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Rupert Murdoch, center, with sons James Murdoch, (R) and Lachlan Murdoch.
Comcast and 21st Century Fox are in talks about a sale of Fox’s worldwide entertainment and distribution assets to Comcast for Comcast stock, according to people familiar with the situation.
The talks are ongoing, but no deal is near.
Comcast, which has a very limited international presence, is focused on Fox‘s international assets, which represent as much as 70 percent of the financial contribution of the businesses for sale, but also wants to purchase the company’s movie studio, its cable networks and its regional sports networks, according to people close to the talks.
Comcast is also attracted by the prospect of gaining control of Hulu. Comcast is currently prevented from exercising control over its stake in Hulu due to the consent decree it signed with the government when it bought NBC Universal, but that consent decree expires in August of 2018.
