next year Comcast will gain the distribution rights to DWA works from FOX. This means their biggest competition has just upped its game. In addition to this, AT&T is close to getting approval for its acquisition of Time Warner, another major competitor. Lastly, with its acquisition of controlling interest in BAM Tech, Disney announced that it would create its own distribution network to distribute its movies and shows instead of continuing their contract with Netflix. Disney will also need more new content for its new network.
Some potential acquisitions that to me make sense are Sony Entertainment, The Jim Henson Company, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, Studio Ghibli, Archie Comics, DHX Media, and Rovio Entertainment in the near term. Netflix or at least Millarworld, Hasbro or Mattel, and what formerly was Classic Media make sense to me in the longer term.
What's your opinion? Do you agree Disney needs to make another acquisition soon? Why or why not? If you do, what companies or franchises do you believe Disney should acquire and why?
The time we live in has become an age of mass media consolidation. In order to survive, mass media companies have to acquire new content and new means of distribution and this means they have to make mergers and acquisitions or allow themselves to be acquired by another company which will help them better compete. This is also an age when broadcast television is dying and cable is seriously ailing. In the past when Disney was severely ailing, Disney made important acquisitions and these acquisitions transformed not only Disney, but also all of mass media.
Now is the time for Disney to make another acquisition. Yes, in 2014, they bought Maker Studios and they just finished buying controlling interest in BAM Tech. However, now that they for the time being have resolved their distribution problem, they have a need for new content which only an acquisition will adequately satisfy. Their biggest competition in animation, DreamWorks Animation, was recently bought by Comcast which owns NBC-Universal and starting next year Comcast will gain the distribution rights to DWA works from FOX. This means their biggest competition has just upped its game. In addition to this, AT&T is close to getting approval for its acquisition of Time Warner, another major competitor. Lastly, with its acquisition of controlling interest in BAM Tech, Disney announced that it would create its own distribution network to distribute its movies and shows instead of continuing their contract with Netflix. Disney will also need more new content for its new network.
Some potential acquisitions that to me make sense are Sony Entertainment, The Jim Henson Company, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, Studio Ghibli, Archie Comics, DHX Media, and Rovio Entertainment in the near term. Netflix or at least Millarworld, Hasbro or Mattel, and what formerly was Classic Media make sense to me in the longer term.
What's your opinion? Do you agree Disney needs to make another acquisition soon? Why or why not? If you do, what companies or franchises do you believe Disney should acquire and why?
