Chinese regulators approve Disney-Fox deal
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Michelle Clancy
| 20 November 2018

Disney has cleared a major hurdle for its $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s film and television assets: Chinese regulators have approved the deal.

Disney said the deal received “unconditional approval” – despite concerns that the escalating trade war between the Trump Administration and Beijing would present a roadblock. In October, Churchill Capital said that investors were placing a 43% chance on Disney's deal not going through; especially given the precedent of China’s long and drawn-out examination of Qualcomm's NXP Semiconductors deal.

However, the only key Chinese asset for the House of Mouse is Disney's Shanghai theme park, and any fears as to China holding up the proceedings proved unfounded. Now, with a few other jurisdictional approvals, the deal could close in early spring.

The acquisition will see Disney gaining the Fox movie studio, TV networks National Geographic and FX, Star TV, stakes in Sky and Tata, Endemol Shine Group and Hulu; it will also get Fox’ 22 regional sports networks in the US, but Disney is required to spin them off as a condition of the deal.