When They Own the Information, They Can Bend It How They Want

Todd Spangler for Variety: Fox announced Monday that it has agreed to acquire Roku for $160.00/share in a combination of cash and Fox Class A common stock, giving Roku an enterprise value of about $22 billion. The companies expect the deal to close in the first half of calendar year 2027. […] The companies said they are “committed to continuing to operate Roku as an open, partner-friendly platform” and to the continued “ubiquitous” distribution of Fox content. Fox Corp. said that Anthony Wood, Roku’s founder, chairman and CEO, will have an ongoing role at the combined company and will join the Fox board following the close of the transaction. According to the companies, on a pro-forma basis, the combined company will become the third-largest player in U.S. TV by share of viewing. Although Roku operates the Roku Channel, they’re one of the few platforms that has been more agnostic when it comes to content. While I hope that doesn’t change under Fox Corporation’s ownership, Fox has been…