Will NBA commissioner Adam Silver be the next CEO of Disney? It’s possible.
According to reporting from Charles Gasparino at FOX Business, Silver is among the pool of candidates being considered to take over for current CEO Bob Iger when he retires in two years.
Silver’s contract as NBA commissioner runs through 2024.
Disney’s relationship with the NBA through ESPN makes Silver being on a short list for CEO sensible. ESPN and ABC have been a media rightsholder since the 2002-03 season. They also have done business involving Disney World, including the failed NBA Experience attraction and the Covid bubble, which allowed the league to finish its 2019-2020 season.
Before becoming commissioner, Silver was the COO of NBA Entertainment.
The current media rights deal between the NBA and ESPN/ABC and Warner Bros. Discovery expires at the end of the 2024-25 season. Negotiations on a new deal are set to begin soon, and Iger has said that Disney has no intention of letting the rights get away.
Several others, including current Disney executives, are also being considered.
