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'Game of Thrones' creators' Star Wars movie is coming in 2022
There's just one episode left of Game of Thrones and the creators of the HBO phenomenon are looking ahead to a project with an even bigger canvas: Star Wars. Disney CEO Bob Iger said today at the MoffettNathanson Media & Communications Summit the next movie in the franchise (after this year's The Rise of Skywalker) will be from David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
ESPN Plus streaming service launches this spring for $4.99
As Disney announced its quarterly earnings results today, CEO Bob Iger told CNBC that the company plans to price its standalone streaming version of ESPN at $4.99 per month. We've already heard that ESPN Plus will include "10,000 live regional, national, and international games and events a year" including MLB, NHL and MLS action, and Iger said it will arrive along with a relaunch of the ESPN app this spring. The idea is to reach out to cord-cutters and cord-nevers, hoping they're into some sports you wouldn't catch on its cable broadcasts (other sports will include various college games, Grand Slam Tennis, Boxing, Golf, Rugby and Cricket), plus included access to its library of 30 for 30 documentaries. It will be available "iOS, Android, tvOS and Chromecast" at launch, with other platforms following. As far as the new ESPN app, we should expect even more personalization with the usual relevant scores and highlights next to streaming versions of ESPN's cable broadcasts as well as its podcasts. When it launches, ESPN Plus will only be the beginning of Disney's streaming push, before its Disney-branded service launches in 2019. During the call, Iger said Disney is developing "a few" Star Wars series for the new app, and that it's close to revealing at least one of the projects (separate from the new series of movies announce earlier from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
ESPN Plus standalone service will start streaming in spring 2018
After purchasing streaming company BamTech for $1.58 billion, Disney said it would offer content via its own on-demand service, rather than going through Netflix. That's not just going to be Star Wars, Marvel and other movie content, but sports from ESPN, too. During its earnings call yesterday, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that ESPN's streaming service would be called ESPN Plus (ESPN+) and launch in the spring of 2018.
Marvel and Star Wars films will be Disney streaming exclusives
Last month, we reported that Disney would be pulling its future titles from Netflix in favor of its own streaming service, scheduled for launch sometime in 2019. What wasn't clear was the fate of Marvel and Star Wars titles -- the media giant owns these brands, but the original release only specified that Disney and Pixar movies would be pulled. Netflix was reportedly in talks to keep the valuable movies on its service.
Netflix in talks with Disney to keep 'Star Wars' and Marvel movies
A little over a year ago, Disney made Netflix the exclusive home of its movies, including Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel flicks, which led to rumors of a Netflix acquisition by Disney. A few days ago, however, Disney used its earnings report to announce that it would no longer stream its content on Netflix. The entertainment company plans to launch its own streaming service in 2019. The devil is in the details, however; the companies are reportedly in "active discussions" about keeping Marvel and Star Wars films in the Netflix queue.
Disney CEO Bob Iger now says the company wasn't hacked
A couple of weeks ago, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Disney CEO Bob Iger had emailed employees about a ransom demand. Rumors indicated that hackers claimed to have a copy of an upcoming movie, possibly Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, but now the exec tells Yahoo Finance that "We don't believe that it was real and nothing has happened." The threat was probably taken more seriously in light of a hacker releasing Orange is the New Black episodes, but as of tonight, the only people threatening the world with another Pirates flick are the folks at Disney.
Disney CEO Bob Iger speaks about his relationship with Steve Jobs
Yesterday at the Hollywood Radio and Television Panel, Producer Brian Grazer lead a Q&A with Disney CEO and current Apple board member Bob Iger. Though the discussion was to center around the television and film industry it quickly turned to Iger's relationship with Steve Jobs. In 2006, Disney purchased Pixar. However, Iger said the deal almost didn't happen because of Steve Jobs' disagreements with previous Disney CEO Michael Eisner. When Iger found out he would become the next CEO of Disney in 2005, the first thing he did was call his family -- and then Steve Jobs. "I don't even remember it being totally premeditated," Iger told Grazer. "I just decided to call my parents and my grown daughters in New York and a couple of good friends and Steve." Iger said he asked Jobs if Apple's and Disney's relationship could be "salvaged" to which Jobs responded that he thought Iger was just "more of the same" as Michael Eisner. According to The Wrap, Iger said Jobs' directness was infectious. That in turn led to Iger himself being candid with Jobs about Disney's desire to improve its animated film division by buying Pixar. The Pixar deal was eventually achieved for $7.4 billion in Disney stock, making Steve Jobs the largest shareholder in the company. As for Jobs and Iger, the current Disney CEO said that he took to calling Jobs on Saturdays to see if a Disney movie he saw the night before had "sucked" -- a phrase Steve Jobs was not afraid to use.
