Disney is buying most of 21st Century Fox

Disney’s $52 billion Fox acquisition would mean Disney takes a bigger share of declining box office revenues.

In 2017, a combined Disney Buena Vista and 21st Century Fox would represent 40 percent of the top 15 highest-grossing movies in the U.S. and 31 percent of total domestic box office revenue, according to Box Office Mojo.

Disney has agreed to buy most of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion in a big bet on streaming services over traditional TV. It’s a landmark deal that also unravels the media empire Rupert Murdoch had built over 60 years.

The entertainment giant will get Fox’s film and TV studios, which includes the “Avatar” franchise, its regional sports networks, its international businesses and Fox’s 30 percent stake in Hulu, giving Disney a majority of the streaming service.

For the past couple years, ESPN has been stuck with a seemingly unsolvable problem: It is on the hook for expensive sports deals that keep getting more expensive. At the same time, its subscriber base — and the revenue that generates from subscription fees and ad sales — has been melting.

ESPN’s proposed solution is a surprising one: It is going to put itself on the hook for even more expensive sports deals.

Hulu used to answer to three different bosses — Disney, Fox and Comcast — each owning an equal stake in the streaming service. Now it will have one boss: Disney.

The entertainment giant has agreed to buy most of 21st Century Fox for about $60 billion (including debt), which means the owner of the “Star Wars” franchise and ESPN will also own Fox’s TV and movie studio, including “Avatar,” its foreign businesses and, crucially, Fox’s 30 percent stake in Hulu, giving Disney majority ownership.