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☆ Disney and Florida reach a deal, putting their legal war on hold
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Disney World and Florida have settled their legal dispute. The board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District — which was DeSantis hand-picked to take control of Disneyworld's special tax district — agreed on Wednesday to settle the state lawsuit brought by Disney. AdvertisementBut just before DeSantis' allies took over the board, Disney's outgoing board members passed an agreement stripping the board of much of its power, effectively hamstringing DeSantis' incoming board. Related storiesNow, as part of the Disney-proposed settlement, Disney will agree to return power to the DeSantis-appointed board, which can now have a say in development plans and expansion. The settlement also instructs the tourism board to consult with Disney as it reviews and amends planning documents for the Disney World site.

Persons: Disney execs, DeSantis, Ron DeSantis, —, Bob Iger, Disneyworld, hamstringing, Iger, Disney, Charbel Barakat, Disney — I'm, Barakat, Walt, Jeff Vahle, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Egan, Jones, Nelson Peltz Organizations: Disney, Florida Gov, Service, Central, Improvement, DeSantis, Walt Disney World, Associated Press Locations: Florida, Central Florida, Reedy, Disney

☆ Bob Iger's return as Disney's CEO once sparked hope inside the company. Now, insiders are anxious and losing faith.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Lucia Moses | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

"There was a lot of excitement and hope at the return of Bob Iger a year ago," a current Disney staffer told Insider. Uncertainty about the company's future and about who's deciding what on the creative side has left execs in a state of inertia, according to an entertainment lawyer with knowledge of Disney's business. The declining linear TV business culminated in a standoff with Charter Communications over terms for a new contract for carrying Disney's cable channels. And Disney's streaming business, which was supposed to make up for the decline in cable revenues, has lost $11 billion since Disney+ launched in 2019. Churn is a top concern in Disney streaming, some employees said.

Persons: Goofy, what's, Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, He's, confidants, Zenia Mucha, Alan Braverman, Alan Horn, Jayne Parker, Christine McCarthy —, Mickey, Ariel, grumbled, Iger's, It's, he's, Iger, Paul Verna, Chapek, Bob, it's, Ron DeSantis —, Iger —, Nelson Peltz, he'd, hasn't, Verna, Disney, Ike Perlmutter, Peltz, Perlmutter, Ike, Disney's, Paul Singer, Kevin Mayer, Tom Staggs, Puck, Stagg's Blackstone, Intelligence's Verna Organizations: Walt Disney Co, Disney, ABC, Hollywood, CNBC, Writers Guild of America, Wall, Insider Intelligence, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Century Fox, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Communications, Florida Gov, Hulu, ESPN Iger, FX, Geographic, ESPN, Apple, Electronic, Elliott Investment Management, Bloomberg, Mayer Locations: Burbank, Hollywood, Florida's, Iger

☆ How ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ went from a cult classic to beloved Disney property
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Audience support led to multiple rereleases, elevating the film from a cult classic to a must-watch movie during both Halloween and Christmas. But after the “Beetlejuice” filmmaker departed the studio and proved his success in helming his first “Batman” film, Disney returned to the project. Moviestore/Shutterstock“They never felt (“Nightmare”) was a Disney film,” Selick told IGN. Disneyland's Haunted Mansion attraction is dressed up from Halloween to Christmas with characters from "The Nightmare Before Christmas." “Nightmare” characters now make regular appearances at the Disney parks during Halloween and Christmas, greeting young visitors and appearing on seasonal merchandise.

