It's official. Disney will buy Fox properties for $52 billion in stock. Rich Greenfield, Media & Tech Analyst at BTIG, joins Cheddar soon after the announcement to break down why he thinks this deal cements Disney in the past, rather than projecting it into the future.
Greenfield says if Disney bought Snap, Twitter, Activison, or Spotify it would have been more exciting than this Fox deal. Its mobile strategy is lacking, so although it will have tons of content, it still doesn't have that mobile presence and is taking on a lot of risk by buying Fox. Who are the biggest losers in this deal? Greenfield believes it's the consumer.
As far as how this deal impacts streaming networks: Greenfield thinks this will actually help Netflix in the short-term. Hulu, though, will still be a mess ownership-wise, as no one was able to give a clear answer as to who's in charge of the streaming network.
This deal is not a slam dunk and will have to jump through many regulatory hurdles before it's closed in the projected 12-18 months. Fox shareholders will hold a 25% stake in Disney, and the deal is expected to save $2 billion in costs. Disney CEO Bob Iger will stay at the company through 2021.
Starbucks’ decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom use policies that varies by state and city. Starbucks announced last week a new code of conduct that says people need to make a purchase if they want to hang out or use the restroom. The coffee chain's policy change for bathroom privileges has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to go and when. The American Restroom Association, a public toilet advocacy group, was among the critics. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. The National Retail Federation says private businesses have a right to limit restroom use.
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
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