Reposting this from February’s “Re-Imagineering Disney's Flywheel" in light of former Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s press tour for his new book.
All available excerpts and coverage suggest this read was right, though Chapek’s version is that Iger also actively manipulated the company’s politics and optics against Chapek behind the scenes. Iger was the “antibodies in the system” I described in “A Tale of Two Disneys” https://the-medium.co/p/a-tale-of-two-disneys
It’s always been a contrarian take to be pro-Chapek. I remain convinced that he understood the nuances of Disney’s DTC future better than Iger did, and still does. I haven’t read his book yet. I’m curious if he writes this. That said, I also imagine he does not want to convey that Josh D’Amaro has inherited a broken business with a bad strategy. I think that’s true, but Chapek’s mission is to sink Iger and not the stock price.
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Dave Pell
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On the world’s most expensive screw.
When I was in junior high, I carried around a screw in the front pocket of my corduroys. I’d occasionally pull it out, open my hand to display it to an attractive person, and ask…” — Dave Pell
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Andrew A. Rosen
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19h
David Ellison announced this week that Mattel, Inc. CEO Ynon Kreiz will run day-to-day management and integration at Skydance, the company Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery just became.
The immediate read: Kreiz is there to deliver the $6 billion in promised cost savings.
His record is Maker Studios Inc (Acquired by Disney) and Mattel. That is IP licensing and the creator economy.
The Walt Disney Company turns $4.4 billion of consumer products revenue into $2.2 billion of operating income. Paramount currently buries that category inside a line item it does not break out.
That gap is a growth business, and it may be what Ellison actually hired him to build.
The test: does consumer products come out of "Licensing and other" and get its own line item by Q4 2027?
Also in the essay: an update on my roadmap for The Medium and beyond.
Read at the-medium dot co (paywalled for subscribers)
