Here are the most read stories of the week.
Analysis: FOX regional sports networks' resale complicated by recent M&A
With 21st Century Fox Inc.'s 22 regional sports networks set to go up for resale should Walt Disney Co.'s offer to buy much of FOX's entertainment assets win approval from shareholders, it remains unclear which company — or companies — will have the resources to buy the sports network portfolio. The valuation of the RSNs has ballooned to $20.6 billion amid a bidding war between Disney and Comcast Corp., according to Kagan, a media research group within S&P Global Market Intelligence; and it could go even higher if Comcast makes another competing offer.
Techtonic Shift: Large London corporates embrace startup-style co-working
As co-working spaces gain ground in London, the capital's largest corporations are embracing flexible office models once seen as the domain of more nimble tech startups. While large companies such as Alphabet Inc., Barclays PLC, EY Advisory Services Inc., JP Morgan, KPMG LLP and Wells Fargo & Co. have opted to provide co-working hubs for startups or host them in-house, others are choosing to rub shoulders with tech workers in search of talent, potential acquisition opportunities and flexible leases, ranging anywhere from a month to three years and reduced real estate costs.
Techtonic Shift: Tech sector prompting radical change in London office market
Technology and media companies are radically transforming the London office market, as landlords and developers face growing demands from various sectors for unconventional workspace design and more flexible leases, according to market participants. In a bid to attract talent, "corporate is following cool," Andrew Barnes, JLL's director of Central London tenant representation, said in an interview. Many large corporations with sizable workforces in London are adopting the alternative approaches to office design and workplace environment for which tech and media companies are well-known.
Univision properties go dark on DISH, Sling TV, as contract negotiations stall
With the parties reaching an impasse in their negotiations, broadcast and cable properties owned by Univision Communications Inc. are now dark on DISH Network Corp.'s satellite service and its streaming product, Sling TV. As per usual in retransmission-consent and cable carriage negotiations, price is at the center of the dispute. DISH claims Univision Communications is seeking a 75% price increase, despite ratings erosion. UCI countered by saying that DISH has "chosen to devalue our programming, disingenuously offering a fraction of what it pays our English-language peers."
World Cup: FOX tallies big audiences with knockout round coverage
FOX Sports scored some big audiences with its coverage of the knockout round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup from Russia. FOX (US) delivered audiences surpassing 5 million viewers on June 30 and July 1. The performance was led by the 5.91 million viewers for Croatia's penalty-kick triumph over Denmark on July 1, which ranks as the network's most watched match of the 2018 World Cup, and the most-viewed English-language men's soccer match in the U.S. since the 2014 World Cup final.