An Apple-Disney merger might have happened if Steve had lived, because the only way Steve would have pursued or agreed to it is if he controlled the resulting combination.
Agree with most of the commenters but one thing that both companies have in common is an unbelievable capacity to evolve, change and reinvent themselves to stay beloved and relevant.
I hardly think that is the case at all. If Disney had a measurable approval rating, you'd find it in the basement today compared to 10 years ago. Most people cannot stand what that company has done to the properties they own in the last decade. I used to like Disney. I despise Disney today for what they have done.
"More than that, I believe that if Steve were still alive, we would have combined our companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously."
This is his personal assessment of how things may have played out. Given that he adds the "or we at least would have talked about it" bit, it seems very credible.
He's also not a fool, so I'm sure he was thinking more along the lines of Disney being a subsidiary of Apple rather than the reverse. Perhaps Steve could have gotten advice from his friend Warren Buffet about how to profit from having large independent companies thrive under a single corporate umbrella. Disney would have stayed in Hollywood and Apple would have stayed in Cupertino. No need to kill the golden goose.
Agree with most of the commenters but one thing that both companies have in common is an unbelievable capacity to evolve, change and reinvent themselves to stay beloved and relevant.
I hardly think that is the case at all. If Disney had a measurable approval rating, you'd find it in the basement today compared to 10 years ago. Most people cannot stand what that company has done to the properties they own in the last decade. I used to like Disney. I despise Disney today for what they have done.
I'm not sure you're right about that. Here's an article from earlier this year.
Consumers feel closer to [Disney's] brand than they do to any other, even Apple Inc.’s.
That’s according to a new study of “brand intimacy” by branding agency MBLM, which pegged Disney as tops in terms of its bond with consumers. Disney took the crown from Apple, which ranked first in the last three iterations of the study.
I said this a few articles ago. Wish Steve was alive. Apple TV+ and Disney+ would be one service.
Why?
Jobs owned Disney and was the CEO of Apple.
Wrong. Jobs owned 7.4% when he sold them Pixar. That’s not remotely close to a controlling share.
So...why would they be one service? Why would Disney be anything other than one more content service piped onto the platform as it is today? Or do you mean to say Jobs could have convinced the other 82% of the stockholders to sell? Perhaps but there are so many factors who can say.
Jobs had a controlling share in most of disney - granted to him when he “sold” Pixar, which was trouncing Disney at the box office. Disney was desperate and Jobs saved the day. I think it was 51% of the company shares? Dude was owning.
Except, he didn’t. Google is your friend.
He was still the biggest owner. Not as pie-in-the-sky as you want to believe it to be.
And not at all what you said, which was that Jobs owned Disney. He didn’t.
I "own" AAPL as a part of my portfolio. This is perfectly common parlance.
Get over this triviality, please, and try to understand -- I am sure you can -- things in context.
Someone is trying to sell a book. I highly doubt this would have happened.
Oh, I think it could’ve realistically happened, based on the relationship between Iger and Jobs AND Jobs’ large holdings of Disney stock, an advantage which his widow has evidently squandered.
This is really an acknowledgement of a rift between Cook and Iger.
I said this a few articles ago. Wish Steve was alive. Apple TV+ and Disney+ would be one service.
Why?
Jobs owned Disney and was the CEO of Apple.
Wrong. Jobs owned 7.4% when he sold them Pixar. That’s not remotely close to a controlling share.
So...why would they be one service? Why would Disney be anything other than one more content service piped onto the platform as it is today? Or do you mean to say Jobs could have convinced the other 82% of the stockholders to sell? Perhaps but there are so many factors who can say.
Jobs had a controlling share in most of disney - granted to him when he “sold” Pixar, which was trouncing Disney at the box office. Disney was desperate and Jobs saved the day. I think it was 51% of the company shares? Dude was owning.
Except, he didn’t. Google is your friend.
He was still the biggest owner. Not as pie-in-the-sky as you want to believe it to be.
And not at all what you said, which was that Jobs owned Disney. He didn’t.
Not sure why people get hostile when it comes to Apple acquiring/partnering with Disney and claiming Apple shouldn't get into media then praise Apple TV+ hypocritically.
Does no one realize that Sony is a company that makes media and sells electronics? The idea of a Disney-Apple merger isn't without precedence.
Yes and as we said, that’s when Sony hardware lost all momentum and they ceased being the industry leader. They gimped their hardware innovation to protect content DRM. Oops.
Well he knew Jobs better than me (which is not at all) but it sure seems like Pixar and Apple were different beasts. Jobs founded Apple in a garage rather than as an investor later in its life, and he nursed it back from the brink to a skyrocketing future. The iCEO became the famed phoenix rising from the ashes...Why sell it?
