Overview
- People familiar with the plan said new CEO Josh D'Amaro chose not to spin off ESPN, and inside Disney the topic is seen as a non-discussion for now.
- Disney will keep offering ESPN on cable, inside a bundle with Hulu and Disney+, and as a standalone streaming service.
- The company may bring in minority investors, following last year's sale of a 10% ESPN stake to the NFL.
- The network's clout has eased as cord-cutting cut cable subscribers in the 2010s, a trend Bob Iger publicly acknowledged in 2015.
- The call arrives as the FCC reviews ABC broadcast licenses after President Donald Trump urged Disney to fire comedian Jimmy Kimmel.