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[1/2] A smartphone with displayed "Disney" logo is seen on the keyboard in this illustration taken March 24, 2020. Disney said it expected to pay NBCUniversal (NBCU) parent Comcast about $8.61 billion by Dec. 1. Hulu had 48.3 million subscribers at the end of Disney's third quarter, compared with 28 million paid subscribers for Comcast's Peacock streaming service at the end of Comcast's third quarter. Disney+ had 146.1 million global subscribers at the end of Disney's third quarter. If the value is determined to be greater than the guaranteed floor value, Disney will pay NBCU the difference.

Persons: Dado, Walt Disney, Disney, Bob Iger, Goldman Sachs, Brian Roberts, Dawn Chmielewski, Helen Coster, Sriraj Kalluvila, Sayantani Ghosh, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, ANGELES, Wednesday, Disney, Comcast, Hulu, Goldman, Thomson Locations: Hulu, Burbank , California, U.S, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Comcast, Disney hire investment banks to value Hulu as sale process makes progress
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Comcast and Disney have hired investment banks to value Hulu, the next step in what's been a nearly five-year process to put the streaming service under one owner. Comcast, which owns one-third of Hulu, has hired Morgan Stanley , and Disney, which owns the other two-thirds, has hired JPMorgan Chase . Spokespeople for Comcast, Disney, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan declined to comment. That deadline represents the final date at which Hulu's valuation will be assessed by both Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase. On Nov. 1, Comcast can force Disney to acquire its 33% stake in Hulu and/or Disney can trigger its option to acquire the stake from Comcast.

Persons: what's, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Hulu —, Brian Roberts, Goldman Sachs, Roberts Organizations: Comcast, Disney, Hulu, JPMorgan, JPMorgan Chase Locations: Hulu

☆ Bob Iger's grand plan for Disney is moving fast with reported talks to sell ABC
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Madeline Berg | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney is in talks to sell ABC to Nexstar, Bloomberg first reported. But the reported talks are another sign that Iger means business when it comes to Disney's streaming future. The company's direct-to-consumer business reported a loss of $2.2 billion in the first nine months of the year — 12% less than during the same period last year. But even if he does sell ABC — and manages to get a good price for it, despite its ominous future — his challenges are far from over. AdvertisementAdvertisementSo, then, what does the deal to sell ABC mean?

Persons: Bob Iger's, Bob Iger, Iger, Peter Csathy, he's, ABC's, Brian Roberts, there's, it's Organizations: Disney, ABC, Nexstar, Bloomberg, Service, Nexstar Media Group, Walt Disney Company, CNN, ESPN, Hulu, Hollywood, Magic Locations: Wall, Silicon, Sun, Iger, Hulu —, Hollywood, Magic Kingdom

Disney owns two-thirds of Hulu, while Comcast owns the rest. "Hulu has far greater value than when they struck the $27 billion agreement with Disney ... Comcast wants to get maximum value out of this." Hulu had 48.3 million subscribers at the end of the most recent quarter, compared with 24 million paid subscribers for Comcast's Peacock streaming service and 105.7 million global subscribers for Disney+. Greenfield applauded Disney CEO Bob Iger for agreeing to accelerate the Hulu purchase, saying that waiting until next year is hampering Disney's strategic flexibility. "Whatever Disney chooses to do, having partial ownership of Hulu with Comcast makes anything else they want to do more challenging," Greenfield said.

Persons: Mike Blake, Brian Roberts, ” Roberts, Roberts, Goldman Sachs, ”, Rich Greenfield, Greenfield, Bob Iger, Disney, Iger, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Dawn Chmielewski, Nick Zieminski, Stephen Coates Organizations: Comcast NBC, REUTERS, Comcast, Disney, “, Technology, Hulu, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Hulu, Bengaluru, New York, Los Angeles

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Comcast (CMCSA.O) has moved up the date for the sale or purchase of its remaining stake in Hulu to Disney (DIS.N) to Sept. 30 this year, CEO Brian Roberts said on Wednesday. Disney owns two-thirds of Hulu, while Comcast owns the rest. Under a 2019 agreement, either company can trigger a sale or purchase of Comcast's 33% stake to Disney as early as January 2024. Hulu had 48.3 million subscribers at the end of the most recent quarter, compared with 24 million paid subscribers for Comcast's Peacock streaming service and 105.7 million global subscribers for Disney+. (This story has been corrected to say that Comcast has pulled forward the date, not extended, in the headline.

