Iger: We Don’t Need To Acquire More Nets

Disney does not think it needs to acquire more cable networks in order to create more scale globally.

Amid all the merger and acquisition talk in the TV business, CEO Bob Iger, speaking on the company’s third-quarter earnings conference call with analysts, was asked about growing his cable business internationally.

“We don’t really believe we need to gain any additional scale in terms of global channels,” Iger said. He said Disney continues to invest in its portfolio of channels, but added, “we’re not necessarily looking to acquire more for more scale.”

Iger added that the brands Disney owns are attractive to outlets the company doesn’t control. “With these brands and content opportunities that we have to mine them, there are plenty of places for us to bring our product beyond just an owned channel.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.