Bob Iger On Linear Television, ESPN And Disney’s Streaming Pivot – “Thinking Expansively And Considering A Variety Of Strategic Options”
deadline.comDisney CEO Bob Iger shook up the entertainment industry and Wall Street last month when he declared to CNBC at Sun Valley that linear television may be non-core and that he’s looking for partners for ESPN as the company pivots to streaming.
He’s still all in on filmed entertainment, television content studios and theme parks. But Disney could look very different when Iger exits at the end of his contract in 2026 — if he’s found a successor by then.
The CEO recently extended his contract and said today that’s because there’s much work to be done to transform the company. Linear television, from ABC to FX, Freeform and National Geographic, broadly remains highly profitable for Disney today, he acknolwdged on a conference call after quaterly earnings.
But “the trends being fueled by cord cutting are unmistakable. And, as I have stated before, we are thinking expansively and considering a variety of strategic options.” He said the company is “fortunate to have an array of extremely productive television studios that we will rely on to continue providing exceptional content for audiences well into the future.” “We need to keep in mind the need for content to fuel our DTC businesses, notably Hulu.
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