News Corp's Digital Transformation and the Impact of Murdoch's Potential Role in a TikTok Deal

President Trump's defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and Penguin Random House has been dismissed, and Trump's legal team plans to continue litigation. Meanwhile, President Trump has stated that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch are likely to be involved in a potential consortium to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations. The possibility of Murdoch family participation in the high-profile TikTok deal could influence News Corp's investment outlook, but it does not appear to materially affect the company's biggest near-term catalyst: digital subscription and licensing growth, nor its most pressing risk, declines in core traditional media segments.

A federal judge in Florida has dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump's $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. The lawsuit was filed earlier this year and targeted a book and an article written by Times reporters Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig, which focused on Trump's finances and his pre-presidency role in television's The Apprentice Judge dismisses Trump’s multibillion-dollar lawsuit against New York Times^[1].

U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday ruled that Trump's lawsuit was overly long and filled with "tedious and burdensome" language that had no bearing on the legal case. The judge gave Trump 28 days to file an amended complaint, limiting it to 40 pages in length. The lawsuit also named an article by Peter Baker from The New York Times, which Trump claimed was defamatory Judge dismisses Trump’s multibillion-dollar lawsuit against New York Times^[1].

Separately, Trump has stated that media executive Lachlan Murdoch will join a group of American investors seeking to take control of TikTok's operations in the United States. The proposed deal would transfer TikTok's American assets from Chinese parent company ByteDance to U.S. ownership, with Lachlan Murdoch and other prominent figures involved Trump says Lachlan Murdoch part of proposed TikTok deal^[2].

The involvement of the Murdoch family in the TikTok deal could influence News Corp's investment outlook, but it does not appear to materially affect the company's biggest near-term catalyst: digital subscription and licensing growth. News Corp's segments include Digital Real Estate Services, Subscription Video Services, Dow Jones, Book Publishing, and The News Media, which includes News Corp Australia and News UK News Corp Australia Logs Record Digital Audience in August^[3].

In summary, the dismissal of Trump's lawsuit and the potential involvement of the Murdoch family in the TikTok deal are significant developments, but their impact on News Corp's financial performance remains to be seen.