Persons: CNN —, Jack Skellington, Aladdin, ”, Roger Rabbit ”, It’s, Ariel, Mickey Mouse, Sally, Henry Selick, Tim Burton, Mickey, ” Selick, A.frame, Disney, Burton, Selick, Boogie, Sandy, Disney execs, Mr, “, Jack, Roger Ebert, Patrick Fallon, Coco ”, Alice, Wonderland, “ Paranorman ”, he’s Organizations: CNN, Disney, ” Disney, Touchstone Pictures, Academy of Motion Picture Arts, Sciences, Halloween, IGN, Hollywood, Disneyland, Bloomberg, Getty, Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Locations: California, yearn

☆ A bunch of current and former Disney execs reportedly think Bob Iger's 'end game' is to sell the company to Apple
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former and current Disney execs told CNBC they think Bob Iger's plan is to one day sell to Apple. Analysts have speculated about an Apple acquisition of Disney for years. Iger himself wrote that he thinks the two companies would have combined if Steve Jobs were still alive. The Disney CEO has already made clear that the door is open for potential sales of non-core Disney assets, including ABC and cable networks like FX and National Geographic. Iger himself had a long-standing relationship with Steve Jobs, as did Disney with Apple.

Persons: Disney execs, Bob Iger's, Iger, Steve Jobs, Bob Iger, Bob Chapek —, He's, he's, Jobs, Steve, Laura Martin, — Martin Organizations: Disney, CNBC, Apple, Analysts, Service, SAG, ABC, FX, Geographic, ESPN, Pixar, Apple TV, Walt Disney Company Locations: Wall, Silicon, Needham

☆ What's next for Disney as CEO Bob Iger works to streamline the company, cut costs, and make streaming profitable
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Bob Iger is trying to reshape Disney as a leaner company in his second act as CEO. When Bob Iger came back to Disney in November 2022, the company and the town celebrated the return of a successful and statesmanlike CEO for the world's largest entertainment brand. Two years under Iger's predecessor Bob Chapek left the company reorganized — in ways many company insiders didn't like — and executives, teams, and creative partners demoralized. Iger told CNBC in July that Disney's TV and cable businesses, including ABC and cable networks like FX, "may not be core" to the company. If Iger succeeds in acquiring all of Hulu, some analysts believe it would help Disney with streaming content, marketing, and ad revenue.

Persons: Bob Iger, Iger, Iger's, Bob Chapek, didn't, He's, Ron DeSantis, Penn, —, Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Josh D'Amaro, Kevin Mayer, Tom Staggs, Puck Organizations: Disney, ESPN, Apple, Florida Gov, Iger, — Entertainment, Parks, CNBC, ABC, Hulu, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Association of, Television Producers, SAG, WGA, He's, Netflix, Penn Entertainment, ESPN Bet Locations: Hollywood, Orlando, California, Hulu

☆ 3 key questions Disney analysts say CEO Bob Iger faces ahead of earnings, as concerns mount about succession and streaming profits
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Reed Alexander | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

For Disney, Iger's return was a doctor's-orders scenario. "What is the long game for any pure-play media company in a world where we have tech-driven media companies that are much larger than any traditional media company and have fundamentally different business models?" Will Disney sell TV assets like ABC? Industry watchers have focused on private-equity firms as likely buyers of Disney's TV assets. Are you a Disney insider?

Persons: Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, Iger, Disney, Iger's, Peter Csathy, Tom Staggs, Kevin Mayer, Csathy, they're, He's, Paul Verna, Verna, David Heger, Edward Jones, Heger, Hulu —, it's, Dave Portnoy's Barstool, Will, Evercore, Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Puck, Disney bigwigs, Mayer, Walden, Bergman, Reed Alexander, Lucia Moses Organizations: Disney, ESPN, Walt Disney Co, Hollywood, Creative Media, Apple, PE, Candle Media, Insider Intelligence, Hulu, LightShed Partners, Penn Entertainment, ESPN Bet, Penn, Yahoo Finance, Will Disney, ABC, Geographic, CNBC, Industry, Disney's, Parks

☆ 3 key questions Disney analysts say CEO Bob Iger faces ahead of earnings this week, as concerns mount about succession and streaming profits
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Reed Alexander | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Persons: Bob Iger, —, Bob Chapek, Iger, Disney, Iger's, Peter Csathy, Tom Staggs, Kevin Mayer, Csathy, they're, He's, Paul Verna, Verna, David Heger, Edward Jones, Heger, Hulu —, Will, it's, Evercore, Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Puck, Disney bigwigs, Mayer, Walden, Bergman, Reed Alexander, Lucia Moses Organizations: Disney, ESPN, Walt Disney Co, Hollywood, Creative Media, Apple, PE, Candle Media, Insider Intelligence, Hulu, LightShed Partners, Will Disney, ABC, Geographic, CNBC, Industry, Disney's, Parks

