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

On July 23, 2001, it was announced that the group would be sold to The Walt Disney Company as part of the sale of Fox Family Worldwide/Fox Kids Worldwide (now ABC Family Worldwide) by Haim Saban and News Corporation, and on October 24, 2001, the sale was completed and the group was renamed BVS (Buena Vista Studios) Entertainment. The last official program and fully produced and distributed by Saban Entertainment was Power Rangers Time Force. However, Power Rangers Wild Force was the last series created by Saban (Saban created the series and produced only pre-production, following the acquisition of Saban Entertainment and Fox Family Worldwide/Fox Kids Worldwide, the show was copyrighted to Disney and was distributed by BVS, although the show was produced by MMPR Productions, the producer of the Power Rangers series during the Saban era).

Haim Saban left Saban International Paris in the same year and was eventually split and sold off from Saban Entertainment to become an independent studio. Disney would eventually purchase a 49% minority stake in this division, which on October 1, 2002 was renamed to SIP Animation, which continued producing content until 2009.

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 The Walt Disney Company acquired Fox Entertainment Group, Fox Networks Group & Fox Family Channel from News Corporation in 2001?

List of Changes

 * The acquisition completed in October 24, 2001
 * The Walt Disney Company would be renamed as Disney-ABC Enterprises
 * Fox Studio Lot. would move to The Walt Disney Studios (Burbank) which would renamed as Disney-ABC Studios
 * Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group would change it's name to Disney-ABC Motion Pictures Group
 * Buena Vista Pictures Distribution would renamed as Disney-ABC Releasing Corporation
 * Buena Vista International would renamed as Disney-ABC International
 * Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc. would renamed as Disney-ABC Home Entertainment Group.
 * Buena Vista Music Group would renamed as Disney-ABC Music Group
 * ABC Group would renamed as Disney-ABC Television Group.
 * Walt Disney Television would became a division of Disney-ABC Television Group
 * Buena Vista Television would renamed as Disney-ABC Televison Entertainment
 * Buena Vista International Television would rename as Disney-ABC Televison International
 * 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 Entertainment Group, thus Fox Broadcasting Company would be a rival to United Paramount Network (UPN).
 * Fox International Channels would be folded into ABC Cable Networks Group, Inc.
 * Fox Television Stations, LLC would be folded into ABC Owned Television Stations.
 * Miramax Films and it's entertainment divisions and labels would be sold to Viacom.
 * The rights to Miramax's pre-1993 library would be sold to Viacom.
 * Viacom would own the pre-2001 Miramax Films Library.
 * Miramax Home Entertainment & Dimension Home Video would be a label of Paramount Home Entertainment.
 * In DVD Releases, Paramount DVD logo would be featured before Miramax Home Entertainment logo & Dimension Home Video logo.
 * Miramax Television & Dimension Television would be a label of Paramount Televison.
 * The Weinstein Company would never existed.
 * Saban Entertainment, Inc. would became a subsidiary of Disney-ABC Enterprises, while Toei Company, LTD., Hasbro, Inc. & Keshet Media Group co-acquired Saban Entertainment, Inc. with Disney-ABC Enterprises.
 * 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.), & 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 buy Marvel Enterprises in 2001.
 * Disney-ABC Enterprises would acquire Pre-2001 Marvel Film & Television Library from other companies.
 * Disney-ABC Enterprises would acquire worldwide home video rights to some Marvel films that are licensed & theatrically distributed by other companies (Although, Blade II Would be the last film to be theatrically distributed by New Line Cinema in worldwide before DisneyFox Corporation acquire international theatrical distribution rights to Future Blade movies, while New Line Cinema would handle North American theatrical distribution rights to future Blade movies until 2012, Spider-Man (2002) would be the first & last film to be theatrically distributed by Sony Pictures in worldwide before Disney-ABC Enterprises acquire international theatrical distribution rights to future Spider-Man movies, while Sony Pictures would handle North American theatrical distribution rights to future Spider-Man movies, & Hulk (2003) would be the first film to be distributed by Universal Studios theatrically in North America with Disney-ABC Releasing Corporation distributing theatrically in international countries & Disney-ABC Home Entertainment Group distributing the home video rights worldwide.), while most Marvel movies were distributed by 20th Century Fox through Disney-ABC Releasing Corporation.
 * Spider-Man 4 would never be cancelled, as the last Spider-Man movie directed by Sam Raimi, & the first & last Spider-Man movie to be produced by Renaissance Pictures.
 * Disney-ABC Enterprises would acquire Hanna Barbera's Fantastic Four & 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 Fox Kids for Season 3 & Seasons 1-2 Re-Runs, the show would also be aired on FX Family.)
 * Batman 1966 TV series & Movie would be sold to Warner Bros., since Disney-ABC Enterprises owned Marvel.
 * Disney-ABC Enterprises would buy Pixar Animation Studios from Steve Jobs in 2001.
 * Circle Seven Animation would never existed.
 * New World Entertainment would be revived.
 * Disney-ABC Enterprises would buy Concorde-New Horizons, and will be folded into New World Entertainment.
 * Disney-ABC Enterprises would buy Lucasfilm LTD. on June 12, 2002 (27 days after the release of Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones).
 * THX would spin-out from Lucasfilm LTD. (Due to being acquired by Disney-ABC Enterprises).
 * Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith would be the first & last Star Wars film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox after Disney-ABC Enterprises' acquisition of Lucasfilm LTD.
 * 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 & 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 & The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles from Paramount.
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 TV series) would be produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, & would be aired on Disney Channel, Toon Disney, FX Family & 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 Televison Entertainment, & would be aired on Disney Channel, Toon Disney, FX Family, Jetix & Disney XD.
 * Star Wars Detours would be aired on Disney Channel, FX Family, & Disney XD.
 * Disney-ABC Enterprises would acquire Studio Ghibli from Tokuma Shoten on April 2005.
 * As a result, Studio Ghibli was reorganized into a new division, Disney-ABC Enterprises Japan.
 * Hulu would never existed, Disney+ would launch as a streaming service in 2007 instead of 2019.