No, you’re not the only one having issues with your Google Home

The Home Mini and Chromecast are also derping.

If you’re like me, using your Google Home is something that’s become part of your daily routine, whether you use it for controlling smart home gadgets or checking on the commute to work. As such, you might have been thrown for a loop when your Home decided to stop working this morning.

According to various reports on Reddit and Twitter, the Google Home, Home Mini, and Chromecast simply aren’t working for people all around the globe.

Affected Google Home and Home Minis respond with “Your Google Home is not set up yet” immediately after saying “Hey, Google” or “Ok, Google” whereas Chromecasts aren’t showing up as devices you can cast to within your favorite apps. Even if you try unplugging and plugging your gadgets back in, the problems still persist.

We can’t say for sure how many devices aren’t working, but it seems to be pretty widespread. My Chromecast and Google Home are working just fine, but my Home Mini has been turned into a fabric paperweight.

The Made By Google account on Twitter has confirmed it’s aware of the issue and actively working on a fix, and once they confirm that all is well, we’ll update this article accordingly.

Are you having any issues with your Google gadgets?

Google Duplex will begin testing in the real world this summer

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The KEY2’s keyboard shortcuts are one of the best features of any phone

Everybody has that one thing they really like and keyboard shortcuts is my thing.

I’m sitting here at my desk going through my schedule of things to write in the next week or so. A good bit of it all is centered around the BlackBerry KEY2 because it’s a new phone and we write about new phones, but also because it’s a phone I am pretty sure I’ll enjoy using for the next year. So I did some testing.

That’s how I stumbled across what I think is the best feature to come to a smartphone in a long while — keyboard shortcuts. BlackBerry phones have always had keyboard shortcuts. With an app open you could perform an action using a specific key, and on the home screen you could open a handful of apps or settings through the keyboard.

Custom keyboard shortcuts came with BB10, but really got good on the KEYone because of Android and intents.

When the Priv came along I had to take a look at and write about keyboard shortcuts for a group of users who might not have ever used a BlackBerry and had no idea they existed. When I saw how they worked with Android, I knew right away that they were a thing I was going to be using a lot of.

Instead of a predefined group of actions, you could choose what happened when you pressed or long pressed a key through a settings menu. Defining my own shortcuts made the feature so useful for me, and through I really didn’t have much time with BB10, seeing something new that I liked was cool, even if it wasn’t exactly new.

Here I am a couple years later and I’m still thinking that keyboard shortcuts are the best feature on a smartphone that I could ever ask for. Yes, I know that you need a phone with an actual keyboard to use them, but that’s a conscious decision I’ve made — different strokes and all that. It’s changed the way I use my phone, for the better.

A feature needs to do one thing to be a success: make a difference to the user.

I know some of us like to do about a million different things on our phones. I’m not really one of those people and I’m almost never without a Chromebook nearby. I call it my mobile office (my wife calls it my trash can) and like to leave all the heavy lifting to something with a bigger screen and a better keyboard. Most of what I do with my phone are the same things I did five or even 10 years ago — talk to my people in one way or another.

It’s simple: A is for Ashley. B is for Bruce. C is for Cheryl. I like simple when it works great.

Just because I’m not opening a bunch of apps throughout the day doesn’t mean keyboard shortcuts aren’t a godsend, though. One of the things you can do with them is to message or call or email a specific contact through the address book or even send a message using a service like Slack. I have a few well-used apps as shortcuts via my keyboard, but most of them are set to “talk” to a certain person a certain way. It might be complicated to initially set up, but knowing I can start a text to a family member or friend by pressing the Speed Key and letter on the keyboard makes a big difference to me. That’s what a feature needs to do: improve the user experience.

There are plenty of other things to like about the KEY2, but for me, keyboard shortcuts are its showcase. I’ll be talking more on what I love (and what I don’t) about the KEY2 in the near future and am thinking of a good way to field some questions if anyone wants to ask an old nerdy guy about a phone he really likes. So leave a comment down below and let’s chat!

