News Broadcasting
Rupert Murdoch’s Fox-News Corp merger plan could resurface, court records show
A failed 2022 merger bid could return as Murdoch seeks to consolidate his media empire
MUMBAI: Rupert Murdoch’s long-standing ambition to reunite Fox Corporation and News Corp could resurface in the future, according to newly unsealed court documents and testimony linked to the Murdoch family’s succession dispute.
The two companies, which Murdoch split less than a decade ago, explored a possible merger in 2022. The proposal was eventually abandoned after investors resisted the combination. However, testimony from a June court hearing suggests the idea may not have been permanently shelved, according to a Reuters report.
An attorney representing Murdoch’s eldest son, Lachlan Murdoch, argued that references to potential merger discussions should remain sealed or redacted because such a deal was “something that still could happen in the future”.
Fox, however, has denied that any fresh discussions are taking place. “The references in the court records concerned a potential merger considered in 2022. There have been no merger discussions between FOX and News Corp since then,” the company said in a statement. News Corp referred Reuters to Fox’s statement.
A reunion would bring together a broad collection of Murdoch’s media assets, spanning television, newspapers, publishing and streaming. The combined business would include Fox News and Fox’s broadcast network, alongside News Corp properties such as the Wall Street Journal, the Sun and the New York Post.
The court records also reveal how strongly Rupert Murdoch pursued the proposed merger in 2022. He drafted a letter to the boards of both companies stating that the family trust would not vote in favour of any alternative sale, merger or similar transaction involving either company.
The proposal also caused friction within the Murdoch family. After his daughter Elisabeth questioned the plan, Rupert Murdoch reportedly told her he would “ram it through” if necessary.
The merger ultimately failed after investors balked at the combination. Fox shares fell 3.4 per cent after Reuters reported the latest developments, while News Corp shares gained 0.7 per cent.
The disclosures form part of a wider family succession battle that began in 2023, when Murdoch sought to amend the family trust to give Lachlan effective control of Fox and News Corp, potentially cutting out his other children, Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth and James.
The dispute was settled last year, with Lachlan emerging as his father’s business successor. The three other children received $1.1 billion each under a deal that dissolved their stakes in the family trust controlling Murdoch’s companies.
Murdoch originally split his empire following the 2013 hacking scandal involving his UK newspapers. The restructuring separated the television business from the newspaper operations, allowing the two sides to pursue different strategies as the media industry evolved.
Fox has since expanded its focus on digital audiences. In June, the company agreed to acquire streaming platform Roku for $22 billion, giving it access to more than 100 million households as traditional television viewing declines.
While the latest court disclosures do not indicate that a new merger is currently under discussion, they underline that bringing Fox and News Corp back together has remained an important idea within Murdoch’s media strategy.
