Disney and 21st Century Fox teaming up sounds like a dream come true, but in reality, is it as magical as it seems? Corporate consolidation of media outlets can be a great thing for the shows we love that dying media outlets can no longer produce by being bought and renewed by big-name companies. But what about the big-name companies like Disney and Fox merging?
             The Disney/Fox merger brings a few pros to light but also a long list of cons. From a fan aspect, the union of these two companies brings endless possibilities to the comic world; with Marvel, X-Men, and Fantastic Four now owned by the same company, the Marvel Universe is whole with unlimited possibilities. Another great thing coming from this partnership will be the big-ticket movies such as Avatar gaining the funds and production tools that Disney holds. The cons are a little scary to look at; they include a single company owning multiple big-name movie titles and one corporate giant consuming another. 
             The problem with multiple big-name titles owned by Disney is that fewer household favorites will be made since one company is the only producer of the content. You may be waiting years for the sequel to the last film you watched if it did not bring in as much money as one of Disney's other titles. With the merger of two corporate giants, thousands of jobs and film titles can be lost from departments that do not match the new company's goals. According to Verity online news, four thousand employees within the 21st Century Fox company feel this pressure right now as films in the making are placed on the back burner and individuals are being laid off (Donnelly and Lang). 
             Although this merger came to a close in March of 2019, there are still many things we need to be aware of as media consumers. Disney now owns a large portion of live television and current films along with their launch of Disney+. With this significant stake in the entertainment business, Disney could quickly and easily push hidden agendas and widely influence a large portion of the population for the better or worse. With an oligopoly, Disney can quickly shut out smaller companies and make content creation on streaming platforms more competitive and harder for films with less budget to hold a slot on streaming services. We have also started to see movies skipping theaters and releasing on Disney+ for a premium fee. Will this be the end of movie theaters and the rise of online streaming of new films?
Works Cited
Donnelly, Matt and Brent Lang. Layoffs Hit Both Disney and Fox Film Groups (EXCLUSIVE). 15 May 2019.  <https://variety.com/2019/film/news/disney-fox-layoffs-1203216165/>.

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