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Disney reportedly in talks to buy AT&T’s stake in Hulu

Disney reportedly in talks to buy AT&T’s stake in Hulu

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Giving Disney up to 70 percent control of the platform

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Disney To Buy 21st Century Fox’s Entertainment Business
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Disney is close to owning a majority stake in Hulu, and now the company is reportedly looking to expand that by acquiring AT&T’s 10 percent stake in the streaming service.

Disney is in active talks with AT&T to buy its stake in Hulu, according to Variety. The sale would reportedly net AT&T close to $1 billion and give Disney up to a 70 percent ownership in Hulu. Disney already owns 30 percent of Hulu, and it’s in the process of acquiring 21st Century Fox, which owns another 30 percent.

AT&T executives have talked about a sale in past, announcing in a conference last November that the company was interested in selling its minority stake. WarnerMedia, now owned by AT&T, is gearing up to launch a standalone streaming service of its own.

AT&T has talked about selling its stake

It’s a strong move for both companies: AT&T could use the estimated $960 million to pay down its excessive debt (roughly $183 billion), and Disney moves closer to having full control over a property that the company has an invested interest in. AT&T executives told shareholders in October 2018 that the company would cut at least $20 billion worth of debt in 2019 alone. Selling its minority stake in Hulu is a fast way to start that process.

AT&T is focused on WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming service, but Disney has its eyes on two services: Hulu and Disney+. Disney+ will launch later this year and carry exclusive Disney movies and TV shows, but it will launch domestically at first and still have to cater to its family friendly brand. Gaining a majority stake in Hulu can help the company take the streaming service international and cater to a more adult audience. It’s something that CEO Bob Iger has spoken about in previous calls with investors.

“After the deal closes and after we have the 60 percent ownership, we’ll meet with the Hulu management team and the board, and discuss what the opportunities are in terms of both global growth and investing more in content,” Iger said in November.

Comcast, the other company with a 30 percent stake in Hulu, isn’t likely to sell its slice of the company any time soon. Steve Burke, CEO of NBC Universal, which is owned by Comcast, told investors recently that the company isn’t interested in selling its 30 percent stake in the streaming service anytime soon.