A recent piece by The Hollywood Reporter has reignited speculations about Apple possibly acquiring The Walt Disney Company.
Disney’s latest moves to streamline their vast television portfolio might hint at a potential Apple-led takeover in the future, according to the article.
During a July segment on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Iger expressed his willingness to sell some of Disney’s television properties, even suggesting that linear TV “may not be core to Disney.“
“I don’t think [Apple] would buy the company as it presently exists,” A veteran Hollywood executive told THR. “But if you see Bob start to divest things … that feels like he’s prepping for a sale. And there’s clearly no buyer like Apple.”
Whispers about Apple possibly acquiring Disney began circulating in November 2022, following Bob Iger’s comeback as the company’s CEO. While responses to these speculations were mixed, the sheer scale of such a merger led many to ponder its viability.
The Hollywood Reporter article was published just hours before Disney’s quarterly earnings call on August 9, 2023, an investor directly inquired if Iger envisioned a situation where the entire firm might be acquired by “a major tech company,” hinting at Apple. Iger deftly sidestepped the query.
“I just am not gonna speculate about the potential for Disney to be acquired by any company, whether they’re a technology company or not. Obviously, anyone who’d want to speculate such things would have to immediately consider the global regulatory environment.”
Iger then ended the conversation: “I’ll say no more than that. It’s not something we obsess about.”
The speculation about Apple acquiring Disney probably stems from the long-standing relationship between the two companies that has evolved over many years. Disney acquired Pixar, once led by the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Disney was also among the pioneers in offering content on iTunes in its early days. In more recent developments, Bob Iger graced the stage at WWDC, unveiling a collaboration with Apple on the Vision Pro headset.