As ESPN undergoes some monumental changes, from launching its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer product in a matter of days to striking a mega-deal with the NFL which will see the league take a 10% stake in the sports media company, there’s also some major storylines at ESPN’s corporate parent, Disney.
Chief among those storylines is a succession drama surrounding current Disney CEO Bob Iger, who will retire when his contract expires in 2026. The company has yet to name his successor, though that hasn’t stopped the media from speculating about who it could be. Conventional wisdom would suggest that Iger will be replaced by someone within the Disney, although that didn’t exactly work out the first time Iger retired.
As such, there’s definitely room for someone outside the company to make a run at the top job, especially someone who has prior Disney experience on their resume.
Enter: TKO COO and president Mark Shapiro. Shapiro began his career at ESPN, working his way up to head the network’s programming and spearhead development on shows like Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn. Since leaving the company, he’s established himself as a sports media power player, having recently negotiated a $7.7 billion deal with Paramount for UFC media rights, and a $1.6 billion WWE rights deal with ESPN.
Shapiro has the credentials, and that’s why one legendary sports media executive believes he should be in the running for Disney’s next CEO. Speaking with the Wall Street Journal in a profile about Shapiro, former ESPN CEO, and later ABC Sports president, Steve Bornstein, suggested Shapiro would be suited to replace Iger.
“He’d be a great CEO for Disney,” Bornstein said of Shapiro.
In addition to his sports media bonafides, Shapiro also has experience as an amusement parks executive at Six Flags from 2005 to 2010. Considering two major pillars of Disney’s business are ESPN and amusement parks, it’s difficult to think of an individual more qualified to lead the company than Shapiro.
The question will be, would he want the job? Shapiro already has one of the most influential and powerful positions in all of media as right-hand man to Endeavor giant Ari Emanuel. In addition to his duties at TKO, Shapiro is able to help rep some of the biggest talents in America. Is he willing to give that up to become CEO of Disney, which could be a much larger challenge?
We’ll find out in the next year. But for now, Shapiro’s name is certainly one to watch.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.