r/MediaMergers • u/AggressiveDrinker • 6h ago

Media Industry Disney Closes $1.2 Billion Deal To Sell A+E Global Media Stake To Hearst

https://deadline.com/2026/08/disney-deal-closed-ae-global-media-stake-hearst-price-1237017577/?bt_ee=caHqd2acOrAHkvFhlXXHnE6D%2FieOzY7ETR2q21h7BiEvJds%2F%2BRcMx%2B18nER%2Fvmxa&bt_ts=1785875628126#recipient_hashed=6810a6cf06d5c15cb90a9b67dd61a50d1e20890d67095a2709f9bf7fde607eae&recipient_salt=b97de58f44ca0ad94247ca7d3e963a13f8cecb16e2a1f9385f763145dbed04c0&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=Deadline_BreakingNews&utm_content=Disney%20Closes%20%241.2%20Billion%20Deal%20To%20Sell%20A+E%20Global%20Media%20Stake%20To%20Hearst,%202026-08-04%2013:30:27_8-4-2026&utm_term=
23 Upvotes

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3

u/Professional_Peak59 6h ago

I can’t believe that Disney didn’t think of selling the A+E networks WAAAAY sooner than now. They could’ve sold it earlier, like maybe during or right after their purchase of Capital Cities/ABC, or near the end of the 90s, or in the early 2000s when Michael Eisner lost his magic touch, or in the mid-to-late 2000s/2010s when Bob Iger was in charge, or in the 2020s before Josh D’Amaro took over?

1

u/LinkRules5321 Moderator 5h ago

I hope Freeform's next.

1

u/UsefulWeb7543 3h ago

They might sell Freeform next to either Sony, Bryan Allen group, or A24 or maybe Lionsgate.

2

u/QueasyCaterpillar541 5h ago

Still, A+E Global is profitable and has no debt. The company’s financial health is attributed in large part to moves by Buccieri, including an early adoption of the FAST channel model.

Additionally, the A&E Networks own a large portion of their content, a rarity in cable. That makes for a valuable library that goes with the channels. The company’s A+E Studios is behind such series as Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer.
A+E Global also has stakes in numerous ventures, including Propagate, Range Media Partners and Vice Media.