Bob Iger has repeatedly shown he doesn’t fancy retirement. Neither does Disney’s board. They have unanimously voted to extend the 72 year-old CEO’s contract to 2026, extending the time frame to find a successor by two years. A quintupling of his bonus might have helped. In return Iger will be forced to take ownership of lingering problems, including claims that the studio has lost its magic touch. Unexpected legal challenges from Florida governor Ron DeSantis over Disney’s property have also been a plague on plans to improve the company’s fortunes. In order to make the point he’s ready to play hardball (again), Iger is talking up the possibility of selling the company’s linear TV assets ABC and FX – while talking down the Hollywood writer’s strike as “disturbing”.
