NEW YORK — Hearst announced an agreement with subsidiaries of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) where Hearst will acquire Disney’s 50% interest in A+E Global Media for approximately $1.2 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close in September, subject to customary closing conditions.
Upon closing A+E Global Media will become a wholly owned Hearst business within its Entertainment group.
“We thank our Disney colleagues for decades of successful partnership,” said Steven R. Swartz, president and CEO of Hearst. “We look forward to supporting Paul Buccieri and A+E Global Media’s leadership team as they continue to make must-see programs and innovate around the great HISTORY, Lifetime and A&E brands.”
“In a media environment defined by fragmentation, A+E Global Media's advantage is the strength and versatility of our brands, our strong partnerships and our vast library of owned assets,” said Paul Buccieri, president and chairman of A+E Global Media. “As we continue extending our storytelling globally across all platforms with IP that travels to every screen and form-factor, we believe we are well suited for whatever opportunities may come next. I also want to express my deepest thanks to Hearst, The Walt Disney Company and to our board members — both recent and past — for their guidance and support over the years.”
A+E Global Media, launched as A&E (the Arts & Entertainment Network) in 1984, today reaches more than 414 million households across 200 territories in 40 languages, and its well-known brands include A&E®, Lifetime®, The HISTORY® Channel, LMN®, FYI® and VICE TV®.
About Hearst:
Hearst is one of the nation’s largest global, diversified information, services and media companies. The company’s diverse portfolio includes global financial services leader Fitch Group; Hearst Health, a group of medical information and services businesses; Hearst Transportation, which includes CAMP Systems International, a major provider of software-as-a-service solutions for managing maintenance of jets and helicopters; ownership in cable television networks such as A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime and ESPN; 35 television stations; 30 daily and 50 weekly newspapers; digital services businesses; and more than 200 magazine editions around the world.
About A+E Global Media™:
A+E Global Media is a global content company comprised of some of the most popular and culturally relevant brands in media, including A&E®, Lifetime®, The HISTORY® Channel, LMN®, FYI® and VICE TV®. A+E Global Media’s portfolio extends across platforms and genres with a scripted production division, A+E Studios™; unscripted productions, A+E Factual Studio™; and independent film unit, A&E IndieFilms®. A+E Global Media Digital™ includes watch apps, games, FAST channels, AVOD and SVOD products “Crime 360, Lifetime Movie Club®” and “HISTORY Vault®”; and podcasts such as “History This Week™”; and A+E Global Media Global Content Sales division which includes branded channels around the world; a robust content licensing business; and international scripted/unscripted co-productions. A+E Global Media’s content reaches across more than 200 territories in 40 languages. Follow us on X at X.com/AE_GlobalMedia and Facebook at Facebook.com/AEGM.
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