- nypost.com
VIVA – CEO of Disney, Bob Iger has rumoured to sell the iconic entertainment company to tech giant Apple, following last week's earnings call.
As Iger said sharesholders, the company is debating various strategic options on how to handle its current holdings of legacy television network ABC and cable networks such as FX and National Geographic.
Iger further stated that in the era of the demise of cable TV, these legacy TV channels may not be Disney's primary objective.
Tim Cook dan Apple Vision Pro.
- MacRumors
Disney insiders and veteran Hollywood executives think that Iger's statement indicates that he may be streamlining the House of Mouse with plans to make a more favorable deal for Apple and federal regulators.
"I don't think Apple is going to buy the company as it currently exists, but if you see Bob starting to divest something, it feels like he's preparing for a sale," one senior industry observer said.
But both avenues have dangerous hurdles for Disney, at least according to legal experts and financial analysts who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter.
If Disney remains independent, it will have to compete in the streaming market against tech giants, each of which has a profitable core business outside of media games, meaning they don't need to monetize content.
But if Disney tries to sell, the company will face government scrutiny that one legal expert described as 'walking into a bear trap'.
"It's a given, it's an absolute certainty that if there is any talk of Disney merging with another party, it will be overseen by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) of the Department of Justice," St John's University law professor Anthony Sabino said.
He views CEO Iger's recent contract extension as one big sign that there is no thought of him wanting to sell the company.
Nevertheless, rumors that Apple will someday buy Disney have been circulating in both companies for years.
This speculation arose due to their historic relationship, as after the sale of CGI company Pixar to Disney in 2006, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs joined Disney's board of directors as the largest individual shareholder owning a 7 percent stake.
After Jobs' sudden death in 2011, Iger himself joined Apple's board of directors and later resigned in 2019 only to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest as Apple entered the streaming wars with the announcement of Apple TV+.
