Disney CEO Bob Iger said there were no plans to spin off ESPN despite calls from activist investors. 

“ESPN is a differentiator for this company,” said Iger. “It is going through some obviously challenging times because of what’s happened in linear programming. But the brand of ESPN is very healthy, and the programming of ESPN is very healthy.”

The Mouse House saw revenues hit $23.5 billion for the three-month period ending Dec. 31, up 8% year-over-year.

• The company’s media and entertainment wing held steady at $14.8 billion in revenue, up 1% from last year.
• The company spent less on NFL and College Football Playoff rights, but saw sports production costs tick upward. Disney is expected to compete for NBA media rights in the league’s next set of deals.
• Its parks segment brought huge growth coming out of the pandemic, hitting $8.7 billion, up 21% from $7.2 billion the previous year.

Disney beat overall revenue expectations, and its stock was up 6.3% in early after-hours trading.

ESPN+ Plus

Disney saw its linear networks slip 5% to $7.3 billion in revenue, with operating income falling $244 million to $1.3 billion. Streaming revenue rose 13% to $5.3 billion, but losses climbed to just over $1 billion.

ESPN+ ticked up to 24.9 million subscribers from 24.3 million the previous quarter and saw a 14% jump in monthly revenue per subscriber in that time to $5.53.

Disney sold out its ad inventory for the NHL All-Star Weekend earlier this month. The NHL returned to Disney after the two sides linked up on a seven-year deal in 2021.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters at his Super Bowl press conference in Phoenix that ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” will be able to utilize flex scheduling next season — and that Amazon may eventually have the same ability. 

“It wouldn’t at all surprise me at some point that we have it on Thursdays at some stage, but not today,” Goodell said on Wednesday. “It will certainly be something that’ll be on our horizon.”

• Goodell said Amazon’s first season as the exclusive home of Thursday night games worked “exactly [as the league] anticipated,” because — despite a smaller audience — it was around 10 years younger. 
• YouTube TV, which recently secured the NFL Sunday Ticket, “will change the experience” of subscribers to the out-of-market package held by DirecTV since 1994. 
• Discussions around the potential sale of part of NFL Media haven’t led to a deal, but Goodell said the league “absolutely” will continue to explore its options.

Goodell didn’t provide details on how flex scheduling will be rolled out for “Monday Night Football.” NBC could flex games to Sunday night for several seasons.

Diversity Update

Goodell touted the NFL’s incubator programs to address the lack of diversity in coaching and front-office execs, saying there’s been meaningful progress over the last year. 

“I still feel like there’s better work and more work ahead of us,” Goodell said. “I think that there’s been progress, and we’re pleased to see progress, but it’s never enough.”

Manchester United can reportedly expect a full takeover bid from Qatari investors in the coming days.

The money will reportedly come from individual investors, as the group is separate from Qatar Sports Investments, which was reported last month to be considering a full or partial takeover. 

• QSI already owns Paris Saint-Germain, and European soccer governing body UEFA has strict rules against owning multiple clubs.
• The group set to bid is only interested in a full takeover.

A full takeover wouldn’t be cheap, as the Glazer family — who purchased Manchester United in 2005 for roughly $942 million — is reportedly looking for at least $7.2 billion. Forbes last valued the club at $4.6 billion.

“There are significant funds available,” according to a Daily Mail report. “These people are serious. They want to make sure that United are where they should be, and they are confident theirs will be the strongest bid.”

Qatar’s Competition

Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe — one of Britain’s richest people and a longtime Manchester United fan — and his chemical company INEOS were the first to announce they had entered the process for a club takeover.

The sale has reportedly intrigued groups from the Middle East, Asia, and the U.S., as well.

Any takeover would need approval from the Premier League.

Business interest in WNBA teams is on the rise.

The Seattle Storm now have the highest valuation of any team in the WNBA after selling minority stakes to 15 investors, valuing the club at $151 million, according to The Wall Street Journal — 15 times more than other teams.

• Force 10 Hoops LLC, a company run by three women in the Seattle area, is still the controlling owner of the team. 
• The team will see major benefits from the sale — the Storm plan to build a 50,000-square-foot practice facility with offices worth $64 million. 

Less than 200 miles away, the city of Portland is making a bid for a WNBA expansion team. 

Both the Portland Thorns and the Trail Blazers are involved, as well as coaches from Oregon and Oregon State and Sen. Ron Wyden.

When it comes to expansion, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league is shooting for 2025. Toronto, Nashville, and the Bay Area — both Oakland and San Francisco — are contenders, while Columbia, South Carolina, and Philadelphia have also been mentioned.

Aces Investigation

Meanwhile, the league office is investigating the Las Vegas Aces for “circumventing the salary cap,” according to The Next Hoops. 

The team allegedly tried to offer a player a sponsorship deal in addition to a salary, which is a violation of the collective bargaining agreement.