Is Disney Happy With its Linear TV?
By Movieguide® Contributor
On a recent post-earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that his company’s linear offerings actually contribute to the company, rather than being deadweight he wants to drop.
“We actually are at a point where the linear networks at our company are not a burden at all. They’re actually an asset,” Iger said. “We are programming them, and we are funding them at levels that actually give us the ability to enhance out overall television business that obviously includes and leans into streaming, which, let’s face it, is really the future of the television business.”
These comments are extremely surprising given the recent moves made by Disney’s competitors. Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) have both announced plans to silo their companies, splitting them into two parts — one holding their currently profitable business and the other taking on their losers. Generally speaking, the weaker side of these splits consists largely of cable TV networks, while the other side is comprised of profitable assets like movie studios, streamers and amusement parks.
READ MORE: WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY TO SPLIT TV AND MOVIE BUSINESS
The split of these companies is not entirely setting up cable for failure, as both Comcast and WBD have stated that doing so enables these networks to make more aggressive moves, potentially changing owners and joining a consolidation company. Disney seems to agree, as even with profits rolling in, Iger is open to selling.
“While I won’t rule out the possibility [of] some of the smaller networks in some form or another being configured differently in terms of how we bring them to market, maybe even ownership, but we’re not right now,” he said. “We actually feel good about the hand that we have and the manner in which we’re managing both the linear and the streaming businesses across the board.”
READ MORE: WHY DISNEY IS DOWNSIZING
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