Persons: Mike Blake, Brian Roberts, ” Roberts, Roberts, Goldman Sachs, ”, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Arun Koyyur, Anil D'Silva, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Comcast NBC, REUTERS, Comcast, Disney, “, Technology, Hulu, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Hulu, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Comcast and Disney Agree to Speed Up Hulu Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | More About Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The tug of war over Hulu, one of the world’s most popular streaming services, might be over sooner than expected. Brian Roberts, the chief executive of Comcast, said on Wednesday at an investor conference that his company had agreed to move up negotiations to sell its stake in Hulu to the Walt Disney Company, which owns the majority of the streaming service. Mr. Roberts said Comcast and Disney had agreed to conclude their negotiations over how much Hulu was worth at some point after Sept. 30, when a formal appraisal process for Hulu’s valuation would begin. That process had been expected to conclude at some point after January. “It will take a little time for this to play out, but both companies wanted to get it behind us,” Mr. Roberts said.

Persons: Brian Roberts, Roberts, ” Mr, ” Organizations: Hulu, Comcast, Walt Disney Company, Disney Locations: Hulu

☆ Comcast, Disney move up deadline to decide Hulu future ownership
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The timeline to decide Hulu's ownership fate has been moved up, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said Wednesday. Comcast and Disney are set to begin those discussions on September 30, months earlier than the initial January 2024 deadline. Under the original 2019 agreement, Comcast can force Disney to buy (or Disney can require Comcast to sell) that remaining 33% stake in January 2024, at a guaranteed minimum total equity value of $27.5 billion. In May, Roberts said at an investor conference that Comcast would likely sell its 33% stake in Hulu to Disney at the beginning of next year. For Disney, the move to add Hulu content to Disney+ came as it focuses on its ad-supported Disney+ option to attract more subscribers and advertising revenue.

Persons: Brian Roberts, Roberts, Goldman Sachs, we've, Disney didn't, Bob Iger, Comcast's NBCUniversal, Iger Organizations: Comcast, Disney, Technology, Hulu, Netflix, ESPN, CNBC Locations: Hulu, U.S

☆ How much is Hulu worth? As Disney gears up to buy Comcast's share of the streamer, analysts say Bob Iger may have to pay a hefty price.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

When it comes to Hulu, value is in the eye of the holder. However, Comcast claims Hulu is worth double what Disney is saying, according to Bloomberg — even in a tough media environment. "It's what would a willing buyer in a robust auction pay," Roberts said of Hulu's valuation at a MoffettNathanson conference in May. Another way to value Hulu is by comparing its EV-to-subscriber ratio with that of Netflix. By buying all of Hulu, Disney can position itself for the next big trend in media, Noell said.

Persons: Bob Iger, Bloomberg —, Peacock, Brian Roberts, Roberts, financials, maven, Hulu, Tim Nollen, Netflix's, Nollen, Iger, Matthew Thornton, who's bullish, Barton Crockett, Crockett, Brandon Nispel, Nispel, Jason Bazinet, Bazinet, Davis Noell, Noell Organizations: Disney, Comcast, Hulu, Bloomberg, Wall Street, Macquarie, Netflix, Rosenblatt Securities, Citigroup, Star Wars, Marvel, Providence Equity Partners Locations: Hulu

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger called Hollywood strikers 'not realistic.' His critics are calling his $27 million pay package unrealistic.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently called strikers' expectations "not realistic," quickly drawing criticism. Iger could make over $27 million this year, 535 times the median pay of his employees. An average CEO in 1978 made around 31 times what their average worker made, according to the Economic Policy Institute. In 2020, the average CEO made 346 times what their average worker made. At Disney, the median worker pay is $54,256, according to the company's latest proxy statement.

Persons: Bob Iger, Sean Gunn, Fran Drescher, Iger, Gunn, Drescher, Sen, Bernie Sanders, he'd, Variety, David Zaslav, Reed Hastings, Brian Roberts Organizations: Disney, SAG, Morning, Hollywood, CNBC, Sun Valley Conference, Writers Guild of America, Guardians, Economic, Warner Bros, Netflix, Comcast Locations: Idaho, Los Angeles

☆ Disney is open to finding a new strategic partner for ESPN, Iger says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Disney has held off from putting its prime ESPN content on its ESPN+ streaming service as it continues to make billions of dollars in revenue each year through traditional cable TV. Disney has held early conversations with potential partners that could improve an ESPN streaming service by extending its distribution and adding content, Iger said. Disney is open to potentially selling an equity stake in ESPN and is looking for a strategic partner in the business as it prepares to transition the sports network to streaming, CEO Bob Iger said Thursday. But in the traditional cable TV business model, ESPN made money per cable subscriber — whether a person watched or not. In addition to finding a strategic partner for ESPN, Iger said he was open to selling or spinning off Disney's legacy cable networks, including FX and NatGeo, and its broadcast group, ABC Networks.