Disney considering 28-day rental window, because 'On Stranger Tides' was that good
That sound you can hear is the studios dashing around as they look for a new scapegoat. Disney's got Redbox and Netflix in its sights as it declares plans to impose a 28-day window before it'll make its titles available for rental. Despite conceding that the studio hadn't seen any impact on overall DVD sales, CEO Bob Iger pointed to a 16 percent drop in quarterly revenue compared to 2010 as the motivation. It's also collecting splinters in its backside as it watches to see how well digital locker service UltraViolet fares with consumers before committing to join the program. Of course, given the legitimacy of First Sale Doctrine, it's possible Redbox will do as its done with Warner titles and just buy 'em at retail -- as long as it can cover its costs as it does so.
Bob Iger picks up $55,000 in stock for joining Apple's Board
We mentioned earlier this week that Disney CEO Bob Iger was invited to join up to Apple's Board of Directors, and Fortune reports that as part of his deal, Iger got 142 restricted shares of AAPL, totalling a nice bonus of over $55,000 at current market value. Nice work, if you can get it! We joke -- Iger has been a key player at Disney for a while, overseeing both the recent purchase of Marvel Entertainment, as well as the acquisition of Pixar, which of course was headed up by none other than Steve Jobs. $55k is nothing for Iger, though -- last year, he picked up more than $29 million in compensation from Disney, according to SEC filings. And Iger has one other thing going for him that he and I share: He's a Bachelor of Science alumni from the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in upstate New York. Go Bombers!
Arthur D. Levinson new Apple chairman, Disney CEO Bob Iger joins board
Arthur D. Levinson has been named chairman of Apple's board of directors. Levinson has been a co-lead director of the board since 2005, and he is also chairman of Genentech. At the same time, Disney president and CEO Bob Iger has also joined Apple's board of directors; together, he and Levinson will both serve on the board's audit committee. "Bob and I have gotten to know one another very well over the past few years and on behalf of the entire board, we think he is going to make an extraordinary addition to our already very strong board," said Tim Cook, who called Disney's CEO "a great fit for Apple." Iger's appointment to Apple's board appears to further cement the ties between the two companies. As CEO of Pixar, Steve Jobs was Disney's largest shareholder. Show full PR text Apple Names Arthur D. Levinson Chairman of the Board Robert A. Iger, President & Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, Joins Apple's Board CUPERTINO, Calif., Nov 15, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Apple(R) today named Arthur D. Levinson, Ph. D. as the Company's non-executive Chairman of the Board. Levinson has been a co-lead director of Apple's board since 2005, has served on all three board committees--audit and finance, nominating and corporate governance, and compensation--and will continue to serve on the audit committee. Apple also announced that Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, will join Apple's board and will serve on the audit committee. "Art has made enormous contributions to Apple since he joined the board in 2000," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "He has been our longest serving co-lead director, and his insight and leadership are incredibly valuable to Apple, our employees and our shareholders." "Bob and I have gotten to know one another very well over the past few years and on behalf of the entire board, we think he is going to make an extraordinary addition to our already very strong board," said Tim Cook. "His strategic vision for Disney is based on three fundamentals: generating the best creative content possible, fostering innovation and utilizing the latest technology, and expanding into new markets around the world which makes him a great fit for Apple." "I am honored to be named chairman of Apple's board and welcome Bob to our team," said Art Levinson. "Apple is always focused on out-innovating itself through the delivery of truly innovative products that simplify and improve our lives, and that is something I am very proud to be a part of." "Apple has achieved unprecedented success by consistently creating high quality, truly innovative products, and I am extremely pleased to join the board of such a wonderful company," said Bob Iger. "Over the years, I have come to know and admire the management team, now ably led by Tim Cook, and I am confident they have the leadership and vision to ensure Apple's continued momentum and success." Levinson is chairman of Genentech, Inc. and a member of the Roche Board of Directors. He joined Genentech as a research scientist in 1980, and served as Genentech's Chief Executive Officer from 1995 to 2009. He is also a director of Amyris, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Levinson currently serves on the Board of Scientific Consultants of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Advisory Council for the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. He has authored or co-authored more than 80 scientific articles and has been a named inventor on 11 United States patents. In 2008, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Levinson received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Washington and earned a doctorate in Biochemical Sciences from Princeton University. Iger is the steward of the world's largest media company and some of the most respected and beloved brands around the globe. He has built on Disney's rich history of unforgettable storytelling, with the acquisition of Pixar (2006) and Marvel (2009), two of the entertainment industry's greatest storytellers. Always one to embrace new technology, Iger has made Disney an industry leader at the forefront of offering its creative content across new and multiple platforms. He is a member of the board of directors for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. He became a board member of the US-China Business Council in June 2011. In June 2010, President Barack Obama appointed him to the President's Export Council, which advises the president on how to promote US exports, jobs and growth. He is also a member of the Partnership for a New American Economy, a coalition of mayors and business leaders from across the United States that support comprehensive immigration reform. Iger is a graduate of Ithaca College. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
Apple announces changes to its board: Arthur D. Levinson named Chairman, Robert Iger joins
Apple has just announced some changes to its board of directors, including the appointment of a new non-executive chairman: Arthur D. Levinson. Currently Chairman of Genentech Inc., Levinson has been a co-director of Apple's board since 2005, having first joined the board in 2000. He'll be welcoming new board member Robert A. Iger, who you may know as the President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Levinson "has made enormous contributions to Apple since he joined the board in 2000," and that his "insight and leadership are incredibly valuable to Apple, our employees and our shareholders." On Iger, Cook said: "Bob and I have gotten to know one another very well over the past few years and on behalf of the entire board, we think he is going to make an extraordinary addition to our already very strong board," further noting that "his strategic vision for Disney is based on three fundamentals: generating the best creative content possible, fostering innovation and utilizing the latest technology, and expanding into new markets around the world which makes him a great fit for Apple." The official press release is after the break.
Disney will not be a part of iCloud launch
Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke at the D9 conference this week, and said that while he considers the cloud to be a huge force in technology going forward, he's not sold enough to be included in the first round of Apple's almost-announced iCloud service. Whatever Steve Jobs announces for iCloud on Monday (likely a music sharing and storage service, according to the rumors), it will not include goodies licensed under Disney. Still, Iger lauded Apple for working on what he called a "digital locker in the sky," saying that a system like that would really be "a step in a better direction for the user experience." Hopefully Apple will nail down Disney's agreement for iCloud in the future, if indeed it is going to serve as a media storage unit in the cloud. Meanwhile, Iger's plans seem much more local to his company -- rather than relying on Apple or any other company to sell and store his content, Disney apparently plans to "deliver entertainment directly to our consumers through a proprietary site or platform," said Iger. Seems a little inconvenient to have each content company set up its own platform to sell content (rather than going through Apple's store and service), but to each his own, we guess.
Disney CEO says iTV will come with a hard drive
As everyone well knows, LL Cool Stevie J is so secretive that it inevitably leads to reams of rumors before any big Apple event. The problem is the companies Apple works with sometimes seem to be confused by the three letters: N, D and A -- we're lookin' at you, Lionsgate. This time, however, it looks like they're taking a slightly different approach; Disney's CEO, Bob Iger (whom we last spotted sharing the stage with Steve Jobs at the most recent Apple event), recently revealed at a Goldman Sachs conference that the iTV would, in fact, have a hard drive. According to a transcript of the conference purportedly obtained by iPodObserver.com, Iger said: "It can also stream it live through the box to the TV or it has a small hard drive on it so they can download what you put on the device on your computer, on your iTunes, through the television set." So much for keeping cards close to the vest, huh Steve? We understand maybe this is their way of making sure people buying their movies on iTunes feel secure about their purchases knowing a whole Apple entertainment platform awaits them in the future, but Steve, we hope that should you reconsider that fleeting thought of duct taping an iTV across Bob Iger's mouth, you just send it our way instead, cool?
125,000 movies sold in iTunes Store first week
It looks like a few people, other than me, are buying movies from the iTunes Store. Disney's Bob Iger (which I think is a great last name) says that Disney made $1 million in revenue during the first week that their movies were available in the iTunes Store. This translates to about 125,000 movies being downloaded, and keep in mind that there are no free movies, unlike TV shows. Each of those movies was bought and paid. Iger went on to say that he expects Disney will make $50 million during the first year of availability in the iTunes Store.I imagine this will get other studios interested in getting their archives up on the iTunes Store sooner rather than later.
Disney's Cars & Pirates of the Caribbean miss Blu-ray until '07
Our fears have been confirmed, Disney will not release their two biggest summer movies, Cars & Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest on Blu-ray until next year. In contrast to the statements made by a Warner exec about a big HD fourth quarter, they predict a slower adoption for the high definition formats than DVD enjoyed. That isn't to say they're entirely pessimistic about the situation, but CEO Bob Iger just thinks it's too early to predict anything...of course if his company supported HD DVD also and had been already shipping high definition discs for several months at this point maybe he would feel like they have a better handle on things. Still, we should remember that despite a strong summer, Disney is in the middle of restructuring to cut costs, spend less on marketing, and may not want to undergo the expense of shipping such high profile titles to a small, unproven market, instead opting for a low-profile release schedule to start.
