Fox Expands Nat Geo Investment

by Wayne Friedman , September 9, 2015

Twentieth First Century Fox is making a deeper investment in controlling National Geographic Channels and other media.

Fox will pay $725 million to the National Geographic Society in a new media entity, called National Geographic Partners. It will be 73% owned by Fox and 27% owned by the National Geographic Society.

National Geographic Partners will combine the National Geographic television channels with other media, including: National Geographic magazines; National Geographic Studios, books, travel, location-based entertainment, catalog, licensing and ecommerce businesses.

Previously, Fox and National Geographic Society had two joint ventures -- one for U.S. TV and one for international TV. Fox had a 70% stake; with the NGS controlling 30% for each of the deals.

Declan Moore, who is a chief media officer of the Society and a 20-year veteran, will be chief executive officer of National Geographic Partners. Gary Knell, president/chief executive officer of the National Geographic Society, will be chairman of the board of directors for the unit.

Fox and the Society will have equal representation on the board.

As of February 2015, National Geographic Channel had 86.1 million pay TV subscribers.

In prime-time viewing, Nat Geo Channel earned 537,000 viewers in July, up 1% over a year ago and, for total day viewing, 265,000 viewers in July 2% higher from the year before.

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4 comments about "Fox Expands Nat Geo Investment".

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Kevin Densmore from Titanium Media Solutions, September 9, 2015 at 2:51 p.m.
A little interesting that Fox, which has a stranglehold on the audience that believes the jury is still out on climate change, now gets to program the National Geographic Channel.
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Henry Blaufox from Dragon360, September 9, 2015 at 2:55 p.m.

Any tax, non-profit status i plications for the Nat geo Society as a result of this, or will they simply become a for profit entity?

Chuck Lantz from 2007ac.com, 2017ac.com network, September 9, 2015 at 3:03 p.m.

Oh, boy! Now we can expect even more disaster programs and fewer programs with those silly animals, ... unless the animals are either deadly or attacking, or both. Lovely.

Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, September 9, 2015 at 3:39 p.m.

Another step to total control of the media by one company. Kevin, Henry and Chuck are being too nice. Cassandra - over and out for now.