Persons: Iger, CNBC's David Faber, Bob Iger, Brian Roberts, Bob Chapek Organizations: Disney, ESPN, Hearst Communications, CNBC, FX, ABC Networks, Comcast, Apple, Google, Amazon, National, YouTube, Major League Soccer Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, Hulu

☆ The top Hollywood exec made $498 million in the last 5 years—384 times as much as the average writer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That's a staggering 384 times the average pay of a Hollywood writer. Overall, average pay for Hollywood's top execs climbed to $28 million in 2021, up 53% from 2018 (and roughly 108 times the average writer's pay) according to the analysis, which uses compensation data from the research firm Equilar and includes stock options, base salaries, bonuses and other perks. Meanwhile, average pay for Hollywood writers has remained virtually flat at about $260,000 as 2021, the Times reports. Hollywood executive pay dropped in 2022 due to stock market volatility and investor pressure to make streaming profitable. From 1978 to 2021, CEO pay grew by 1,460%, adjusted for inflation, versus just 18.1% for the typical worker.

Persons: David Zaslav, That's, Ari Emanuel, Reed Hastings, Bob Iger, Walt, Ted Sarandos, Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, Brian Roberts, Joseph Ianniello, Patrick Whitesell, Kaitlin Fontana, Kelly Evans Organizations: Hollywood, Los Angeles Times, Warner Bros, Discovery Inc, Times, Writers Guild of America, Endeavor Group Holdings Inc, Netflix, Walt Disney Co, Fox Corp, Comcast Corp, Paramount Global, Endeavor, Paramount, Disney, Company, WGA, Alliance, Television Producers, LA Times, Economic, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S, California

☆ Comcast likely to sell Hulu stake to Disney by early 2024 - CNBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) will likely sell its 33% stake in streaming platform Hulu to Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) early next year, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts. Disney said in 2019 it would take full control of Hulu in a deal with Comcast that ascribed a minimum equity value of $27.5 billion to Hulu, allowing either company to trigger a sale or purchase of the stake as early as January 2024. According to the CNBC report, Roberts suggested the final price for Hulu will likely be higher than the valuation set in 2019. Comcast, Disney and Hulu did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Disney CEO Bob Iger said last week in an earnings call that he had "constructive" talks with Comcast about Hulu.

Comcast will likely sell its 33% stake in Hulu to Disney at the beginning of 2024, Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts said Tuesday. Comcast and Disney struck a deal in 2019 that allowed Disney the option to buy out Comcast's minority stake in 2024. Roberts also suggested the final price for Hulu will likely be higher than the $27.5 billion valuation initially set in 2019. Comcast and Disney have already held talks about Hulu this year, Iger said last week. Comcast executives had assumed Disney would buy out its 33% stake in Hulu when Bob Chapek was Disney's CEO last year.

The departure of ads chief Linda Yaccarino to Twitter has thrown NBCU into chaos. The exit comes on the heels of the departure of NBCU CEO Jeff Shell after sexual harassment allegations. One advertising executive who works closely with NBCUniversal described the situation inside the company as a "Cuban missile crisis." NBCU does have a deep bench of ad executive talent that's highly regarded in the ad industry. Although Yaccarino's departure from NBCUniversal to Twitter was a surprise, she had been close with the company and its billionaire owner.

☆ Disney boss races to hold back the dam
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

How that unfolds is in the hands of Comcast (CMCSA.O) boss Brian Roberts, whose cable operator owns the studio behind the cinematic video game hit as well as one-third of Hulu. The shift is understandable, however, considering what Disney is up against. In the quarter ended April 1, the division that houses Disney+ narrowed its operating loss from a year earlier, but subscribers also fell 2% to 158 million compared to the previous quarter. A rare bright spot was the theme parks, particularly overseas, but Iger has a growing number of holes to plug to ensure the dam holds. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Inside NBCUniversal, female execs are eyeing leadership's next moves after CEO Jeff Shell's ouster over 'inappropriate relationship': 'We're watching'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NBCUniversal insiders are reeling after chief Jeff Shell's stunning departure and asking questions about what's next for the Comcast division. News of Shell's hasty exit dropped April 23 after an investigation into what he called an "inappropriate relationship" with a company employee. "It's shocking," said one employee, wondering how an executive at Shell's level would take such a risk with his career. Two staffers also grumbled that the company hasn't widely addressed the matter internally since its terse statement announcing Shell's exit. Keeping Cavanagh atop NBCU could serve another purpose — to help bring about a merger of Comcast with Warner Bros.