It wouldn’t have been Steve selling Apple.
Thats ridiculous.
It would have been Apple assimilating Disney into Ann entertainment and media division of Apple.
There was some speculation that Jobs wanted to go in that direction back in the day and that Iger was not for it. He was too narrow minded. Jobs had the controlling share and it could have happened. But Steve fell ill around that time.
As it is, Iger just steals ideas at Apple board meetings and then copies Apple TV Plus and comes out with... “Dinsney... Plus”. Doesn’t even bother to be original.
Except Disney has a giant vault of material for their service and Apple has hopes of grandeur. A partnership would have been a lot better than trying to compete against them.
For Apple to succeed doesn’t require Disney to fail. Apple can be successful with their streaming endeavors even while Disney does the same. Is Amazon failing because Netflix?
Absolute, complete BS. Disney would be of zero use to Apple. If even to entertain the notion, Steve Jobs would buy Disney and immediately shut down the theme parks or sell them off.
Maybe Apple should remove all Disney content from iTunes/App Store/TV/Movies/Disney+ because they're zero use to Apple......
Wait does he mean Disney and Apple would have merged together? If that's true....LOLOLOL! I seriously doubt that. I don't see any reason what so ever how that would benefit either company. I don't care how well the relationship was between Bob and Steve. It's totally different from Disney taking over Pixar which actually made sense.
Right? Apple would never get into selling media!! They are a computer company!!! LOLOLOLOL!!
Pixar was just animation studio bought by Disney when it succeeded. It makes absolutely no sense to think that an entertainment company would merge with a software/hardware company.
Right? Apple would never get into the entertainment business!! They are a phone company!!!!!1111
I guess you forgot that Apple is not just AppleTV +. Sure it would have helped that, but how is merging or taking over Disney going to help sell iPhones, Macs, Apple Watches, HomePods, etc. It won't. It's not like Disney taking over Pixar which completely made sense as they were using them anyways.
You're not making any sense at all. Just because you wish it would have happened doesn't mean it makes sense for either party.
So TV+, does it exist or not?
Of course it exists, but its not Apple. It's a very very small portion of Apple and it's not going to be the primary thing Apple does or anything close. You're not getting it.
So please explain to all of us why this could benefit Apple as a WHOLE...not just with Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ is not Apple? Is it Google? I don't understand.....
"So please explain to all of us why this could benefit Apple as a WHOLE"
IDK. The same way Apple TV+ could benefit Apple as a WHOLE.
Okay I don't know if you're purposely being ignorant or what. AppleTV+ isn't what makes Apple...Apple as a company. Its a very small service that Apple sells. I guess I have to explain to you what Apple does today. They make mobile devices, computers, software and services.
"More than that, I believe that if Steve were still alive, we would have combined our companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously."
This is his personal assessment of how things may have played out. Given that he adds the "or we at least would have talked about it" bit, it seems very credible.
He's also not a fool, so I'm sure he was thinking more along the lines of Disney being a subsidiary of Apple rather than the reverse. Perhaps Steve could have gotten advice from his friend Warren Buffet about how to profit from having large independent companies thrive under a single corporate umbrella. Disney would have stayed in Hollywood and Apple would have stayed in Cupertino. No need to kill the golden goose.
No, no, no. I'm sure forum posters are way smarter than dumb Igor!!!
Comments
"More than that, I believe that if Steve were still alive, we would have combined our companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously."
This is his personal assessment of how things may have played out. Given that he adds the "or we at least would have talked about it" bit, it seems very credible.
He's also not a fool, so I'm sure he was thinking more along the lines of Disney being a subsidiary of Apple rather than the reverse. Perhaps Steve could have gotten advice from his friend Warren Buffet about how to profit from having large independent companies thrive under a single corporate umbrella. Disney would have stayed in Hollywood and Apple would have stayed in Cupertino. No need to kill the golden goose.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-overtakes-apple-in-survey-of-most-intimate-brands-2019-02-14
He’s got a book to sell.
Get over this triviality, please, and try to understand -- I am sure you can -- things in context.
I said the same thing twice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shareholder
Not sure why people get hostile when it comes to Apple acquiring/partnering with Disney and claiming Apple shouldn't get into media then praise Apple TV+ hypocritically.
So?
So?
Maybe Apple should remove all Disney content from iTunes/App Store/TV/Movies/Disney+ because they're zero use to Apple......
A better argument would be "Steve wouldn't have let TV+ happen" than "Apple doesn't need Disney".
No, no, no. I'm sure forum posters are way smarter than dumb Igor!!!
/s