Bob Iger Returns/Disney CEO Thread (2022)

[tielo]

Hulu sounds like a hollow shell if Comcast can't get all the ip's that are owned by (for instance) Disney.
Comcast knows Disney is financially in a bad shape and Disney has committed in the past that they buy out Comcast to get the rest of Hulu for (at least) 27B$. It brings Disney in even a more difficult financial position and that is a win for Comcast.
It's fascinating to see how this will play out.

 

[GAcoaster]

I assume that a lot of Hulu's content would have to stay on Hulu (at least for a while) since there are contracts in place. All these deals between studios and streamers/networks were set up so in the event the outlet changes hands the content remains until the end of the contract. That's why Fox stuff still airs on HBO Max. It's just like the Marvel contract with Universal-- yes, it could change, but there's no will or cash to make it change until it becomes a priority.

 

[tielo]

I assume that a lot of Hulu's content would have to stay on Hulu (at least for a while) since there are contracts in place. All these deals between studios and streamers/networks were set up so in the event the outlet changes hands the content remains until the end of the contract. That's why Fox stuff still airs on HBO Max. It's just like the Marvel contract with Universal-- yes, it could change, but there's no will or cash to make it change until it becomes a priority.

That is exactly my point, would you buy a car where the seats, engine and roof are on rent and the contract ends in a few years? It'll leave you with an expensive paperweight. Content is king.

 

[Nick]

I assume that a lot of Hulu's content would have to stay on Hulu (at least for a while) since there are contracts in place. All these deals between studios and streamers/networks were set up so in the event the outlet changes hands the content remains until the end of the contract. That's why Fox stuff still airs on HBO Max. It's just like the Marvel contract with Universal-- yes, it could change, but there's no will or cash to make it change until it becomes a priority.

Comcast would lose a good majority of Hulu's originals however after around 5 years after each Disney show ends. Disney owns most of the content on Hulu, but the fact that Hulu is so built up thanks to Disney does provide Comcast with a chance to have a much more successful streaming service than Peacock. Keep the Hulu name, they get to keep the Disney Hulu-Originals for a period of time, and then they can bring over literally everything from Peacock and shutter that service if they wanted to and over time people wouldn't notice as much when the Disney originals leave Hulu in 5 or more years. Handmaid's Tale will eventually be leaving as well as that show is either almost over or already done with a spinoff in the works - Amazon owns that via MGM so eventually that will end up on Prime Video.

It will be interesting what happens here and who really wants it. Tbh, I think if Disney is being smart and Iger can finally concede to putting more R/TV-MA content than just Marvel and NatGeo stuff on Disney+ then it's a no-brainer to sell. It would pay for a lot of the Fox sale on it's own and also think of the savings in money each year because they aren't running two extremely popular streaming services that both cost billions simply to operate.

 

[GAcoaster]

After 5 years most shows are forgotten anyway.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I don’t have anything inside Disney anymore, but I know from pre pandemic times there were more plans to invest in Marvel in California and Chapek cut a lot of interactivity amongst the land, also E ticket has been changed a million times. I suspect when Iger hints at investments into Marvel he means better films, and significant more theme park showings. Just a hunch. That Avengers E ticket will be open for the Olympics in 2028.

 

[shiekra38]

Comcast would lose a good majority of Hulu's originals however after around 5 years after each Disney show ends. Disney owns most of the content on Hulu, but the fact that Hulu is so built up thanks to Disney does provide Comcast with a chance to have a much more successful streaming service than Peacock. Keep the Hulu name, they get to keep the Disney Hulu-Originals for a period of time, and then they can bring over literally everything from Peacock and shutter that service if they wanted to and over time people wouldn't notice as much when the Disney originals leave Hulu in 5 or more years. Handmaid's Tale will eventually be leaving as well as that show is either almost over or already done with a spinoff in the works - Amazon owns that via MGM so eventually that will end up on Prime Video.

It will be interesting what happens here and who really wants it. Tbh, I think if Disney is being smart and Iger can finally concede to putting more R/TV-MA content than just Marvel and NatGeo stuff on Disney+ then it's a no-brainer to sell. It would pay for a lot of the Fox sale on it's own and also think of the savings in money each year because they aren't running two extremely popular streaming services that both cost billions simply to operate.

We get Comcast content and Handmaid's Tale leaves

What a deal!

 

[Parkscope Joe]

 

[Nick]

Great for the NBA to be getting rid of him. Bad for Disney. Although he's a proven entity that has shown he can run a big ship so he should at least be competent in the role. His time in the NBA has been up and down, but he's been much better at responding to scandals than Chapek showed he could handle. He's ousted two owners for issues with misconduct and handled many difficult situations with varying levels of success.

My issue is, he's a business person. He doesn't know anything about theme parks, film, streaming, etc. His expertise is in running an organization competently. But he has no experience in anything that Disney deals with. That gives me a lot of worry.

 

[Jake S]

great for the NBA to be getting rid of him? I'm no cheerleader for The League or The Owners, but by all accounts he's done quite well in that role. now, to your point about how well that prepares him to run a gigantic media company with a tremendously diverse portfolio ... who knows. but this is all a bit of a dark art to me anyway.