See at BlackBerry Mobile

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YouTube picture-in-picture no longer requires YouTube Premium/Red

The change appears to be live in the U.S. right now.

Android Oreo brought a lot of exciting features to our beloved OS, but one of the most interesting/useful was easily picture-in-picture. One of the first apps PiP worked with was YouTube, but ever since Oreo’s release, you’ve needed a YouTube Premium/YouTube Red subscription in order for it to work.

Thankfully, it looks like Google’s reversing its decision here.

According to a growing thread on Reddit, multiple users are reporting that they can use picture-in-picture on YouTube without paying for Premium/Red. The feature appears to only be live in the United States for the time being, and since there’s no such thing as a free lunch, there are still some restrictions that come with it.

Some users have pointed out that not all videos support PiP on a free account, with a message appearing that says “picture-in-picture has been disabled by the content owner.” This blackout seems most common with music videos, and seeing as how Google would prefer you cough up $10 or $12/month for YouTube Music or Premium, that’s not all that surprising.

If you have a free YouTube account, are you able to use picture-in-picture?

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Which Galaxy S9 color should I buy: Black, purple, blue, gray or gold?

The last decision you make before you buy.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ have very subtle design differences compared to the Galaxy S8 and S8+, but one clear way to recognize them at a glance are their new colors. Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray and Sunrise Gold are the color options, and aside from black they’re all fresh hues we haven’t seen before.

Here’s a good look at all five colors, and some information on what you can expect from each one so you can make an informed decision when you go to order.

Galaxy S9 in Midnight Black

Samsung’s been doing Midnight Black phones for a few years now, and the Galaxy S9’s version is no different. This is a solid black color with no real extra shine or glimmer to it. The metal frame is now more of a gray color on account of its texturing, which differs from the high-gloss black finish on the Galaxy S8. It’s very similar to the black Galaxy S7, in fact.

Who is it for?

If you want to play it safe, go for the Midnight Black color. It hides scratches better than the other lighter colors, and you won’t be attracting any unwanted attention to your phone. If you plan on just putting a case on your phone anyway, black is probably the easiest color to re-sell later on when you’re done with the phone.

See at Amazon

Galaxy S9 in Lilac Purple

Lilac Purple is a brand new color for Samsung, and it kind of picks up where Orchid Gray left off in the Galaxy S8. It’s far more reflective and has a deeper color to it that’s more susceptible to changing its look in various lighting conditions, which means it will range from a deep purple (in dark lighting) to almost a grayish pink color (in bright light). The metal frame is a dull purple or pink, depending on the light. Of all four colors, Lilac Purple stands out the most — partially because there just aren’t many purple phones out there, but also on account of its reflectivity and pink accents.

See at Amazon

Who is it for?

If you’re looking for a stand-out phone that’ll get noticed and never be confused for anyone else’s at the dinner table, Lilac Purple is the color for you. It’s a good bet that even among Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners that Lilac Purple will be the lowest-selling variety, so you have the best shot at staying unique for a while when you choose it.

Galaxy S9 in Coral Blue

Having a name like Coral Blue is a bit of a misnomer — this isn’t anything like Samsung’s previous blues, but more of a powder blue instead. I’d consider it a gray-based phone with some blue to it when you get it in bright lighting. When it’s in darker areas, you can’t tell it apart from the Titanium Gray model. The metal frame is a little bit of a giveaway with its soft blue shade, but even then it still doesn’t substantially stand out. It still has some of that reflectivity that Lilac Purple does, and that’s really the only time that it shows off a lot of its blue tendencies.

Who is it for?

Coral Blue is a great balance between the simple Midnight Black and the overtly bright Lilac Purple. Most of the time it’s quite simple and sleek looking, but in the right light it can show off its reflections and look far more blue. Coral Blue is a handsome, sophisticated color that you can’t go wrong with.

