In a filing relating to exchanging Fox debt for Disney cash and debt, Disney and 21st Century Fox confirmed that the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019. This is inline with the timeline announced last December of the acquisition being completed in 12 to 18 months.
Before the deal can be completed, Disney and Fox are still subject to some regulatory approvals, including the European Union which is expected to announced their initial decision on October 19.
Since the deal was announced there have been some changes to the initial framework. After a competing bid by Comcast, Disney raised their offer. Disney also agreed to sell the regional sports networks within 90 days of the completion of the sale. Finally, Fox and Disney decided to sell their share of Sky, which resulted in a lower purchase price for Disney. The net result is that Disney will be acquiring fewer assets than they originally envisioned. Among the remaining Fox assets are 20th Century Fox movie and TV studios, the FX cable networks, and a controlling interest in National Geographic.