I’ve often said, including on this blog in 2016, that Disney would buy Nintendo.
Ted Gioia says today on Substack that Disney itself might be a buyout candidate by a big tech firm:
A few weeks ago, Disney announced another miserable quarter—with profits from its entertainment business dropping 35%. Its margins are ugly, and there’s no clear plan for a turnaround in sight.
The company is so creatively drained that CEO Bob Iger actually wants users to generate their own Disney content. What’s next? Does he want us to build our own theme parks? Should I start my own troupe of Mouseketeers in the basement?
The company is looking for a new CEO—and the sooner, the better, if you ask me. But none of the likely candidates inspire much trust. So the company’s Matterhorn-sloped downward slide is likely to continue with accelerating speed.
I’m convinced that the House of Mouse will soon get swallowed up by a tech titan. I see Apple as a likely buyer, but Disney might also get acquired by Google, and bundled with its YouTube business.
He’s probably more right than I was.
My, the world has changed in those eight years since I posted that.