See at Amazon

Galaxy S9 in Titanium Gray

Titanium Gray is a simple color, without much of the color-shifting tendencies seen in Lilac Purple and Coral Blue. It’s just gray, and when you get it in brighter or darker lighting, it just looks a bit closer to white and a bit closer to black. In the right lighting, it’ll look identical to Coral Blue. The metal frame is just a pure gray that looks like the most natural metal color, giving it more of an industrial look than the other three.

Who is it for?

Titanium Gray won’t be available in the U.S., so strike it off of your list if you’re buying it there. But if you have the choice, give it a look if you don’t want Midnight Black but aren’t interested in the shimmering color-changing feature of Lilac Purple or Coral Blue. Gray will always be gray no matter what, and if that sounds like a safe bet then you should go for it.

Galaxy S9 in Sunrise Gold

A few months after launch, Samsung rolled out a new color to the U.S.: Sunrise Gold. This is hardly Samsung’s first gold-colored phone, but the company is making it clear that this is different from the golds of the past. Samsung’s goal with Sunrise Gold was to give it more of a matte sheen around the entire phone, glass included, whereas the other colors still rely on a high gloss shine for their glass back.

Who is it for?

Well, Sunrise Gold is for someone who wants a classy phone and likes the idea of having something slightly more exclusive. The Sunrise Gold color option is available for both the Galaxy S9 and S9+, but it’s only available from Best Buy and Samsung.com. Pair that limited retail availability with the fact that it launched months later, and you just won’t see that many Sunrise Gold Galaxy S9s around — you’ll be unique.

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Regional differences matter (a little less this time)

As ever, not all regions are getting the same colors of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. In the U.S., we have access to three colors: black, purple and blue. As far as individual U.S. carriers go, most are offering all three colors of both sizes of the phone — but depending on which store you go to or whether you order online, stock may be limited.

Unfortunately, Titanium Gray is only for international markets. Around the world, you can expect two or three colors offered depending on the individual country (and carrier) you’re buying in. And of course this can change over time as exclusivity deals run out and new ones are made — and there’s a good chance Samsung will end up changing its color strategy over the course of the year.

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These are all the phones Sony is launching in 2018

Here’s a look at Sony’s smartphone lineup for 2018.

Sony has an…interesting…position in the Android smartphone space. Sony produced some darn good phones in 2017, such as the Xperia XZ Premium and XZ1, but when compared to handsets like the Galaxy S8, Pixel 2, and even the OnePlus 5T, Sony’s offerings fell flat in one area or another.

We’ve seen Sony’s hand for 2018, and while this year’s phones still won’t keep everyone from jumping on the Samsung and Google bandwagons, they are compelling handsets that are at least worth checking out.

The phones that are still coming

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium

The upcoming Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium.

In mid-April, Sony announced the Xperia XZ2 Premium. This is a bigger, badder, more expensive version of the regular XZ2 that’s already been released, and while there’s no denying its power, it’s going to set you back a very pretty penny.

One of the main draws to the XZ2 Premium is its 5.8-inch 4K HDR display. That’s the same resolution found on most premium TVs these days, and Sony says it’s 30% brighter than the previous Xperia XZ Premium.

You’ll also find dual 19MP + 12MP rear cameras, the Snapdragon 845, 6GB RAM, and a 3,540 mAh battery.

The Xperia XZ2 Premium costs $999.99, and pre-orders open on July 9 at Amazon and Best Buy with shipments expected to start going out on July 30. Buying the phone from Amazon will let you get a free pair of Sony’s Xperia Ear Duo earbuds that retail for $280, but even then, only die-hard Sony fans will likely give any serioius thought to the phone with a price that big.

Sony announces Xperia XZ2 Premium with 5.8-inch 4K HDR display, dual cameras, spec bumps

Sony Xperia R2/R2 Plus

Sony Xperia R1 and R1 Plus.

Last October saw the release of the Xperia R1 and R1 Plus — two budget phones that offered rock-solid specs at seriously affordable price points.

