Disney CEO Bob Iger Pay Hit $31.6 Million in 2023; Board Rejects Candidates Nominated by Activist Investors

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has weighed in on explicit AI-generated deepfakes of Taylor Swift that have gone viral across social media this week. In an interview with NBC News anchor Lester Holt, Nadella said, “First of all, absolutely this is alarming and terrible, and so therefore yes, we have to act, and quite frankly all of us in the tech platform, irrespective of what your standing on any particular issue is — I think we all benefit when the online world is a safe world.” In an NBC Nightly News exclusive, “I don’t think anyone would want an online world that is completely not safe for both for content creators and content consumers,” Nadella said in the interview.

“Sequels suck, whether you’re making them or watching them.” So said one storied filmmaker in rejecting a rich movie deal (details below), and he’d likely react the same if offered Biden vs. Trump.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Jon Oliver, public-domain fan and self-appointed gadfly to powerful institutions, poked a finger in the eye of the Mouse House in a new promo for his HBO show. In a teaser for the Feb.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor NPR has hired Katherine Maher, former CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation and most recently chief exec of the Web Summit conference, as its next president and chief executive officer. Maher will start at the public radio broadcaster on March 25, taking over for outgoing NPR CEO John Lansing, who announced last fall he would step down from the role before his five-year contract expired.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor NBCUniversal‘s Peacock deal to exclusively stream the NFL‘s AFC Wild Card matchup between the Kansas City Chief and the Miami Dolphins delivered an end-zone spiking TD for the streamer, according to new data. NBCU already claimed the Jan. 13 playoff game was the biggest live-streamed event in U.S.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Netflix extended its lead as the world’s biggest premium video-streaming platform — gaining a better-than-expected 13.1 million subscribers for the fourth quarter of 2023. The company’s Q4 revenue came in slightly over Wall Street forecasts, while net income fell short. As of the end of 2023, Netflix counted 260.28 million total members globally.

Blackwells Capital, a Disney shareholder with plenty of opinions about who should sit on the company’s board of directors, blasted the rival Trian Group for its own board maneuvering.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Scripted TV output in the U.S. dropped sharply in 2023, thanks to a combination of twin Hollywood strikes and a pullback on content spending, according to a new study from research firm Ampere Analysis.

The Trian Group’s Nelson Peltz has formally asked Disney shareholders to elect himself, as well as former Disney executive Jay Rasulo, to the company’s board of directors at the annual meeting this spring.

Disney CEO Bob Iger’s compensation totaled about $31.6 million for the company fiscal year ended Sept. 30. It includes most of the year. Iger returned to lead Disney in November of 2022.

Bob Chapek, a nearly three-decade Disney veteran who was ousted in 2022 as the media company’s CEO, has been appointed to the board of directors of medical tech firm Masimo.

Disney and TSG Entertainment Finance have settled litigation from August of 2023 when the financier sued the media giant for “rampant self-dealing” and breach of the parties’ revenue participation contract.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor After more than seven years at the helm of Barstool Sports — and in the wake of the company’s ill-fated sale in 2023 — Erika Ayers Badan announced Tuesday that she is stepping down as CEO. Last summer, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy bought the site back from casino and online gambling operator Penn Entertainment for $1. That came after Penn Entertainment paid a total of about $550 million to acquire 100% control of Barstool, a few months before deciding to part ways with Barstool.

Apple’s new mixed reality headsets will include thousands of Disney+ TV shows and movies along with four “iconic environments” where users can watch them as the tech giant unveiled more details of its upcoming Apple Vision Pro.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The best home-theater experience coming to the market is one you’ll be able to strap onto your head, according to Apple. Apple unveiled several new entertainment experiences that will be available on Apple Vision Pro — its expensive new mixed-reality headset — when it begins shipping on Feb.

The surprise announcement this week of “The Mandalorian & Grogu” raised a ton of questions about the galaxy of Lucasfilm.

Pixar Animation Studios is planning to reduce its workforce in the coming months, an insider confirmed to Deadline, as part of overall content spending trims at Disney.

News Corp today announced that veteran communications executive Arthur Bochner is set to become chief communications officer and EVP at News Corp. when Jim Kennedy retires later this year.

Disney convened its fourth annual Tech and Data Showcase for advertisers at CES in Las Vegas on Wednesday, kicking it off with affirmation from CEO Bob Iger.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Netflix is seeing strong growth of its advertising-based plan, having recently eclipsed 23 million global monthly active users, president of advertising Amy Reinhard said. Reinhard spoke Wednesday at the Variety Entertainment Summit at CES 2024 at Las Vegas’ Aria Resort and Casino.