Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs have both been contacted individually by Disney to advise CEO Bob Iger on TV strategy, Matthew Belloni of Puck reports.

Mayer & Staggs Advising Iger

Mayer and Staggs were both popular picks to replace Iger as CEO the first time but he passed over them, leading to the executives leaving Disney. Disney reportedly reached out to Mayer and Staggs about taking over the company when Bob Chapek’s contract was up, but didn’t follow through because such a deal would have required Disney to buy their start-up, Candle Media, and Chapek wouldn’t have agreed to those terms. Disney brought back Iger instead.

Industry executives predicted Mayer and Staggs could return to the company with the acquisition of Candle Media. These reported advisement roles could just be the start of one of them becoming the new CEO team.

The pair are consulting with Iger, ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro, and other executives about linear TV properties and streaming.

During his “Squawk Box” interview, Iger indicated he was open to selling TV assets like ABC and is looking for a partner for ESPN. There have also been persistent rumors Iger is considering selling the entire Walt Disney Company to Apple.

When Bob Iger returned in late 2022, he originally signed a two-year contract and was committed to finding a replacement. The Disney board has since extended his contract by two more years into 2026.

Disney and a representative for Mayer and Staggs declined to comment when contacted by Belloni.

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