The rumor mill on successors to these two phones is pretty quiet at the moment, but there’s no reason to believe Sony won’t kick out an R2 and R2 Plus before 2018 is over.

India was the target market for the R1 series, and assuming the we get an R2, that’ll likely remain the same.

Mid-range Sony Xperia R1 and R1 Plus now available in India

The phones that have already been released

Sony Xperia XZ2

Sony’s big flagship this year is the Xperia XZ2. The XZ2 is a successor to last year’s XZ1 and features a completely new design language compared to other Xperia phones of the last few years. The glass back is super reflective with elegant curves, the fingerprint sensor is smack dab in the middle below the rear camera, and there’s an 18:9 screen with slim bezels.

Under the hood, the XZ2 is packing all of the latest specs — including the Snapdragon 845, 4GB RAM, 19MP/5MP rear/front cameras, IP68 dust/water resistance, and Android 8.0 Oreo. The phone costs $800 and is on sale now.

Sony Xperia XZ2 preview: Slimmer bezels, wider appeal

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact

There’s no denying that the XZ2 is a powerful phone, but what if you want all that horsepower in a phone that’s considerably smaller and a bit cheaper? For you, Sony’s got the Xperia XZ2 Compact.

The XZ2 Compact is mostly the same phone as the regular XZ2, save for a smaller battery, 5-inch screen, and a plastic back. Everything else, such as processor and cameras, are exactly the same.

It’s not necessarily cheap at $649, but it’s one of the few truly small phones that offers a no-compromises flagship experience.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact review: The new standard for small

Sony Xperia XA2/XA2 Ultra

During this past CES, Sony officially took the wraps off of the Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra. Both phones are mid-rangers in Sony’s lineup for the year, and while there’s nothing particularly exciting about them, they do the basics really, really well while keeping costs low.

The XA2 offers a refreshingly small 5.2-inch display, and for those of you that prefer big phones, the XA2 Ultra should serve you just fne with a 6-inch screen size. Both come equipped with an LCD panel and resolution of 1920 x 1080, and for the first time ever, these two Sony phones have working fingerprint sensors in the United States 👏.

Each phone also shares NFC, Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box, USB-C for charging, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Aside from the screen size, the only other big difference lies with the XA2’s 3,300 mAh battery and the XA2 Ultra’s 3,580 mAh unit.

The XA2 sells for a fair $349, and stepping up to the XA2 Ultra will cost you $449.

See at Best Buy

Sony Xperia L2

If you like what the XA2 and XA2 Ultra bring to the table but want to spend even less, Sony’s Xperia L2 is for you.

The Xperia L2 has a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 720, MediaTek processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 3,300 mAh battery. As for the cameras, you’ll find a 13MP sensor on the back and an 8MP one up front.

There’s a working fingerprint sensor on the L2 and support for NFC just like on the XA2 and XA2 Ultra, but unlike those phones, the L2 ships with the older Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

You can buy the Xperia L2 in black, gold, and pink, and its price of $250 is more than manageable.

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Updated June 27, 2018: Added availability and pricing information for the Xperia XZ2 Premium.

Pokémon Quest for Android: Everything you need to know

A new Pokémon adventure has arrived!

Update June 27, 2018: Pokémon Quest has launched on Android

The wait is over — Pokémon Quest has officially launched on Android! Download it and start catching them all!

Set in a world where all your favorite Pokémon from Kanto region (think Pokémon Blue and Red) have turned to cubes on Tumblecube Island. You’re tasked with befriending these Pokémon and exploring the island to discover hidden secrets scattered multiple areas.

Download: Pokémon Quest (Free w/IAPs)

What’s there to do in this game?

This is not the “traditional” Pokémon RPG that you remember from your childhood. While you do start out by selecting your first Pokémon from a familiar roster of starters — Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu, or Eevee. Each starter has a unique attack and HP stat, but unlike previous games, your Pokémon’s type won’t have a special effect based on the traditional type strengths and weaknesses.

