The Walt Disney Company does not own Fox News. When Disney acquired the vast majority of 21st Century Fox assets in 2019, news and sports networks were intentionally left out of the transaction. Fox News remains under the corporate umbrella of Fox Corporation, a separate publicly traded company controlled by the Murdoch family.
Confusion persists because corporate spin-offs and asset division during multi-billion-dollar media mergers rarely follow straightforward paths. Disentangling the corporate structure reveals exactly how media ownership is divided and why the misconception continues to circulate.
The 2019 Disney-Fox Merger Anatomy
In March 2019, Disney finalized a $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox. This historic deal captured major entertainment assets, including the 20th Century Fox film and television studios, FX Networks, National Geographic channels, and a controlling stake in Hulu.
Antitrust regulators and corporate strategists structured the deal to prevent a single entity from dominating too much of the news and sports broadcasting landscape. Merging Fox News or Fox Sports into Disney would have created significant regulatory hurdles regarding media consolidation.
To bypass these hurdles, 21st Century Fox underwent a corporate restructuring prior to the merger. Assets retained outside the Disney sale were bundled into a newly minted, independent publicly traded entity named Fox Corporation.
What Fox Corporation Actually Owns
Fox Corporation operates as a distinct enterprise separate from Disney. Its portfolio focuses heavily on live broadcast television, sports, and news. Key divisions include:
- Fox News Media: Encompassing Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox News Digital, and streaming services like Fox Nation.
- Fox Sports: Managing national broadcast rights, FS1, FS2, and digital platforms.
- Fox Broadcasting Network: The legacy television broadcast network producing primetime entertainment and local station affiliates.
- Tubi: The free ad-supported streaming television platform acquired to expand digital reach.
Control of Fox Corporation rests with the Murdoch family, led by Lachlan Murdoch, via a family trust holding significant voting shares.
Where the Confusion Begins: Shared Names and Logos
The shared name "Fox" is the primary driver behind public confusion. Consumers naturally assume that if Disney bought Fox, they bought everything bearing that brand name.
Furthermore, both corporate entities share historical roots tracing back to Rupert Murdoch's original News Corporation, which split into two companies in 2013 before the 2019 Disney transaction.
- 20th Century Studios: Now owned by Disney, this movie studio dropped "Fox" from its name to further distance itself from the news division.
- Fox News and Fox Sports: Retained by the Murdoch-led Fox Corporation.
The visual similarity of legacy branding compounds the mix-up. While Disney owns the classic film library and intellectual properties like The Simpsons or Avatar that originated from the old studio, they possess zero editorial or financial control over Fox News programming.
Regulatory and Antitrust Pressures
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice closely monitor media consolidation to protect plurality in news reporting. Allowing Disney—already the parent of ABC News—to absorb Fox News would have triggered severe antitrust investigations and likely violated ownership caps on broadcast stations.
By forcing the separation of news and sports from entertainment assets, regulators ensured that independent corporate structures governed different pillars of American media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Disney ever own Fox News for even a brief period?
No. The separation of Fox Corporation and 21st Century Fox happened concurrently with the merger planning. Disney never held ownership stakes in Fox News or Fox Sports.
Who owns the old 20th Century Fox movie lot?
Disney acquired the studio lot facilities in Century City, California, as part of the 2019 transaction, though Fox Corporation leases back space for its operations.
Does News Corp own Fox News?
News Corp operates as a separate publishing company—housing outlets like The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post—also controlled by the Murdoch family, but it is legally distinct from Fox Corporation.
Are there any cross-ownership ties between Disney and Fox Corporation?
Aside from ordinary institutional investors who hold shares across multiple public media companies on the stock market, the two corporations operate entirely independently with separate boards, executives, and financial statements.
Fox Corporation Brand Portfolio
The Walt Disney Company Corporate Overview
