Title: Disney to Buy Marvel in 4 Billion Dollar Deal
Jessiestudio - August 31, 2009 03:08 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
Disney to buy Marvel in $4bn deal
Marvel comic character Spider-Man
Disney is acquiring a batch of new characters
Entertainment giant Walt Disney is to buy Marvel Entertainment in a shares and cash deal valued at $4bn (£2.5bn).
The deal means Disney will take over ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters, such as Spider-Man and the X-Men.
Marvel shareholders will get $30 per share in cash plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share owned.
The boards of Disney and Marvel have both approved the deal, which now needs the backing of Marvel shareholders and competition authorities.
Marvel shares were ahead $10.17, or 26%, to $48.82 shortly after the market opened. Disney shares fell 47 cents, or 1.8%, to $26.37.
'Great assets'
"We believe that adding Marvel to Disney's unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation," Disney president and chief executive Robert Iger said.
"We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney."
Other Marvel's characters include Captain America, the Fantastic Four and Thor.
"Disney is the perfect home for Marvel's fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses," said Marvel chief executive Ike Perlmutter.
"This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world," he added.
'Good deal'
Arvind Bhatia, an analyst at Sterne, Agee and Leach, said that the deal appeared to be a "win-win situation for both companies".
"They [Marvel shareholders] are getting a good deal in my opinion. The CEO of the company, Isaac Perlmutter, is also the largest shareholder of the company.
"From that standpoint, we think the chances of this deal going through are pretty high."
Last month, Walt Disney reported a fall in profits of more than a quarter as the downturn hit revenue at its film and theme park divisions.
Net profit between April and June came in at $954m (£579m), down 26% on the $1.28bn the entertainment giant made in the same period last year.
Revenues of $8.6bn were down 7% from the $9.2bn recorded a year before. |
What Do You guys think? I'm Excited to see what happens with this since so many Marvel Characters are leased out for appearances in Universal Studios and Such. Also does this mean that Disney will start producing the Marvel Series instead? Looks Like only time will tell what do you guys think? :D
Coolimagineer - August 31, 2009 04:16 PM (GMT)
So this is exciting news, but it makes me think...where is Disney going to put all of these characters and themes when it comes to the park? I have a difficult time imagining an Iron Man attraction in DHS or anywhere else for that matter. Additionally, it almost seems to be breaking the theme of the parks being a place where you can escape to a land strictly Disney. I feel like it's almost a sellout move. Think about it, if Disney had boughten...say Harry Potter...could you picture Hogwartz in the back of Fantasyland?
Just my thoughts...
josie.k - August 31, 2009 04:27 PM (GMT)
I was just reading about this. Makes me think too. All I do know is somebody is making a boat load of money and it's not gonna be me. :blink:
MadAboutMickey - August 31, 2009 06:26 PM (GMT)
I did NOT see that one coming...I hope they don't invade the parks too much, other than maybe having characters in the backlot at DCA or at Hollywood Studios in WDW.
LadyDooley - September 1, 2009 03:05 PM (GMT)
:eek:
Sounds like it could be a great match.
I just don't want Disney to drop the ball on this for the ever lovin' dollar
Jessiestudio - September 1, 2009 04:51 PM (GMT)
I think that this may be a precaution for Disney I mean Universal has the Spiderman ride and if Disney owns Marvel it may damage Universal's chance of producing more rides with those charachters. Although if they do add them to the parks we may see some more action baised attractions maybe as a new land in Hollywood Studios similar to Pixar Place.
In addition Marvel was set to build its own Marvel Theme park in Dubai but Disney may not choose to continue on with the deal or they may choose to build a Disney Park there instead.
Also it maybe more for the studio's use then for the parks since Marvel Movies are generally very profitable although Sony Pictures essentailly owns all rights to any Spiderman Movie anything. I think this will be a more just wait and see thing.
New-Kid - September 1, 2009 08:16 PM (GMT)
I think that this move may actually damage Marvel's (and Disney's) business more than help. Here's why: there are tons of people who read Marvel, but passionatly hate Disney for no explainable reason. Trust me, I've met quite a few. Who's to say that knowing that Disney is the holder of rights to Marvel will cause said people to drop all the series they may have been reading?
Now don't get me wrong, I don't like Marvel in the least bit, I'd just hate to see this turn into a bad move for Disney...
SKKaty - September 2, 2009 12:08 AM (GMT)
As long as these characters stay out of the parks, I am fine with it and could care less.
I do not want to see any of these characters or themes in WDW. The only place I would find it acceptable is DHS since I really don't care for the park to begin with and rarely go. This would be the only place they would make sense to me.
I highly doubt Disney would bombard the parks with these characters however. If there is one thing Disney excels at it is theming, and I feel they would realize these themes would stick out like a sore thumb and have no place in the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, or Animal Kingdom.
Scorsese - September 2, 2009 01:43 AM (GMT)
I agree with Skate. I really am hoping Disney takes the high ground here and does not mess with the Marvel identities, mix them with Disney characters, or represent them in the parks. Marvel isn't Disney. Disney may own them now but Marvel can never be represented as something Disney, to me, because it simply isn't.
I'm starting to worry about how big Disney is getting now. Consuming all these things.. at what point should we be worried that they're going to start to lose their own identity?
josie.k - September 2, 2009 11:45 PM (GMT)
I think if they where to incorporate any Marvel themed attraction into Disney parks dont you think they would have to take them out of parks that already have them. I know Six Flags has Superman and Batman rides and I think I remember a Hulk ride some where, and doesn't Universal have a lot with Marvel characters? Who know's maybe down the road we will see Disney buying up Universal and Six FLags and making one big mastive park. Wow, that's a scary thought!!!
Jessiestudio - September 3, 2009 04:55 AM (GMT)
Iger in a recent phone conference said the purchase of Marvel was more of just an addition to the company similar to the aquisition of ABC in the 1990's. Yes having these charachters is wonderfull but the key point he repeatedly pointed out was He intends to build the things seen as Disney seperately from those seen as Marvel and both company's will continue to grow. Marvel just gains access to a bigger pocket book and Disney Shareholders gain more revenue.
It seems to me that similar to Touchstone and ABC, both subsidiaries (<sp?) of Disney, Marvel will on occasion join up with some of its Company Family members but for the most part will act on its own maybe we will see the ocasionall Marvel days or something but nothing like Pixar place or anything.
This is pretty good in my opinion. The only bad thing i see coming is that the parks might be a tad more crowded as more Cartoonists are going to get Discount Park Tickets from being part of The Walt Disney Company. :thumbsup: