It has been a rather testing time for Disney as a company. Former CEO Bob Iger came back from retirement to take over the reins. However, it looks like tumultuous times for the company are set to continue. It was reported that Disney’s streaming service — Disney+ — lost 40 lakh subscriber last quarter. And now, a report by Bloomberg suggests that Iger is looking to sell the streaming services, other assets, and perhaps even the entire division in India.
A report by Bloomberg suggests that Iger is looking to sell or restructure the streaming business in India. The report says that India is one region where the company suffered maximum losses. Disney+ Hotstar was dealt a severe blow when it lost the streaming rights to Indian Premier League cricket matches. In two quarters, as per the report, Hotstar lost 84 lakh subscribers.
Reliance Jio’s JioCinema won the rights for IPL and cricket was one of the mainstays of Hotstar in India. Also, Disney+ Hotstar also lost all the HBO content on the platform as well, which incidentally also landed on JioCinema. The double whammy has hurt Disney+ Hotstar quite a bit in the country.

Other businesses also may be sold

Iger, as per the report, has put one-third of the company up for sale. The assets that may be sold include TV networks ABC, Freeform, and FX. Furthermore, Disney is also looking for a strategic partner for ESPN. Iger stressed on the fact that Disney had “no-growth businesses”. Rumours about Disney selling to Apple keep swirling around. Neither company has ever commented on those rumours.
In an interview with CNBC, Iger said that he remains extremely optimistic about the company and its assets. “But I would say it in some cases the challenges are greater than I had anticipated.”