What if Disney-ABC Enterprises acquired Fox Entertainment Group in 2001?

On October 24, 2001, The Walt Disney Company acquired Fox Family Worldwide for $2.9 billion cash plus $2.3 billion in debt assumption, due to Fox Family Channel's 35% audience decline, which gave Disney control of the Fox Family channel (which, owing to its new ownership, was renamed ABC Family, and its parent company renamed ABC Family Worldwide), the Saban Entertainment library, the Fox Kids brand name and its Fox Children's Productions library of shows, including its international networks in Latin America and Europe, as well as additional cable rights to Major League Baseball that were assigned to Fox Family via the Fox Sports division, which included a slate of Thursday-night regular season games, and Division Series games. ESPN assumed the production responsibilities for these games as part of its ESPN Major League Baseball package, although they continued to air on ABC Family for the time being.

The U.S. Fox Kids block broadcast by the Fox network was not included in the sale, and its operations were shifted to the Fox Television Entertainment division. As Fox no longer held the rights to the Saban programming that primarily aired during the block, and no longer had appropriate synergies due to the sale of Fox Family, the company chose to contract the block to a third-party. Following a bidding war with DIC Entertainment, Fox subsequently announced in January 2002 that it would enter into an agreement with 4Kids Entertainment to program a new children's block for the network.

On December 14, 2017, after rumors of such a sale, The Walt Disney Company announced its intent to acquire 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion after the spin-off of certain businesses, pending regulatory approval. 21st Century Fox president Peter Rice stated that he expected the sale to be completed by mid-2019.

Under the terms of the deal, 21st Century Fox will spin-off an entity that was initially being referred to as "New Fox", consisting of the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox News, Fox Business Network, and the national operations of Fox Sports (such as Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, and Big Ten Network, but excluding its regional sports networks), and Disney will acquire the remainder of 21st Century Fox. This will include key entertainment assets such as the 20th Century Fox film studio and its subsidiaries; a stake in Hulu; the U.S. pay television subsidiaries FX Networks, Fox Sports Networks and National Geographic Partners; and international operations of Fox Networks Group as well as Star India. The acquisition is primarily intended to bolster two over-the-top content endeavors—ESPN+ and Disney+. Disney will lease the 20th Century Fox backlot in Century City, Los Angeles for seven years.

The proposed transaction has raised antitrust issues, due to concerns that it could lead to a tangible loss in competition in the film and sports broadcasting industries. Several legal experts and industry analysts have expressed the opinion that the transaction is likely to receive regulatory approval, but would be scrutinized by regulators.

In February 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that Comcast, the owner of NBCUniversal, was considering a counter-offer. Despite initially bidding $60 billion earlier, Fox had rejected Comcast's offer due to the possibility of antitrust concerns. On May 5, 2018, it was reported that Comcast was preparing to make an unsolicited, all-cash counteroffer to acquire the 21st Century Fox's assets Disney has offered to purchase, contingent on the outcome of an antitrust lawsuit AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner. Comcast confirmed on May 23, 2018 that it was "considering, and is in advanced stages of preparing, an offer for the businesses that Fox has agreed to sell to Disney."

A shareholder vote on the sale was scheduled for special shareholder meetings by Fox and Disney on July 10, 2018, at the New York Hilton Midtown and New Amsterdam Theatre respectively, although Fox warned that it might "postpone or adjourn" the meeting if Comcast were to follow through with its intent to make a counter-offer. It was also reported that Disney was preparing an all-cash offer of its own to counter Comcast's bid.

On June 13, 2018, the day after AT&T was given an approval to merge with Time Warner, Comcast officially announced a $65 billion counter-offer to acquire the 21st Century Fox's assets Disney had offered to purchase. However, on June 20, 2018, Disney agreed to increase its bid to a $71.3 billion cash-and-stock offer. Fox agreed to the new offer.

The proposed purchase was given antitrust approval by the Department of Justice on June 27, 2018, under the condition that Disney divest all of Fox's regional sports networks. The networks could either be divested to third-parties, or retained by "New Fox". On July 19, 2018, Comcast announced it was dropping its bid for Fox in order to focus on its bid for Sky. On July 27, 2018, it was reported that Fox and Disney shareholders had "overwhelmingly" approved the proposed purchase. The acquisition was expected to be completed by late January 2019, after remaining regulatory approvals are granted in China and the European Union.

In October 2018, it was reported that the new, post-merger organizational structure of "New Fox" would be implemented by January 1, 2019, ahead of the closure of the Disney sale (which was still expected to occur within the early of March).

On November 6, 2018, the European Commission approved the sale, pursuant to the divestment of A&E Networks properties in Europe deemed to overlap with those of Fox. At a shareholders' meeting the following week, it was revealed that the new company would simply be known as "Fox". On November 19, 2018, the deal was approved unconditionally by Chinese regulators.

On January 7, 2019, 21st Century Fox filed the registration statement for "New Fox", under the name Fox Corporation, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In an SEC filing, Fox stated that it did not intend to bid for its former regional sports networks.

