The war between Disney and the state of Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has been going on for so long that it seems like old news. The current battles are playing out in courtrooms in the Sunshine State, but in some ways, the war is also waging in movie theaters and theme parks. Walt Disney World is seeing low attendance this summer, while multiple Disney films have seen disappointing box office.
Disney is unquestionably paying the price for sticking its nose into Florida’s politics. Nearly a year-and-a-half after former CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, the ripples are still moving through the water.
Current CEO Bob Iger talked about the controversy in an interview with CNBC on Thursday, and he walked an interesting tightrope. On one hand, Iger said that the fight with DeSantis and Florida is one he didn’t want.
“The last thing that I want for the company is for the company to be drawn into any culture wars,” he told CNBC.
Iger has made similar statements in the past. “I was sorry to see us dragged into that battle,” he told an employee town hall in November. “The State of Florida has been important to us for a long time. And we have been very important to the State of Florida. That is something I’m extremely mindful of and will articulate if I get the chance.”
“Do I like the company being embroiled in controversy? Of course not,” he said later in the town hall. “It can be distracting, and it can have a negative impact on the company. And to the extent that I can work to kind of quiet things down, I’m going to do that.”
Related: Bob Iger Expresses Regret for Disney’s Political Tangle With Florida
In the CNBC interview, Iger also said, “And frankly, the company was within its right, even though I’m not sure it was handled very well, it was within its right to speak up on an issue [of the] constitutionally protected right of free speech. To retaliate against the company in a way that would be harmful to the business was not something that we could sit back and tolerate.”
That’s a fair point, but just because you or your company has a right to say something doesn’t make it wise or good for business.
On the other hand, Iger struck a somewhat defiant tone about what plenty of people have characterized as Disney’s turn toward wokeness in much of its programming.
“We are a preeminent entertainer in the world, and we’re proud of our track record there. The notion that Disney is in any way sexualizing children, quite frankly, is preposterous and inaccurate,” he told CNBC.
Among the other things that Iger said in the CNBC interview, he admitted that the company isn’t opposed to selling some of its television networks.
“Transformative work is dealing with businesses that are no growth businesses and what to do about them, and particularly the linear business, which we are expansive in our thinking about. And we’re going to look expansively about opportunities there because clearly, it’s a business that is going to continue to struggle,” Iger said. “Linear” refers to traditional broadcast and cable television networks.
Interviewer David Faber then cut in to ask whether he was talking specifically about networks like ABC and FX.
“Is it possible you would look to sell them?” he asked.
“We have to be open-minded and objective about the future of those businesses, yes,” Iger replied.
“Meaning that they’re not core to Disney?” Faber asked.
“That they may not be core to Disney,” Iger confirmed.
Iger also stated that getting rid of networks didn’t include ESPN. Interestingly enough, he also said that the writers’ and actors’ strikes are “disturbing.”
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