☆ Trouble in the Magic Kingdom? Iger hires former Disney execs as media consultants
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTrouble in the Magic Kingdom? Iger hires former Disney execs as media consultantsHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC. Rich Greenfield, LightShed Partners co-founder, joins the show to discuss trouble at Disney.

Persons: Iger, Brian Sullivan, “, Rich Greenfield Organizations: Disney, CNBC, LightShed Partners

☆ Disney World has a bigger problem than Ron DeSantis: people aren't going
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's ongoing feud with Ron DeSantis is certainly a factor. Ron DeSantis, it's pretty clear that the park's problems run deeper than a political beef. While crowd sizes are down in the US parks, revenue is up at international Disney parks such as Disneyland Hong Kong. Despite the DeSantis dust-up, the park's biggest issue has nothing to do with politics — Disney World is damn expensive. Ron DeSantis Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesIt's also clear that a cut back on vacationing is not the issue.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Disney execs, Li Zhihua, execs, DeSantis, —, Ron DeSantis Paul Hennessy, Courtney Garcia, Garcia, Samantha Delouya, Bob Iger Organizations: Disney, Service, Walt Disney, Florida Gov, Wall Street Journal, Hollywood Studios, Shanghai Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, China News Service, — Disney, Getty, TSA, Payne Capital Management Locations: Wall, Silicon, Magic, Shanghai, Paris, Hong, Hong Kong, Florida

☆ The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision was a pain in the neck for Democrats. Now, it could be used to their advantage in the Disney v. DeSantis feud.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Democrats have criticized the ruling since 2010 but may now benefit from its power against the GOP governor. When the Supreme Court in 2010 handed down its ruling on Citizens United v. FEC, Democrats were scandalized. Liberals remain scandalized (albeit for different reasons) but now seek the protections the Citizens United ruling offers. A political reversalAs recently as 2020, a decade after the Citizens United decision, President Joe Biden lambasted the ruling: "It's not enough to just end Citizens United — we have to eliminate all private dollars from our federal elections." "Nor do I think, if DeSantis is about to launch a presidential campaign, will he likely want to settle," Dorf told Insider.

☆ Ron DeSantis orders Florida's inspector general to see if Disney execs were personally involved with making the loophole to thwart him
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis wants Florida's inspector general to look into the loophole that a Disney-backed board used to thwart his plan. The last-minute agreement hamstrings DeSantis' board, keeping them from having any real power for decades. DeSantis asked the state's inspector general to specifically look into whether Disney's executives, staff, or agents were involved in the scheme. In a letter dated Monday, DeSantis called on Inspector General Melinda Miguel to look into the agreement, which he said was "designed to usurp the authority of the CFTOD board." Still, the feud between DeSantis and Disney is likely entering a new phase, as the governor declared last week that the fight against the entertainment giant wasn't over.

☆ HyperloopTT to go public via SPAC led by former Disney execs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 22 (Reuters) - High-speed transportation systems maker Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) said on Tuesday it would list its shares in the United States through a deal with a blank-check firm at a pre-money valuation of $600 million. The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Forest Road Acquisition Corp II (FRXB.N), which is led by former Disney executives Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer, is expected to provide the combined company $330 million in net proceeds if the SPAC shareholders do not withdraw their money before the deal closes. HyperloopTT, which makes vacuum tube-based ground transportation systems with airplane speeds, has agreed to a SPAC merger at a time when the market's appetite for such deals have fizzled, as the economic outlook worsens with rising interest rates and inflation. The current shareholders and convertible note holders of HyperloopTT will hold $289 million worth of common shares in the company after the deal closes, the company said. A SPAC is a listed company without any business operations, formed to solely raise money and merge with other companies.

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