☆ NBCUniversal insiders are asking what's next after CEO Jeff Shell's 'shocking' exit, and female execs are watching leadership closely after a string of high-profile sexual allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

They're asking what Comcast exec Mike Cavanagh's elevation to handle Shell's remit means for NBCU's future. NBCUniversal insiders are reeling after chief Jeff Shell's stunning departure and asking questions about what's next for the Comcast division. News of Shell's hasty exit dropped Sunday after an investigation into what he called an "inappropriate relationship" with a company employee. "It's shocking," said one employee, wondering how an executive at Shell's level would take such a risk with his career. Keeping Cavanagh atop NBCU could serve another purpose — to help bring about a merger of Comcast with Warner Bros.

☆ NBCUniversal faces a set of company-defining decisions as CEO Jeff Shell departs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Shell announced he was departing the company immediately Sunday after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with an NBCUniversal employee. DiscoveryThe elephant in the room with NBCUniversal is the frequent speculation in media circles that a merger with Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros.

☆ NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell exits after an 'inappropriate relationship,' shocking insiders, and Comcast won't rush to replace him as corporate exec Mike Cavanagh steps up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell's exit shocked company insiders and all of Hollywood. NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell's bombshell departure on Sunday night was a surprise to the well-regarded executive and also to his closest colleagues. Deadline reported that Shell's relationship was with CNBC's senior international correspondent, Hadley Gamble, which lasted 11 years but had ended a couple of years ago. "Comcast is as buttoned-up and straight as ever — this is a black eye for Brian Roberts," the Comcast CEO. A second company insider, however, said that Cavanagh is expected to remain in the role for some time.

☆ Jeff Shell out as NBCUniversal CEO after probe into inappropriate relationship
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] CEO of NBCUniversal Jeff Shell attends the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley Media Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidApril 23 (Reuters) - NBCUniversal Chief Executive Jeff Shell is leaving after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, following a complaint that prompted an investigation, parent company Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) said on Sunday. "I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret," Shell said in a statement. Shell, previously chairman of NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment, took over as CEO in 2020, replacing Steve Burke. NBCUniversal is one of the world's largest media companies, encompassing movie and TV studios, theme parks, NBC News and cable TV networks.

Jeff Shell left his role as NBCUniversal CEO on Sunday after he admitted an "inappropriate relationship" with a woman in the comany, corporate parent Comcast announced. The complaint was filed by the woman with whom Shell said he had an "inappropriate relationship," according to people familiar with the matter. Roberts will also get more involved with the NBCUniversal business alongside Cavanagh, the person said. He oversaw the company's theme parks, its Peacock streaming service, sports production operations, television stations group, and entertainment and news television networks like NBC News. Before taking the helm as CEO, Shell was chairman of NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment.

☆ NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is stepping down following an 'inappropriate relationship' with a colleague
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is leaving the company over an inappropriate relationship with an employee. The CEO of NBCUniversal, Jeff Shell, is stepping down immediately following an investigation into a complaint of inappropriate conduct, Comcast announced Sunday. "Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal," Shell said in a two-paragraph statement. "I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret. Shell became CEO of NBCUniversal in 2020 and was chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group from 2013 to 2019.

Iger said this week that while a spinout was considered in his absence, it was concluded ESPN should stay with Disney. Another proposition floated to Disney was to have Comcast buy out Hulu. Iger has previously championed Hulu as part of Disney's strategy to offer three relatively low-priced services (Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+) rather than one mega-product that would likely be the most expensive streaming service. Selling Hulu would unwind this strategy, and it also may lead to cancellations of Disney+ and ESPN+. Even if Disney buys the remaining stake of Hulu, the sides must agree on fair market value.

Comcast Corp. named a company insider as its next finance chief as the cable and media sector grapples with cord-cutting customers and deterioration in the ad market. Jason Armstrong was appointed chief financial officer, Philadelphia-based Comcast said Friday, after serving for the past nine years in various financial leadership positions. Mr. Armstrong most recently served as deputy CFO and treasurer, responsible for capital formation, capital allocation, credit-related matters and investment management activities. Jason Armstrong, chief financial officer of Comcast. Photo: Comcast CorpSince joining Comcast in 2014, Mr. Armstrong has also had the roles of CFO of Sky, Comcast’s pay-TV giant, and head of investor relations and finance.

☆ Vince McMahon is back at WWE to ensure a smooth sale process. Here's who might want to buy it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

WWE has hired JPMorgan to help the company advise on a potential sale, according to people familiar with the matter. But it remains unclear what type of role, if any, McMahon would want at WWE if he sold the company. WWE has a market capitalization of more than $6 billion after rising nearly 17% percent on Friday, buoyed by heightened sale speculation. McMahon's company already has an exclusive streaming deal with Comcast's streaming service, Peacock, and a cable TV deal with NBCUniversal's USA Network. Fox sold off most of its entertainment assets in its $71 billion sale to Disney in 2019, but WWE fits with the smaller company's sports and live events focus.

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