Amazon to buy MGM! See Post #11 (1 Viewer)

[jcroy]

The economics didn't make sense for Apple to pay what Amazon is paying for MGM. On some level, it's a vanity purchase (like when Sony bought Columbia) and having the prestige one of the great movie studios is less important to Apple (which has its own brand mystique) than it is to Amazon.

If there are no obvious plausible reasons for the sky high purchase price, in the end it may very well be a vanity purchase.

It might very well be the equivalent of a billionaire buying part (or full) ownership in a sports team franchise that isn't a top team.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

If there are no obvious plausible reasons for the sky high purchase price, in the end it may very well be a vanity purchase.

It might very well be the equivalent of a billionaire buying part (or full) ownership in a sports team franchise that isn't a top team.

A little perspective. This isn't a "sky-high" purchase price; Amazon paid more than this for Whole Foods, and when compared to other media company acquisitions [Disney paid $71.3 billion for 21st Century Fox, AT&T paid $85.4 billion for Time Warner, Comcast spent $16.7 billion total to acquire NBCUniversal], this is comparatively low.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

All true, but the difference is that Fox, Warner and Universal were all active studios with multiple holdings and assets that ranged beyond intellectual property from physical studios and production facilities to working infrastructures and active pipelines for content and good relationships with talent.

MGM no longer has any of that. Amazon isn’t getting a broadcast network, as Comcast did. Amazon isn’t getting production studios and multiple cable networks, as Disney did. Amazon isn’t getting studios, cable and broadcast networks, and record labels, as AT&T did.

Amazon is getting a large catalog of films, many of which are in physically terrible shape, which have already been financially exploited to probably the maximum degree. They no longer have studio holdings. They no longer have great relationships with talent. They no longer function as a studio. For the past decade, MGM has essentially been a holding company that facilitated arrangements for third parties to finance, produce and release remakes of properties they held.

Amazon has been licensing chunks of the MGM library for their Prime service already, so clearly they have the data for what their members watch and ideas for what could be further exploited. They must have data that supports a path to profitability on this purchase. I don’t really see it but I could very well be completely wrong.

 

[Chip_HT]

For the past decade, MGM has essentially been a holding company that facilitated arrangements for third parties to finance, produce and release remakes of properties they held.

And most of those properties seem like they have strings attached.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

And most of those properties seem like they have strings attached.

The one with the "thickest" strings, if you will, is James Bond. MGM only owns half of the franchise; the remainder is owned by the Broccoli family.

 

[PMF]

Hopefully Amazon will call upon the services of George Feltenstein.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Hopefully Amazon will call upon the services of George Feltenstein.

Would love to see this, but what would really need to happen is for Amazon to put together a restoration/harvest/archive programme like WB's Motion Picture Imaging group.

 

[jcroy]

Amazon is getting a large catalog of films, many of which are in physically terrible shape, which have already been financially exploited to probably the maximum degree. They no longer have studio holdings. They no longer have great relationships with talent. They no longer function as a studio.

Case in point: the old MGM lot in Culver City has been owned by Sony/Columbia Pictures since 1990.

 

[Worth]

The one with the "thickest" strings, if you will, is James Bond. MGM only owns half of the franchise; the remainder is owned by the Broccoli family.

And they get to make all the creative decisions.

 

[PMF]

Hopefully Amazon will call upon the services of George Feltenstein.

Would love to see this, but what would really need to happen is for Amazon to put together a restoration/harvest/archive programme like WB's Motion Picture Imaging group.

Your idea and mine are synonymous, one and the same, symbiotic, fused, inextricable, opportune and...well...simply down right ingenious.

Yes, yes, yes; George Feltenstein is the very man for Amazon, MGM and all their pro-active restorative needs.

FILE UNDER: AmaZeal

 

[DVBRD]

Seriously, Universal isn't MGM's new home entertainment partner, they only handle international theatrical distribution for MGM's select new film releases because of the deal they made for No Time to Die. What's wrong with you people?

Okay, you're taking this MGM/WB pact way too seriously. Calm down.

 

[DVBRD]

Your idea and mine are synonymous, one and the same, symbiotic, fused, inextricable, opportune and...well...simply down right ingenious.

Yes, yes, yes; George Feltenstein is the very man for Amazon, MGM and all their pro-active restorative needs.

FILE UNDER: AmaZeal

Maybe he'll get a proper restoration of John Wayne's The Alamo off and running.

 

[PMF]

Maybe he'll get a proper restoration of John Wayne's The Alamo off and running.

Go to Post #72 and ye shall see why I respect thee, thou and the possibilities of they.

 

[Thomas T]

Hopefully Amazon will call upon the services of George Feltenstein.

I hope not. He's still needed at Warner Brothers. Still too many treasures there for him to work on.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Case in point: the old MGM lot in Culver City has been owned by Sony/Columbia Pictures since 1990.

Some of us know that because we visited it a couple of times during our past HTF Meets.

 

[PMF]

Some of us know that because we visited it a couple of times during our past HTF Meets.

J-E-A-L-O-U-S.
Nonetheless, that experience must’ve rocked.

I hope not. He's still needed at Warner Brothers. Still too many treasures there for him to work on.

Agreed. But, since Warner Brothers had freed up some of his time...

Just sayin’

 

[NICKP91]

I hope Amazon brings Stargate back and it’s good

 

[DVBRD]

Amazon Bid for MGM to Get FTC Antitrust Review (Report)

Amazon's proposed deal to buy MGM will be subject to an antitrust review by the FTC, according to a published report.

variety.com

 

[Robert Crawford]

Amazon Bid for MGM to Get FTC Antitrust Review (Report)

Amazon's proposed deal to buy MGM will be subject to an antitrust review by the FTC, according to a published report.

variety.com

This would be news if the FTC failed to do such a review.

 

[Malcolm R]

They always review it, then rubber stamp it anyway.