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The Iger-Hulu Flip-Flop

When Bob Iger first ushered Disney into the streaming era, he prioritized the company’s historic brand over growth at all costs. Well, now it’s time for growth at all costs.

In 2019, Bob Iger was openly wary of introducing too much general entertainment to Disney+, concerned that it would harm the “family brand.”
In 2019, Bob Iger was openly wary of introducing too much general entertainment to Disney+, concerned that it would harm the “family brand.” Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Julia Alexander
May 16, 2023

What’s going on these days between Disney and Hulu is sort of baffling. Back in February, C.E.O. Bob Iger sounded like he had soured on a deal to acquire Comcast’s one-third stake in the platform, valued at some $9 billion. “We are intent on reducing our debt,” Iger told CNBC. “I’m not going to speculate if we’re a buyer or a seller of it. But I’m concerned about undifferentiated general entertainment.” Less than a month later, at a Morgan Stanley conference, he sounded even less confident in Hulu’s value. It’s “very tricky” to pin down, he said, describing streaming as a “nascent business.”