Twenty-two regional sports networks are expected to come up for sale soon, and the very companies leading the cord-cutting revolution could end up bidding for these linear-television networks.
It’s all part of Disney’s deal to buy assets from 21st Century Fox. The US Department of Justice approved Disney’s proposed purchase with one big condition: that Disney sell the regional sports networks that Fox owns to avoid anticompetitive conflicts, given its majority ownership of ESPN.
The size of the RSNs coming to market has attracted broad interest from buyers. Fox has 22 networks and analysts have predicted they could draw as much as $20 billion in value. While traditional broadcasters like Sinclair are among the parties interested in purchasing the RSNs, Amazon and Youtube have also expressed interest, according to Bloomberg.
These two tech companies are seemingly unlikely players in the regional media buyer space. To read more about why this move actually might make sense for Amazon and YouTube, click here.
In other news:
Facebook is warning 4 million users that another app may have mishandled their data. It took action on "myPersonality" after it failed to submit to the Facebook app auditing process.
Speaking of Facebook, one of the company's key dealmakers is leaving the company to be with his family in Hawaii. Facebook VP of Partnerships Dan Rose is leaving the company early next year, he says.
Google wants to help people suffering from "negative news fatigue." People who use Google Assistant can now say "Hey Google, tell me something good," and Google Assistant will then provide a brief summary of stories about "people who are solving problems for our communities and our world."
BuzzFeed is making another live TV show for Twitter following 'AM to DM.' Made in London, weekly show "#What2Watch" will tell viewers what they should be watching on television and online, on services like Netflix.
Brands are direct-messaging 13-year-olds on Instagram to promote products without a contract. According to a report by the Atlantic's Taylor Lorenz on Wednesday, small startup brands are apparently paying between $5 and $20 for teens to post sponsored content.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said he was taught to be seen, but not heard - which is why he can be so shy with his employees. Until recently, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel never presided over companywide meetings, and he rarely interacted with employees, according to a new Bloomberg report.