A Pixar acquisition by Disney on its own would just be viewed as a hefty M&A deal. But Steve Jobs would come along with the deal — as the largest individual shareholder at the very least, most likely also as a board member, and just possibly, as chairman of the Disney board. The concept is a tantalizing one for Disney/Apple watchers, who see it as potentially the kind of move that could, as Gina Keating puts it, give Jobs “the power to break down barriers that have long existed between online content, computer hardware and digital distribution.”
Enticing but how likely given that Jobs would not be getting carte blanche to remake Disney in his image as was the case at Apple and Pixar? Analyst Jeff Logsdon of Harris Nesbitt says the merger makes a lot of sense. “If the speculation is accurate that Steve Jobs would go on the (Disney) board, that certainly brings one of our generation’s more innovative applied technologists into their umbrella,” he told Reuters, adding, “I think there are emerging (distribution technologies) that can conceivably generate significant consumer interest and spending.” Still, others note that Disney doesn’t have to own Pixar to either gain access to Jobs or make siginificant deals. Jupiter analyst David Card: “It’s not as if Iger and Jobs don’t return each other’s calls now…. Jobs would bring a great addition to the Disney board that is not very tech savvy … but the Disney guys are thinking about this (digital distribution) already.”
In fact, he’s no Steve Jobs but Bob Iger has shown internally and in public over the past 18 months that he is increasingly tech savvy and intent on using digital distribution to drive Disney globally.
Related:The New Digital Disney
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