Sun Valley Conference Kicks Off With Brian Roberts, Peter Chernin, Bob Iger – and Hulu on the Line

Gathering takes place just days aftere the final deadline for bids on the online video service — and all the interested players in tow

Forget the closed-door lectures and panels, as khaki-clad moguls like Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Walt Disney Company's Bob Iger, Google's Eric Schmidt and Apple's Tim Cook rub elbows this week at Allen & Co.’s Sun Valley conference of suits.

Not with the fate of Hulu hanging in the balance.

Indeed, the annual conclave is often less about the planned sessions on business and politics and more about the major mergers and acquisitions that are often cooked up as company leaders sip cocktails. 

Also read: Hulu Deadline for Final Bids Arrives: Keep an Eye on DirecTV

And this year, Sun Valley kicks off just days after Friday's deadline for final bids on the popular online video service, owned by Comcast, Disney and 21st Century Fox, who are looking to unload it. 

The digital video pioneer has already drawn interest from the likes of Chernin Entertainment/AT&T and DirecTV, and it's possible that a deal could be in the making — especially since Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, DirecTV CEO Michael White, 21st Century Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Peter Chernin are expected to be creek-side.

Past conferences hosted by the boutique New York investment firm have given birth to such blockbuster deals as Comcast's 2009 acquisition of NBCUniversal — not to mention a few corporate catastrophes, such as the the 1999 merger of Time Warner and America Online.

So stay tuned.

Comments