In February 2019, it was reported by Bloomberg that Disney had planned to divest the international Fox Sports operations in Brazil and Latin America to secure antitrust clearance in Brazil and Mexico, as they both compete with ESPN International properties in their respective regions. On February 27, 2019, the sale was approved by Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), with Disney having agreed to the expected divestiture of Fox Sports Latin America. CADE coordinated with regulators in Mexico and Chile in evaluating the transaction. Mexico approved the sale on March 12, 2019, with similar concessions. Clearance in Brazil and Mexico was reported to be the last major hurdles for the sale.

On March 12, 2019, Disney officially announced that the sale would be completed on March 20, 2019. On March 19, 2019, the spin-off of Fox Corporation from 21st Century Fox was completed in preparation for final consummation of the sale. A day later, the sale was completed.

But in our alternate history, we imagine if Disney–ABC Enterprises acquired Fox Entertainment Group in 2001?

This theory is interconnected to What if DreamWorks Pictures was founded in 1980 as The Geffen Film Company?

List of Changes

 * The acquisition completed in October 24, 2001.
 * Fox Entertainment Group will be folded into Disney–ABC Enterprises.
 * Fox Studio Lot. would move to Disney–ABC Studios.
 * The deal would not include the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Television Stations, Fox News Group, and Fox Sports, which would be sold to Sony Pictures.
 * 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will became part of Disney–ABC Home Entertainment Group, while it's home video distribution unit will be folded into Disney–ABC Home Entertainment Group.
 * Fox Family Worldwide, Inc. would be folded into FX Networks, thus FOX Family would change it's name to FX Family.
 * Fox Networks Group would be folded into ABC Enternainment Group.
 * Fox International Channels would be folded into ABC Cable Networks Group.
 * Freeform will be formed as a premium channel.


 * Saban Entertainment, Inc. (including The Power Rangers franchise and other PR-related shows: VR Troopers, Masked Rider, Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, Big Bad Beetleborgs, and Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog) would be sold to Mirage Studios (2001), Artisan Entertainment (2001-2004), Lionsgate (2004-2006), and Paramount Global "formerly ViacomCBS" (2006-present), thus BVS Entertainment, Inc. would be founded as split from Saban to focus on specialization in the dubbing and distribution of East Asian media, with a long history of working with Japanese anime.
 * The Tick (1994-1996) would be sold the primary distribution rights to Sony Pictures Entertainment under Columbia Tristar Television division (now known as Sony Pictures Television, Inc.), and home video rights to Sony Wonder (until it became a kids and family entertainment label of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in 2007).
 * Disney–ABC Enterprises would own the rights to most of pre-2001 Saban Entertainment Library, while Mirage Studios (2001), Artisan Entertainment (2001-2004), Lionsgate (2004-2006), and Paramount Global "formerly ViacomCBS" (2006-present) would own the rights to some of pre-2001 Saban Entertainment Library.
 * Digimon would still be owned by Disney–ABC Enterprises.
 * Digimon Tamers will be the last Digimon show to be dubbed by Saban before BVS starts to dub Digimon in North America and Saban continues to dub Digimon in international countries outside North America.
 * Digimon Frontier will be the first Digimon show to be dubbed by BVS in North America and Saban in international countries outside North America.
 * Sensation Animation would still be active.
 * Marvel Enterprises (later Marvel Entertainment) will be a part of Disney–ABC Enterprises.
 * Marvel Studios will also be a part of Disney–ABC Motion Pictures Group.
 * Spider-Man 4 would never be cancelled.
 * Fantastic Four (2015) will be intergraded to Marvel Cinematic Universe.
 * Disney–ABC Enterprises would acquire Hanna Barbera's Fantastic Four and X-Men Evolution from Warner Bros. (X-Men Evolution would still be aired on Kids' WB until Season 2 Finale on May 11, 2002, the show was moved to ABC Kids for Season 3 and Seasons 1-2 Re-Runs, the show would also be aired on FX Family.)
 * New World Communications would be revived.
 * Disney–ABC Enterprises would buy Concorde-New Horizons and merged it into New World Pictures.
 * Lucasfilm Ltd. will became a part of Disney–ABC Motion Pictures Group through Disney–ABC Enterprises.
 * Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith would be the last two Star Wars films to be distributed by 20th Century Fox.
 * Disney–ABC Enterprises would acquire the worldwide distribution and marketing rights to future Indiana Jones films, with Paramount retaining the US theatrical distribution rights to the first three films and future films and receiving "financial participation" from any additional films.
 * Disney–ABC Enterprises would acquire home video rights to The first three Indiana Jones films and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles from Paramount.
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 TV series) would be produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and would be aired on Disney Channel, Toon Disney, FX Family, and Jetix.
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film) would be distributed by Disney–ABC Releasing Corporation.
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series) would be distributed by Disney–ABC Television Entertainment and would be aired on Disney Channel, Toon Disney, FX Family, Jetix, and Disney XD.
 * Star Wars Detours would be aired on Disney Channel, FX Family, and Disney XD.
 * Disney–ABC Enterprises would acquire Studio Ghibli from Tokuma Shoten in April 2005.
 * As a result, Studio Ghibli was reorganized into a new division, Disney–ABC Enterprises Japan.