Comcast drops the offer for 21st Century Fox's assets, leaving Disney to win

The cable and media giant Comcast announced today that it was pulling out of the bidding war with Walt Disney Co for Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox film and television operations .

Comcast said in a statement that it would instead focus on the acquisition of European pay-TV operator Sky, by changing its stance on how it addresses the latest consolidation cycle in the media-entertainment sector.

The fact that Comcast succeeds in ensuring that Disney is able to complete its $ 71.3 billion merger with Fox creates new power in the sector as Murdoch reduces its media empire.
"Comcast does not intend to continue the acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox's badets and, on the contrary, will focus on our recommended offering for Sky," said a statement from the group that is the largest US cable operator and also owns NBC Universal.

Comcast and Disney coveted Murdoch's valued badets, including Fox Studios in Hollywood and major film and television productions.

At the same time, the two giants aimed to take control of Sky, the British pay TV operator in which Fox holds a 39 percent stake.

Disney launched its bid for Fox's badets last December at $ 52.4 billion while Murdoch and his family announced that they would reorganize to focus on Fox News, the Fox broadcast network and some sports activities.

Comcast made a $ 65 billion offer in June, to take advantage of what appeared to be an easier regulatory path after AT & T successfully defended an antitrust deal on its acquisition of the Time Warner multimedia entertainment group.