Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion

Psypher · Subject: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:12 pm

wrote:

Walt Disney Co said on Monday it plans to buy Marvel Entertainment Inc for $4 billion in a deal that would add characters like Iron Man, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four to its entertainment empire.

Disney is striking the biggest media deal of the year so far -- one that will unite the Incredible Hulk and Mickey Mouse -- at a time when the media business is struggling to cope with spending cutbacks by both consumers and advertisers.

Marvel has a stable of wildly popular characters that it has brought to the big screen in home-run films like "Iron Man."

A sequel, "Iron Man 2" is due to hit the theaters next year, while "Thor," "Spider-Man 4" and the first "Avengers" movie are slated for a 2011 release.

For Disney, movies like those should help address a key area of concern among investors: How it can better reach more young males.

"This helps give Disney more important exposure to the young male demographic that they have sort of lost some ground with in recent years," said David Joyce, an analyst with Miller Tabak & Co.

Disney Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs told Reuters on Monday, "(Marvel's) audience is surprisingly broad. It transcends gender and age and has real potential worldwide. They skew a little more toward boys than many of our properties."

Indeed, Disney has long been a blockbuster brand with girls thanks to characters like "Hannah Montana," "Cinderella" and "Snow White," but has struggled to achieve the same kind of success with boys.

To do so, Disney agreed to pay $50 per share in cash and stock for Marvel, a premium of 29 percent to Marvel's closing stock price of $38.65 on Friday. The deal has been approved by the boards of both companies.

Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own.

Marvel's shares shot up to $48.75 in early trade.

Disney approached Marvel a few months ago "to get to know them," Staggs said. The overture began with a meeting between Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger and Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter and evolved into merger discussions over a series of meetings, Staggs said.

"We at Disney had admired them because of their position and asset base," Staggs said. "With conversations over time we came to believe in the value of a combination."

Shares of Disney, which will acquire ownership more than 5,000 Marvel characters, dropped about 2.3 percent in early trade. The deal is expected to close by year-end, and is expected to add to Disney earnings in two years.

The acquisition came as a surprise, even though Iger had mentioned recently that the company would consider acquisitions that bolstered Disney brands across international markets and on new technology platforms.

Citigroup analyst Jason Bazinet said that in addition to bolstering their standing among young males, the deal could help Disney throughout its television, movies, and amusement park properties."

http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN3143303120090831?sp=true

Pete · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:14 pm

Right now i'm just imagining Spider Man appearing in the next KH game

I'm not sure what to think about that

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Psypher · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:19 pm

I just hope they don't over-disneyfy things

Slider · Admin Number of posts: 913 Registration date: 2008-11-27

goodbye marvel

Fake · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:56 pm

Can't touch Batman

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DoubleL · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:00 pm

...I just imagined the voices of millions of Marvel fans crying out in agony at the same time.

This world was never meant to hold a sorrow so strong as cumulative nerd sorrow.

The Earth is cracking.

CovertSushi · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:36 pm

Oh god. I can't wait to see what they do with the character designs of say, Venom.

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Varrius · Moose Stuff Number of posts: 360 Age: 20 Registration date: 2008-12-03

CovertSushi wrote:

Oh god. I can't wait to see what they do with the character designs of say, Venom.

I'm trying not to think about that. Hopefully Disney will still just let Marvel do their own stuff.

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POOPOO MCBUMFACE · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:45 pm

The only thing this is going to change is that Islands of Adventure won't be worth visiting anymore.

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Atlas · Number of posts: 687 Age: 19 Registration date: 2008-11-28

I expect to see are all Marvel cartoons being played on Disney channels from now on which is good because I want a new season of Spectacular Spiderman. I think this is a good merger honestly. I doubt it will ever happen but I would love to see some of Disneys animation teams and possibly Pixar work on some movies for Marvel.

braindead2000 · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:20 pm

Well as long as Disney doesn't interfere with Marvel's works, I see no problem with this.

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POOPOO MCBUMFACE · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:27 pm

Disney owns the film company that produced Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting and Dogma. They won't interfere with Marvel in the slightest.

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Gamerofthegame · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:57 pm

This could be really good... Or really bad. Simply because the comic book age, persay, is over, I'll go with good.

I like DC more, anywho.

Chosen Zelos · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:47 am

POOPOO MCBUMFACE wrote:

Disney owns the film company that produced Pulp Fiction-

lol, that just reminded me of this.

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Charlie · Subject: Re: Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:53 am

I don't understand the crying here. It's not like Disney is in the business of buying random companies with billions of dollars just to run them into the ground. That's Microsoft you're thinking of.

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slider's edit: no stealing other people's artwork kthnx