Once you start out, you’ll begin exploring the different areas and each starter Pokémon has an early stage area that’s designed to be a bit easier for them to ease you into the game. From there, the core mechanics of this game revolve around befriending new Pokémon, adding and upgrading them to your team, then taking your team out on expeditions to find loot and battle wild Pokémon. Each area’s difficulty level is represented by a number which you’ll compare to your team’s power level to determine your chance of success.

#PokemonQuest allows Trainers of all ages to get in on the action! In this free-to-start game, you can face off against wild Pokémon and embark on many exciting expeditions. pic.twitter.com/CZ57iGKWMX

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 30, 2018

Once you’re out exploring, your Pokémon engage in battles automatically. It’s nothing like the battling found in the other Pokémon RPG’s you’ve played, as you have had limited control over your Pokémon. You are able to tap their special abilities to give your team the edge in even battles, but there’s a cooldown timer so you can’t just frantically tap your way to victory.

Another core element of the game is the ability to cook meals using different ingredients you’ll collect as you play. The meals you cook are unique and will attract different types of Pokémon, so an important aspect of the game will be experimenting at your cooking pot by trying out different recipes and seeing what Pokémon they attract. A good portion of your time playing Pokémon Quest will be spent cooking and upgrading your campsite with fun decorations.

It’s a free-to-play adventure

As you might expect, Pokémon Quest will be free-to-play on mobile with in-app purchases likely available to buy more PM tickets, the in-game currency which you can spend on upgrades that cut down on cook time for your recipes along with other upgrades available from the shop. Unlike other games that are quite restrictive with its implementation of in-app purchases, Pokémon Quest seems to have found a nice balance where in-app purchases can be used to speed up your progress but are not requried to keep progressing.

Will it run on my phone?

The system requirements for Pokémonn Quest are pretty basic, only requiring a phone running Android OS 4.4 or newer and 2GB of RAM meaning this game should work on practically any Android phone released in the past three years with no issues.

Download: Pokémon Quest (Free w/IAPs)

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Samsung to Launch New Galaxy Note 9 a Month Before Apple is Expected to Unveil New 2018 iPhones

Samsung this morning sent out press invites for an Unpacked event that is set to take place on Thursday, August 9, where it is expected to unveil the next-generation Galaxy Note device, the Galaxy Note 9.

The media invitation Samsung sent out, which was shared by Business Insider, appears to feature the button of the S Pen of the Galaxy Note, the accessory that Samsung sells with its Galaxy Note devices.

Samsung typically hosts two major smartphone events per year because it launches the Galaxy Note line and the Galaxy S9 line at different times. The Galaxy S9, for example, launched in February, while the Galaxy Note 8, the predecessor to the rumored Note 9, came out last August.

Splitting its smartphone launch dates allows Samsung to better compete with Apple by unveiling new technology before and after iPhone launches.

The Galaxy Note 9 launch will come just a month ahead of when Apple is expected to unveil its 2018 iPhones, which are rumored to include a second-generation 5.8-inch OLED iPhone, a larger 6.5-inch OLED iPhone that can be thought of as a sort of “iPhone X Plus,” and a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone that will be more affordably priced.

Samsung will then follow the 2018 iPhones with new Galaxy S10 devices in February of 2019, if it sticks to its typical smartphone release habits.

Like the Galaxy Note 8, the Galaxy Note 9 is likely to continue to offer an edge-to-edge AMOLED display with edge panel and S Pen support, along with dual cameras and a rear fingerprint sensor.

Rumors suggest the Galaxy Note 9 will not feature a notch, and that it could have slightly smaller top and bottom bezels than the Note 8, resulting in a 2mm smaller chassis. It is also expected to feature S Pen improvements, and while early rumors pointed towards an in-display fingerprint sensor, it’s not believed Samsung is going to go this route.

Galaxy Note 9 renders via OnLeaks
It was Samsung’s Galaxy Note line that was subject to intense scrutiny after 2016’s Galaxy Note 7 was impacted by faulty batteries that caused fires and injuries to multiple people. Samsung eventually had to recall all Galaxy Note 7 devices, which were also banned by airlines.

