Disney To Purchase Fox Family Channel; Reax To ESPN Original

Disney is expected to announce today it has reached a deal to purchase Fox Family Worldwide for about $3.2B plus the assumption of $2.1B in debt, according to Jeff Leeds of the L.A. TIMES. The Fox Family Channel, which reaches 80 million U.S. HHs, "would probably be renamed ABC Family" and receive additional programming from other Disney outlets, such as ABC and ESPN (L.A. TIMES, 7/23). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Deogun & Orwall write that as part of the deal, Disney takes over Fox Family's portion of News Corp.'s MLB programming, which includes first-round playoff games, which Disney "likely will produce using ESPN crews." Disney also plans to "mix original programming with reruns" from other sources, including ESPN (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/23). The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Doman & Hiestand write for Disney, Fox Family "would enable it to significantly strengthen its competitive challenge to Viacom's Nickelodeon stable of networks geared at" children (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 7/23).

ESPN THE ORIGINAL: In Seattle, Steve Kelley noted ESPN's plans to expand its original programming and wrote, "Apparently the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network is going more for entertainment and less for sports" (SEATTLE TIMES, 7/22). In Charlotte, Scott Fowler: "What ESPN risks here is an erosion of its core audience. No matter how superbly these ideas are marketed ... they remain bad ideas" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/21). ESPN "takes a long look at college football" with "Rites of Autumn," a 10-part documentary about the history of the game, launching October 5 and narrated by Burt Reynolds (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 7/23).