Twenty-First Century Fox (NASDAQ:FOXA) is a diversified media and entertainment company. Sentiment has been generally positive as investors were reminded of the power of live, must-have content. The month of October featured two of the most widely watched presidential debates in history and five of seven World Series games that delivered the best ratings in over a decade. Investors have been further comforted by Fox’s presence in all of the major “skinny bundles” announcements and new online Pay-TV distribution packages. Finally, in December, Fox announced an offer to acquire the remaining shares of Sky plc. The announced offer for Europe’s premier satellite Pay-TV and content (sports and entertainment) company resolves a long-standing question of how to resolve Fox’s 39% minority stake in the entity. We continue to be encouraged by the prospect for continued improvement at Fox’s domestic channels and continued growth opportunities internationally.
From Weitz Investment Management's Value Fund fourth quarter 2016 commentary.
