• Loading stock data...
Monday, September 8, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Disney Brings Back Execs As It Weighs ESPN Equity Sale, Future Leadership

  • Iger brings in former Disney executives Mayer, Staggs to consult on TV assets
  • Engagement happening as ESPN parent wrestles with serious questions
Bob Iger of Disney
Shutterstock

Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger is turning to two former colleagues to help solve one of the ESPN parent’s thorniest issues — prompting questions about the company’s future leadership.

Just days after indicating he would be open to outside equity partners for ESPN, Iger has called in former Disney senior executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs to consult with him, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, and others shaping the future of Disney’s linear TV business.

Mayer previously led Disney’s direct-to-consumer operations and played a key role in the $3.83 billion, four-step purchase of MLB’s BAMTech, the technological backbone of ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu. Staggs spent more than a quarter-century at Disney, mostly as CFO. 

Both separately left Disney after failing to secure the CEO post held by Bob Chapek for nearly three years before Iger’s November 2022 return.

Iger said he could sell parts of Disney TV networks like ESPN and ABC, which is understandable. ESPN has lost nearly 28 million linear subscribers since 2011, and cord-cutting has slashed the number of traditional pay-TV households from 102.1 million in 2014 to 63.2 million in 2023.

The move also revives speculation as to whether the pair of former Disney confidantes have reentered the mix to be Iger’s ultimate successor.

A newly agreed two-year extension will keep Iger in place through 2026, when he’ll be 75 — but the deal specifically calls for a clear CEO succession plan. Disney next reports quarterly earnings on Aug. 9, which could offer further clues on the company’s linear TV direction.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NFL Kickoff Returns Skyrocket After Latest Rule Change

Only 18.6% of kickoffs produced a touchback during the first 15 games of Week 1.

17.3M Watch Chiefs-Chargers on YouTube—Below Lofty Hopes

The NFL’s Brazil game fails to match streaming results from last Christmas.

Trump Attendance Delays US Open Final, ESPN Shows Mixed Crowd Reaction

The final was delayed by 30 minutes due to additional security measures.
exclusive

Ryan Clark Could Be On Thin Ice at ESPN After Second Public..

Clark and Peter Schrager had a tense on-air moment Friday.

Featured Today

Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Tennis
September 5, 2025

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 5, 2025

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.

NFL’s Expected Early-Season Ratings Boost Gets Off to a Stormy Start

The kickoff game somewhat resembles the delays last year in an SNF game.
Eagles
September 4, 2025

The Death of Streameast Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Mirror sites began popping up Thursday, the day the NFL season begins.
September 4, 2025

TNT Sports to Try Its Own Streaming App After WBD Split

TNT Sports will have its own app as a corporate split approaches.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
September 4, 2025

3 ABC Games Top 10M Viewers Each in ESPN’s Record CFB Weekend

Miami–Notre Dame led the way with 10.8 million viewers.
September 4, 2025

Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut Draws More Than 6M Viewers on ESPN

TCU-UNC was the fifth-most-watched college football game of Week 1.
September 3, 2025

Ohio State–Texas Showdown Was Most-Watched Week 1 CFB Game Ever

Fox drew 16.62 million viewers on Saturday afternoon.
September 2, 2025

NFL on Nielsen’s Latest Measurement Upgrade: ‘More Work to Be Done’

The league calls its relationship with the agency a “protracted journey.”