Overview

• Multiple reports, citing Bloomberg’s sourcing, depict a two-person contest with Disney Experiences chief Josh D’Amaro widely regarded as the favorite over Disney Entertainment co-chair Dana Walden.
• Bob Iger recently pushed back in a Santa Monica encounter when told D’Amaro would be appointed, saying the board had not made a decision, according to the Bloomberg account.
• D’Amaro’s standing is bolstered by the Experiences division’s roughly $8.12 billion profit in the first nine months of fiscal 2025, plus his role overseeing a planned $60 billion parks expansion and Disney’s $1.5 billion Epic Games stake.
• Walden remains a contender, though coverage notes her involvement in the brief suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show has drawn shareholder ire, while ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro and studio co-chair Alan Bergman are now seen as long shots.
• Disney has signaled it expects to name Iger’s successor in early 2026, allowing a transition before his contract ends later that year.