During the meeting, Peter Rice stated that the Disney / Fox deal itself is expected to close in the first half of 2019, likely in the first quarter.
So from their end, Fox will be ready with New Fox come January 1 and once Disney takes over, their operation will already be up and running.
What’s left of Fox, which will consist of Fox Sports, Fox News and Fox Broadcasting, will be formed into a new company, currently dubbed New Fox once the deal is complete.
The Disney purchase of Fox is very close to being a done deal.