Disney to Sell ABC?

[Sotiris]

I think this is a really bad idea. Owning a network and the influence it yields is of utmost importance for a media company, especially during a time when the streaming business is shrinking. If they need to sell something big for cash, they're better off selling Hulu.

Bob Iger Says Linear TV Business ‘May Not Be Core’ to Disney
https://www.thewrap.com/disney-bob-iger ... espn-hulu/

Bob Iger Seeks to Calm ‘High Anxiety’ at Off-Site With TV Leaders After Saying Linear ‘May Not Be Core’ to Disney
https://www.thewrap.com/bob-iger-disney ... -not-core/

Why Disney Wants to Sell ABC – and Who Would Buy It
https://www.thewrap.com/bob-iger-disney ... orks-sale/

Why Disney’s Future Is Up in the Air
https://www.thewrap.com/bob-iger-walt-d ... -hulu-abc/

Disney CEO Maintains Linear Remains ‘Highly Profitable’ But Cord-Cutting Trends Are ‘Unmistakable’
https://www.thewrap.com/disney-bob-iger ... orks-sale/

With an ABC Sale on the Table, Bob Iger Brings Disney Back to Dealmaking Business
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/busin ... 235535343/

Disney Considering “Variety of Strategic Options” for Linear TV Networks
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/busin ... 235560246/

In TV’s Wild West, Which Channels Will Be Dropped Next?
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/busin ... 235594528/

Will Bob Iger Sell Disney’s Linear TV Networks? Insiders, Analysts Debate
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/are-di ... 235675418/

Bob Iger Shifts From Building an Empire to a Disney Yard Sale
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newslett ... -yard-sale

[Disney's Divinity]

Why in the world would they think about doing something like this? ABC has always been known for its connection to Disney. I really hope that doesn't happen, but that's just me.

[carolinakid]

To be honest, the ONLY program I watch on ABC is General Hospital. That really is literally it...

[Disney's Divinity]

I don't watch General Hospital, but I do watch quite a few ABC shows, not to mention older ABC shows. I miss their Sunday dramadies especially (Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, OUAT).

[blackcauldron85]

Disney stock rises on report it’s in early talks with Nexstar on possible sale of ABC
https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/d ... bc-dafbf8b
[To try to get around paywall:]

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fw ... bc-dafbf8b

UPDATE: Disney Shares New Statement Regarding Potential Sale of ABC Network and TV Stations
https://wdwnt.com/?p=990911

[carolinakid]

I own quite a bit of Disney stock so that’s good news. My financial advisor was confident it would come back up.

[blackcauldron85]

Byron Allen Offers Disney $10 Billion for ABC, FX, National Geographic, and Local Stations
https://wdwnt.com/?p=991048

[Sotiris]

Allen Media Group’s Byron Allen Reaffirms His Plan to Bid $10 Billion for Disney Linear TV Assets
https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/byron ... 235737881/

Byron Allen Says Buying ABC Would Be a ‘Real Possibility,’ Vows to ‘Chase It Down’ When Disney Is Ready
https://variety.com/2023/scene/news/byr ... 235753844/

[Sotiris]

Hopefully, this isn't just lip service and Disney won't end up selling its linear networks.

Disney Linear TV Networks “Not For Sale,” CEO Bob Iger Says, Though “Unbelievably Rigorous” Internal Review Continues To Gauge Their Long-Term Strategic Value
https://deadline.com/2023/11/disney-lin ... 235642826/

Disney CEO Bob Iger Says Linear TV Can Be Managed In Decline With “Dramatically” Lower Content Spend
https://deadline.com/2024/05/disney-ceo ... 235917118/

Disney CEO Bob Iger Calls His 2023 Linear TV Comments “A Mistake”
https://deadline.com/2024/08/disney-ceo ... 236046156/

Bob Iger Won’t Rule Out Sale Of Smaller Networks As Cable Consolidates But Says Disney’s Linear Business “Not A Burden At All”
https://deadline.com/2025/02/disney-ceo ... 236278757/

Why Bob Iger Won’t Sell Disney’s Linear Assets
https://www.thewrap.com/disney-ceo-iger ... v-netflix/

Mogul Memo to Bob Iger: I'm Not Buying Your ABC Sale Denial
https://variety.com/vip/bob-iger-disney ... 235816334/

Disney’s Upfront Went Hard on Sports — With an Off-Key Manning Brothers Musical — but Hardly Mentioned ABC
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/disney ... 236396745/

Disney’s Dana Walden Talks Juggling Linear and Streaming Assets Amid Shifting Sands in Pay TV
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/dana-w ... 236443088/

[D23ExpoVisitor25]

Iger didn't give up ABC in his deal with Charter.

So, they should be fine.

[PatrickvD]

ABC is useless as it doesn’t have a viable future. But its vast library of content is essential to Disney+ overseas as well as future plans for Hulu domestically.

Wall Street analysts aren’t seeing the bigger picture here. There’s a bit more context than ‘linear is a dying business’.

[Sotiris]

Disney CEO Bob Iger Says WBD and NBCU Spinning Off Cable Networks ‘Gives Us an Advantage’
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/disney ... 236424788/

Bob Iger Says Disney Unlikely to Follow Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery In Exiting the TV Channel Business
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/busin ... 236261289/

Bob Iger Says WBD, Comcast Splits Give Disney ‘Stronger Hand’ to Stay in Linear TV Business
https://www.thewrap.com/bob-iger-disney ... linear-tv/

[Sotiris]

A&E, Lifetime and History Parent A+E Global Media Up for Sale as Disney and Hearst Test Demand Amid the Cable Channel Scramble
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/ae-lif ... 236449196/

Disney and Hearst Exploring Deals for A+E Global Media as Cable Channel Market Ramps Up
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/busin ... 236308947/

Disney And Hearst Exploring Sale Of A+E Global Media
https://deadline.com/2025/07/disney-and ... 236451721/

Disney, Hearst Exploring Sale of A+E Global Media
https://www.thewrap.com/a-and-e-sale-disney-hearst/

[Sotiris]

NFL to Buy 10% Stake in ESPN
https://www.thewrap.com/nfl-takes-10-pe ... e-in-espn/