Samsung decided to continue on with the Note line through 2017’s Galaxy Note 8, which suffered from no major problems.

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Apple’s Headphone Jack Adapter Remains a Top Seller at Best Buy

Back in September 2016, controversy erupted when Apple released the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus without a headphone jack. Now, users must plug wired headphones into the Lightning connector using an adapter, included in the box with each device, and sold separately for $9 in the United States.

The adapter is also available at resellers such as Best Buy, where nearly two years later, it remains a top seller. In fact, the adapter is Best Buy’s second-best selling Apple product in terms of unit sales, behind only AirPods, according to Joshua Fruhlinger, publisher of data-driven site Thinknum:

The above chart shows the Lightning-to-3.5mm Headphone Adapter’s sales rank at Best Buy for the past couple years. A lower sales rank, of course, is better. As you can see, the adapter has been a top-25 seller for the better part of the past year.

Apple is likely not making a ton off of the little dongles, but the fact remains that it’s the company’s second-best-selling product at America’s number-one electronics retailer, ahead of its EarPods and Apple Watch.

MacRumors reached out to Fruhlinger to verify the data, obtained using Best Buy’s developer APIs, and we did see that the headphone jack adapter has consistently ranked as the best selling Apple product behind AirPods, with a few days here and there as exceptions, for well over a year.

In fact, since the adapter was released a few years ago, its sales ranking among all products sold by Best Buy has generally increased:

• Dec 15, 2016: 261st
• Mar 15, 2017: 77th
• Jun 15, 2017: 33rd
• Sep 15, 2017: 30th
• Dec 15, 2017: 53rd
• Mar 15, 2018: 18th
• Jun 15, 2018: 19th

The data is particularly interesting given that Apple already includes its headphone jack adapter in the box with its latest iPhones, so every customer that needs one should already have one. So, what is driving all of the sales?

Fruhlinger offered up a pretty reasonable explanation: people keep losing the adapter, thereby having to buy a new one:

I almost died of laughter at the gym last year. I was plodding away on a treadmill listening to Bill Burr complain about his new iPhone. To be more precise, he was ranting about his new iPhone’s lack of a headphone jack and how he kept losing those Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone adapters…

The story cut too close to home. As a wired headphone holdout (I refuse to charge my headphones, and I love my Klipsches), I’ve gone through several headphones adapters myself.

Of course, some customers may simply want more than one headphone jack adapter for use in the car, at work, and so forth.

Overall, the data suggests wired headphones remain popular, but remember that AirPods are the one Apple product outselling the adapter at Best Buy, so many customers are also embracing wireless.

Apple has said it is pushing towards a “truly wireless future,” as evidenced by the removal of the headphone jack, and its other products and technologies, ranging from AirPods and AirPower to its W1 and W2 wireless chips. The headphone jack adapter has always been a stopgap amid that transition.

In fact, earlier this year, analysts at Barclays predicted that Apple won’t include the adapter in the box with the trio of iPhones rumored to launch this September. Even if that turns out to be false, the adapter certainly won’t be around forever. But, for now, it clearly remains quite popular.

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Snapchat Planning to Launch ‘Internal App Store’ for Games This Fall

Snapchat is looking to build its own “internal app store” of gaming titles, according to a new report out today from The Information.

The platform is set for a tentative launch sometime this fall, and will allow outside developers to build games that Snapchat then distributes for users to play within the Snapchat app.

People familiar with the company’s plans claim that Snapchat has already lined up one gaming publisher to make a new game for Snapchat’s app store.

Unless every game is completely free, it’s unclear how the company plans to succeed when Apple has strict App Store guidelines that prevent companies from selling apps, games, and other content in their apps that aren’t designated in-app purchases.

The company is preparing to launch a platform this fall that will let outside developers create games to be played through the Snapchat app, according to two people familiar with the matter.

