As Disney appears nearing a historic deal to purchase the movie and television companies of 21st Century Fox, James Murdoch has been suggested as a potential successor to Disney chief executive Bob Iger, The Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
Disney is the leading candidate to purchase Fox's movie studio, cable channels, international units and regional US sports networks, the value of which is some $60 billion, CNBC reported.
Murdoch, who is the younger son of Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch and current chief executive of Fox, is likely to have a senior executive role with Disney if a deal is reached, sources told the Times.
Disney has reportedly not yet decided who will succeed Iger, who is expected to retire in 2019.
The Murdochs are likely to back Disney's proposal, because they see it as posing the lowest regulatory risk, a source close to the negotiations said.
However, both Fox and Disney declined to comment, and one person briefed on the negotiations said that "No promises have been made."
The deal could potentially have major repercussions throughout the entire movie and television enterprise, according to Looper.
For example, Fox holds the rights to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as many other franchises. If Disney buys Fox, it would also give the company the rights to all of the Marvel characters that Fox owns.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.