 

[Nick]

great for the NBA to be getting rid of him? I'm no cheerleader for The League or The Owners, but by all accounts he's done quite well in that role. now, to your point about how well that prepares him to run a gigantic media company with a tremendously diverse portfolio ... who knows. but this is all a bit of a dark art to me anyway.

I don't think it prepares him to run Disney well at all and said as well. I think it shows he can run a company, but he has no experience in the film industry, in theme parks, streaming, etc. I feel like if they are bringing in someone from the outside who doesn't have much experience in Disney's business, i'd feel more comfortable if they acted as COO for about 6 months just so Iger could do a smooth transition with them and teach them the business.

Something Adam Silver most certainly has that Chapek didn't is the ability to be more personable in public appearances. Since Silver has had to do so many as Commissioner and he's also regularly talking to owners and players, that gives him a tad bit of that Iger charisma, but still not to the same level.

 

[Nico]

This is fine if he plays the Frank Wells role to someone’s Eisner. Otherwise, there seems to be a disconnect from the actual business at hand.

 

[OrlLover]

It seems they are throwing names to a wall and seeing which one sticks. Probably gauging public feedback as well.

 

[Nick]

It seems they are throwing names to a wall and seeing which one sticks. Probably gauging public feedback as well.

They are 100% looking outside of the company for literally anyone who has experience running a large business. They want to avoid the Chapek fiasco again. Problem is you need to know how to run a media conglomerate made up of many studios, theme parks, streaming services, etc.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

My issue is, he's a business person. He doesn't know anything about theme parks, film, streaming, etc. His expertise is in running an organization competently. But he has no experience in anything that Disney deals with. That gives me a lot of worry.

I think that's the goal though, someone who can run the broader organization seamlessly, while leaving the individual business units alone.

A positive attribute of his is to innovate, the NBA has changed a lot, and are looking for even more changes to make fans more engaged/interested.

 

[GAcoaster]

Let's hope if that happens that it's more successful that the LAST collaboration Disney had with the NBA...

https://www.disneysprings.com/blog/2019/08/nba-experience-grand-opening-is-a-slam-dunk-at-the-walt-disney-world-resort/

 

[Nick]

Let's hope if that happens that it's more successful that the LAST collaboration Disney had with the NBA...

https://www.disneysprings.com/blog/2019/08/nba-experience-grand-opening-is-a-slam-dunk-at-the-walt-disney-world-resort/

Technically that wasn’t the last. The last was the 2020 Bubble.

 

[Nick]

So speaking of Iger things going on at the corporate level, Disney has negotiations coming up within the next year to either buy or sell Hulu. For some reason, Citi Group seems to think they have reason to believe Iger will sell Hulu to Comcast and get the Hulk and Namor distribution rights back from them in any deal.

With the financial situation Disney is in, I personally think Disney will sell Hulu as it just makes sense. They'd get out of a majority of their debt simply from that sale alone, never mind any potential ESPN sale. Also, they have a brand that can replace Hulu immediately in the US already established. On Disney+ in international markets outside of the US, they have a sixth brand tile called "Star". This is where all of the content that doesn't fit in the other brand tiles goes, it's mostly filled with TV-14, TV-MA, Fox PG-13, and R-rated titles in the international markets. They would simply need to add Star to Disney+ in the US and they not only make billions on a sale of Hulu, but they have an immediate replacement ready. It's a win-win the way I see it.

Disney could sell its 67% stake in Hulu to buy up more Marvel rights: Citi

Disney might let go of Hulu in favor of the Hulk, at least according to one media analyst.

news.yahoo.com

 

[quinnmac000]

So speaking of Iger things going on at the corporate level, Disney has negotiations coming up within the next year to either buy or sell Hulu. For some reason, Citi Group seems to think they have reason to believe Iger will sell Hulu to Comcast and get the Hulk and Namor distribution rights back from them in any deal.

With the financial situation Disney is in, I personally think Disney will sell Hulu as it just makes sense. They'd get out of a majority of their debt simply from that sale alone, never mind any potential ESPN sale. Also, they have a brand that can replace Hulu immediately in the US already established. On Disney+ in international markets outside of the US, they have a sixth brand tile called "Star". This is where all of the content that doesn't fit in the other brand tiles goes, it's mostly filled with TV-14, TV-MA, Fox PG-13, and R-rated titles in the international markets. They would simply need to add Star to Disney+ in the US and they not only make billions on a sale of Hulu, but they have an immediate replacement ready. It's a win-win the way I see it.

Disney could sell its 67% stake in Hulu to buy up more Marvel rights: Citi

Disney might let go of Hulu in favor of the Hulk, at least according to one media analyst.

news.yahoo.com

I think the question becomes what does Hulu come with because it has to keep the valuation. If Disney takes it as well as all the content while Comcast is stuck with just the name is it worth it? Does comcast get to keep the franchise and ip rights of Hulu originals? There has to be something more of value outside just the streaming service especially with the price tag Hulu has.

 

[Mad Dog]

...and....as interest rates climb....it becomes much more costly to make acquisitions. Debt is magnified, and often unmanageable, when it comes at the cost of high rates.