It is relying on outside developers to build the games that could be downloaded in an internal app-store of titles. The gaming platform has been in the works for at least a year as the company has worked on the platform’s technology, according to a person familiar with the effort.

Recently, Valve had trouble with Apple’s policies in this regard, after trying to get its Steam Link app on the App Store, which would have let users purchase games within the app. After Apple rejected the app, Valve removed game purchasing as an option from Steam Link and has resubmitted it for approval to Apple. Now, when users see a game in the app Valve points them toward a Mac or PC as places to make their purchases.

For Snapchat, the deeper foray into gaming is believed to be an attempt to further distance itself from rival Instagram, which has copied a few of its features over the years and eventually became more successful than Snapchat in regards to the 24-hour “stories” feature. However, one source reportedly suggested that the gaming platform is still “more experimental” at this point than a central business effort by the company.

Earlier this year, the company expressed interest in gaming on a small scale with the launch of “Snappables,” Snapchat Lenses that are interactive and let users play AR games with friends. Many social-focused apps have tried out gaming experiences in the past, including Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Apple’s own iMessage through the launch of the Messages App Store in iOS 10.

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Disney’s Acquisition of Fox Approved, but Must Sell Off 22 Regional Fox Sports Networks

After months of scrutiny in an ongoing antitrust case, the United States Department of Justice today granted The Walt Disney Company approval to acquire 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets for $71.3 billion, on one new condition: Disney must divest 22 regional sports networks owned by Fox to an “acceptable” buyer. Removing these networks from the acquisition “would resolve the competitive harm” that has been previously raised in the antitrust lawsuit, the Department said.

If Disney did acquire Fox and the 22 regional sports networks, the original complaint argued that the proposed acquisition would “likely result” in multichannel video programming distributors paying higher prices for cable sports programming in the designated markets. This would also inflate television subscription prices in the process, the Department pointed out.

Now, Disney has agreed to sell the 22 networks to a buyer that the Justice Department deems “acceptable,” rather than continue the ongoing merger investigation. After the acquisition closes, Disney will have 90 days in which to sell all of the designated networks to the buyer, otherwise the court will appoint a trustee to force the sale.

This will ensure a competitive market remains in place in each region, Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim explained.

“American consumers have benefitted from head-to-head competition between Disney and Fox’s cable sports programming that ultimately has prevented cable television subscription prices from rising even higher,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s settlement will ensure that sports programming competition is preserved in the local markets where Disney and Fox compete for cable and satellite distribution.”

The specific regional sports networks in question include the following:

(i) Fox Sports Arizona, (ii) Fox Sports Carolinas, (iii) Fox Sports Detroit, (iv) Fox Sports Florida, (v) Fox Sports Indiana, (vi) Fox Sports Kansas City, (vii) Fox Sports Midwest, (viii) Fox Sports New Orleans, (ix) Fox Sports North, (x) Fox Sports Ohio, (xi) SportsTime Ohio, (xii) Fox Sports Oklahoma, (xiii) Fox Sports San Diego, (xiv) Fox Sports South, (xv) Fox Sports Southeast, (xvi) Fox Sports Southwest, (xvii) Fox Sports Sun, (xviii) Fox Sports Tennessee, (xix) Fox Sports West, (xx) Prime Ticket, (xxi) Fox Sports Wisconsin, and (xxii) the YES Network.

Disney is now believed to have surpassed the last major hurdle in the deal and should be nearing the end of the acquisition process, although regulatory approvals from other countries are still required. Competitive offers could also still appear, potentially from Comcast, although Fox has remained vocal about its preference for Disney to win its entertainment assets.

As outlined in the original announcement last December, these assets include Twentieth Century Fox Film and Television Studios and Fox-related cable and international TV businesses. Movie assets that would become Disney-owned include Avatar, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool, and TV shows include The Simpsons, This Is Us, and The Americans. Disney would also get Fox’s 30 percent stake in Hulu and become a majority owner of the streaming service.

Tags: Disney, Fox
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