May 8, 2018 - Technology

Report: Comcast preparing bid for Fox, pending AT&T decision

Photo: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

Comcast is asking investors to increase financing mechanisms by $60 billion so it can make an all-cash offer for 21st Century Fox's media assets, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: Fox has already agreed to sell its media assets to Walt Disney Co for $52 billion. Reporting and regulatory filings suggest that Fox rejected higher bids from Comcast previously due to regulatory concerns.

The bigger picture: This move adds to the pressure to the upcoming decision of a U.S. district judge over whether to allow a similarly-structured "vertical" merger between a telecom company (AT&T) and a content company (Time Warner) to go through.

  • Comcast also announced last month a $31 billion takeover bid for European television giant Sky, which subsequently pulled its support for an already agreed-upon deal with 21st Century Fox. Comcast's bid was 16% higher than Fox's, on a share vs. share basis.
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