Bob Iger Returns/Disney CEO Thread (2022)

[Parkscope Joe]

context:

 

[Nick]

Lots of rumors circulating about Disney buying the WWE.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Lots of rumors circulating about Disney buying the WWE.

Well that would suck for Peacock lol

 

[rageofthegods]

Lots of rumors circulating about Disney buying the WWE.

They have 50b in debt, they're not gonna spend 7b on a shiny, low earnings toy just to spite Comcast no matter how much Iger might want to (and he'll want to).

 

[Jerroddragon]

I hope not
That organization is the last thing Disney wants to deal with lots of bad allegations that come from organization not worth it.

 

[Nick]

They have 50b in debt, they're not gonna spend 7b on a shiny, low earnings toy just to spite Comcast no matter how much Iger might want to (and he'll want to).

I wouldn't put anything past Iger.

Think about it this way - ESPN spends billions and billions each year on sports rights. If they just pay an upfront fee to own WWE, then they never have to pay to broadcast it again. That's content they own in full with no strings attached. They could also market ESPN+ as the home of UFC and WWE, which for a lot of people does a lot in terms of grabbing subscribers.

 

[JoeCamel]

I wouldn't put anything past Iger.

Think about it this way - ESPN spends billions and billions each year on sports rights. If they just pay an upfront fee to own WWE, then they never have to pay to broadcast it again. That's content they own in full with no strings attached. They could also market ESPN+ as the home of UFC and WWE, which for a lot of people does a lot in terms of grabbing subscribers.

It requires a promoter to run it. Try sticking a suit in charge and it falls apart in a year

 

[Nick]

It requires a promoter to run it. Try sticking a suit in charge and it falls apart in a year

You would still run WWE the way it's being run now if they were to buy it. When Iger has made purchases in the past, he buys and then lets them operate fairly independently as they had been in order to keep them as successful as they were before, just now under Disney. The head of ESPN surely knows that WWE would need a promoter, anyway.

 

[fryoj]

In before the "Wrestlemania dark ride to Hollywood studios" rumor..

The idea of paying up front for content isn't horrible. I'm curious how much influence Disney's image would have on the content though.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

This reads like it's coming from WWE and not from Disney.

 

[DK745]

I mean I guess it could happen but with where Disney is financially right now, and having no real relation to WWE at all, seems weird that they would suddenly go all in on this thing compared to say NBCU/Comcast, who has had a working relationship with them for decades.

Stranger things have happened though. With Iger back maybe he wants to buy something else before he heads off again.

 

[salismetho]

Iger said some stuff a little reminiscent of the Comcast stance that things that add capacity drives more guests. Nothing crazy but that stance makes me more cautiously hopeful for the parks

 

[Mad Dog]

Iger said some stuff a little reminiscent of the Comcast stance that things that add capacity drives more guests. Nothing crazy but that stance makes me more cautiously hopeful for the parks

Yes. Good business practice to pay attention to the divisions that make you lots of money....and less attention to those business segments that are black holes. Looking at you Disney + (growth less than anticipated...again)

 

[GAcoaster]

7,000 layoffs announced--

 

[Nick]

The parks are practically carrying this company as a stabilizing force and yet after TRON, with MMRR open, and once the overseas projects finish up, there’s virtually no projects left in the pipeline aside from retheming Splash to PatF and the eventual Avengers ride.

It’s really annoying that WDW has nothing planned in the near future that’s new yet the attendance to these parks is a big part of what’s driving the stock up right now. It’s so ridiculous they didn’t announce officially a DAK project at D23 at the very least.

 

[shiekra38]

Disney apologists tomorrow: "Here's why the 7,000 layoffs are good actually"

 

[Nick]

Disney apologists tomorrow: "Here's why the 7,000 layoffs are good actually"

Remember when Bob Iger said he wasn’t going to do the layoffs the Chapek planned to do? So much for that. Chapek just got the backlash because he was doing it over the holidays (bad optics) and he was being ousted anyway.

Chapek never learned that if you’re gonna do layoffs, you have to do them quietly after hours in a non-peak time. Silly ex-Bob.

 

[Mad Dog]

The parks are practically carrying this company as a stabilizing force and yet after TRON, with MMRR open, and once the overseas projects finish up, there’s virtually no projects left in the pipeline aside from retheming Splash to PatF and the eventual Avengers ride.

It’s really annoying that WDW has nothing planned in the near future that’s new yet the attendance to these parks is a big part of what’s driving the stock up right now. It’s so ridiculous they didn’t announce officially a DAK project at D23 at the very least.

Yes, it's been irksome that WDW carries the company, and doesn't receive enough love from Disney upper management.

 

[shiekra38]

Remember when Bob Iger said he wasn’t going to do the layoffs the Chapek planned to do? So much for that. Chapek just got the backlash because he was doing it over the holidays (bad optics) and he was being ousted anyway.

Chapek never learned that if you’re gonna do layoffs, you have to do them quietly after hours in a non-peak time. Silly ex-Bob.

I sure do, I'm fully prepared for the later gaslighting

i.e. "they were just call center workers" or something

 

[Mad Dog]

Layoffs...McCarthy says 50% marketing, 30% labor, 20% technology procurement........