• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Disney Continues to Slow Play Bob Iger’s Succession Plan

  • Iger delayed his retirement multiple times during his initial 15-year run as Disney CEO.
  • The top four replacement candidates are reportedly Iger’s direct reports.
Feb 13, 2023; Beverly Hills, CA, USA; Disney CEO Bob Iger arrives at the 95th Oscars nominees luncheon at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023.
Dan MacMedan-Imagn Images

Bob Iger’s successor won’t be getting named anytime soon. 

Disney announced Monday it will name its new chief executive in “early 2026,” and it said former Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman will replace Mark Parker as board chairman effective Jan. 2, 2025. Parker is executive chairman of Nike.

Choosing Iger’s successor has been a top priority for the company since its previous succession turmoil. Iger’s contract expires at the end of 2026. 

In August, Gorman was named head of Disney’s succession planning. Iger, who returned to run Disney in 2022 after initially stepping away from the company in 2020, postponed retirement multiple times during his first run as CEO, which spanned 15 years. Bob Chapek succeeded Iger as CEO in early 2020, but he was fired about two years later. 

In an interview at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in November 2023, Iger said he was “definitely going to step down” at the end of his current contract. Iger is 73 and the 2026 timeline could simply be a punt on succession talks to avoid them becoming a distraction, at least for now. 

The top four candidates reportedly vying to succeed Iger are his direct reports: Disney television executive Dana Walden, theme parks and resorts chairman Josh D’Amaro, movie chief Alan Bergman, and ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro. The Disney board said on Monday external candidates are also being considered. NBA commissioner Adam Silver was reportedly a candidate to succeed Iger in March 2023, but he said he has “no intention of going anywhere” when asked about it. 

While announcing a specific timeline for the CEO decision adds a bit of clarity to the process, the question of whom Iger’s successor will be is going to loom over the company for at least a year.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

MLB Home Run Derby Draws 5.7M Viewers on ESPN, Up 5%

ESPN reverses the trend from last year and registers audience growth.
Jul 14, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the 2025 Home Run Derby at Truist Park.

MLB Enters Crucial Second Half With Big Questions Looming

Media, labor, and Cal Raleigh are among the top second-half storylines.
Cal Raleigh

Home Run Derby Came Down to a 1-Inch Hawk-Eye Measurement

One expert is skeptical that the measurement could be that precise.
May 15, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; United States Capitol seen as People rally outside the Supreme Court before justices hears oral arguments in Trump v. CASA, Inc. At issue in the case is if the Supreme Court should stay the district courts' nationwide preliminary injunctions on the Trump administration’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.

Pro-NCAA Bill Takes First Step Toward Being Introduced on House Floor for..

It could be the first bill of its kind to make it to the House floor.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
April 25, 2025

The Former NBA Agent Who Became a Pickleball Deputy Commissioner

Chris Patrick went from representing Jimmy Butler to pickleball deputy commissioner.
Apr 10, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; (L-R) Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8), Ovechkin's wife Nastya, and sons Sergei and Ilya watch a video during a ceremony honoring Ovechkin's becoming the NHL all-time goals leader prior to the Capitals' game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Capital One Arena.
June 12, 2025

Ted Leonsis Says His $7B Sports Empire Beats the NFL Model

Why synergy is the future of sports ownership.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 9, 2009; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars during the press conference to introduce their new head coach John Kuester at their practice facility.
April 14, 2025

Joe Dumars Leaving NBA League Office to Run Pelicans

Joe Dumars was the architect of the 2004 champion Pistons.
March 13, 2025

Junior Bridgeman Was the Prototype for Business Success After Sports

He started with Wendy’s franchises, later expanding into bottling, magazines, and more.
Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; A$AP Rocky on the sideline after halftime during Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium.
February 27, 2025

A$AP Rocky Could Be Latest Celebrity Owner in English Soccer

Following his acquittal, the rapper is closer to owning Tranmere Rovers.
Oct 23, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat president Pat Riley addresses the crowd during the Pat Riley Court dedication ceremony at halftime at Kaseya Center.
February 14, 2025

Here’s Where Pat Riley’s Three-Peat Trademark Money Goes

Riley has the phrase trademarked despite having no three-peat of his own.