On December 14, 2017, fans everywhere were stunned to hear about the Disney-ABC Television Group looking to purchase 20th Century Fox. The seventy-billion dollar deal now grants Disney ownership of all 20th Century Fox networks (Fox, Fox News, and FX) in addition to their own networks (ABC, ESPN, Freeform, and Disney Channel). While the deal did not officially go through until July 27, 2018, most people were not on board from the initial announcement. The merger will definitely cause a two-sided reaction, as it will most likely have a variety of pros and cons for most fans regarding their favorite movies and TV shows.

 Perhaps the biggest change in store for the merger will be the complete transition of Fox broadcasting by next fall. The change slowly began last spring when Fox cancelled all of their live action scripted comedies, such as New Girl and Brooklyn 99, and ordered new series The Cool Kids, as well as picked up the cancelled ABC sitcom Last Man Standing. This indicates the end of the ‘niche’ era, targeted at young people and beginning a new era aimed at an older audience.

  Additionally, Fox signed contracts to air Thursday Night Football and WWE Smackdown, starting in Fall 2019. It is heavily implied that most of the scripted shows currently airing on the network that are not produced in house will be gone by fall 2019. The network’s new focus will be on providing more unscripted entertainment, like news, sports, and reality series. While many scripted series on Fox will probably not survive the transition, a few shows are bound to stick around. These will most likely be the animated staples, such as The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, and Family Guy, as well as fully-owned hit dramas like Empire and 911. The merger will also be a saving grace for many shows on ABC that are owned by 20th Century Fox

 The deal will not only affect Fox’s TV properties; many movie franchises owned by 20th Century Fox will now be owned by Disney. This includes films and franchises, such as X-Men, Fantastic Four, Die Hard, Planet of the Apes and Ice Age, among others. This is all in addition to the franchises Disney already owns, such as Star Wars and Marvel. Most fans were absolutely furious when they heard the news of their favorite franchises merging. However, sophomore Will Felton appeared quite excited as he stated, “I am actually very excited for the Disney and Fox merger to take effect because that means a lot of my favorite characters get to co-exist. I really hope that Deadpool gets to cross over with The Avengers at some point.” With that being said, fans can certainly anticipate many crossovers as the merger takes effect.

 A major plan down the road for the merger is to create a brand new streaming service. The currently unnamed streaming service is slated to debut sometime in 2019 and will be the new home for all Disney and Fox shows. The streaming service will also house many of the iconic film franchises owned by Disney. As a result of the streaming service, be prepared for most Disney/Fox-owned titles currently appearing across other services to disappear. While we do not know everything that will or will not happen as a result of the merger, major changes to our favorite film franchises, TV shows, networks, and streaming services can be expected.