• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Analyst: ESPN Spinoff ‘Probable’ in 2023

  • Last month, Disney announced Bob Iger would return as CEO.
  • Wells Fargo analyst Steve Cahall said an ESPN spinoff would make Disney “an attractive pureplay IP company.”
Disney is open to potentially selling an equity stake in ESPN.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Disney’s executive switch-up could indicate a future ESPN spinoff.

The company announced last month that Bob Iger, who was Disney CEO from 2005 to 2020, will replace his hand-picked successor, Bob Chapek.

Iger resisted an ESPN spinoff in the last years of his prior run as Disney CEO, but Wells Fargo analyst Steve Cahall said he could see a spinoff happening soon.

“We think Bob Iger is returning to [Disney] ready to make big changes,” he said, adding that a spinoff would make the Mouse “an attractive pureplay IP company.”

  • ESPN isn’t considered an intellectual property, but Cahall said Disney has become a “franchise IP leader with global scale” through other acquisitions.
  • “With linear and sports trends diverging from core IP, we think severing the company is increasingly logical,” he said.

“Investors can build their own portfolios, and we think ESPN inside of [Disney] is a portfolio with less and less logical connection as time goes by,” Cahall said. “As such, to us it’s a reasonably probable event for late 2023.”

In the fiscal year ending Oct. 1, 2022, ESPN lost 2 million subscribers.

Walt Disney logo at pitch level inside stadium

ESPN, Disney Channel Each Lost 2M Subscribers

The networks lost 2 million subscribers each in the last fiscal year.
November 30, 2022

ESPN Opinions

Activist investor Dan Loeb previously pushed for a spinoff but backed off after he gained “a better understanding of ESPN’s potential as a standalone business.”

In September, Disney CFO Christine McCarthy said Disney sees “ESPN as being part of our overall portfolio.”

“We’re very much against spinning off ESPN … that’s the dumbest thing ever,” Jason Bazinet, managing director at Citi, said last month.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Maria Taylor

Maria Taylor Talks About ‘Moving Differently’ in ESPN-NBC Jump

Taylor will be NBC Sports’ lead NBA and WNBA studio host.

Manfred Says New MLB Rights Deal ‘Replicated’ Money From ESPN Opt-Out

Rob Manfred spoke at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit.
Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Netflix Christmas GameDay cake seen after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.

‘We Didn’t Get a Test Run’: Greg Olsen on Netflix NFL Christmas..

Greg Olsen said the game was uncharted territory for him.

Featured Today

Premier Lacrosse League

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 13, 2025

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.

Fever Ratings Fall Without Clark, but Rest of WNBA Game 1s Surge

The Indiana Fever game drew 47% fewer viewers this year.
exclusive
September 16, 2025

ESPN, Fox One Added 1M Sign-Ups in First 10 Days After Launch

The two high-profile streaming services have strong starts with consumers.
Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) makes a reception defended by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) during the fourth quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 16, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Sets Early NFL TV Ratings Mark

Several new milestones are established with the big early-season matchup.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Greg Olsen
September 16, 2025

Greg Olsen on Tom Brady’s Raiders Role: ‘More Power to Him’

This season, the NFL has relaxed the special Brady broadcasting rules.
Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Injured Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on from the bench during the first half of a basketball game against the Chicago Sky at United Center.
September 15, 2025

WNBA Ratings Rise 3% in 2025 Despite Clark’s Absence

Caitlin Clark played in just 13 of 44 regular-season games.
Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) breaks up a pass intended for Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 27-18.
September 15, 2025

Amazon Shatters Previous Ratings High for 1st NFL Game

“TNF” viewership surges 35% compared to the 2024 season average.
Las Vegas Aces
September 15, 2025

WNBA Playoffs Face ESPN Fall Crunch For Final Time

The games will be spread across three networks next year.