Hearst has set a deal to acquire Disney’s 50% stake in A+E Global Media, the parent company of Lifetime, History Channel, A&E Network and other assets in a deal that calls for Hearst to pay Disney $1.2 billion in cash.
Disney and Hearst have been 50-50 partners in A+E Global Media for more than a decade. Hearst also owns a roughly 18% stake in Disney’s ESPN but that is separate from A+E Global Media and unaffected by the transaction. The A+E Global Media deal is expected to close in September, with Paul Buccieri remaining at the helm as president and chairman.
The deal puts Hearst back into national media in a big way. The company has deep roots in newspaper and magazine publishing and it operates a strong group of 35 local TV stations, most of them Big Three network affiliates.
“We thank our Disney colleagues for decades of successful partnership,” said Steven R. Swartz, president and CEO of Hearst. “We look forward to supporting Paul Buccieri and A+E Global Media’s leadership team as they continue to make must-see programs and innovate around the great History, Lifetime and A&E brands.”
The deal brings A+E Global Media full circle with Hearst taking full control of the assets. Hearst and Disney put the company on the block in July 2025. Starz was among the outside media companies that took a look at the company but it’s unclear if they ever got to a formal bid stage. With Hearst coming in, the A+E Global Media team will settle in with an owner that they know well.
