Deal with Fox could give Disney an edge in streaming wars

If Walt Disney Co buys some Twenty-First Century Fox businesses, it could provide a quick path for the traditional media giant to create a substantial competitor to Netflix Inc in the battle for TV and movie viewers.

The two companies reportedly held talks in recent weeks about a potential sale of Fox’s FX and National Geographic channels, its movie studio and some other international assets to Disney, according to media reports. The discussions had stopped as of Monday but could restart, the reports said.

Television viewers have been rapidly embracing online services like Netflix over traditional pay TV packages, a shift that