James Murdoch is being mooted as a possible successor to Bob Iger if Fox and Disney reach an agreement on a takeover.
The Financial Times has suggested that Rupert Murdoch and his younger son, James, could both be in line for senior roles.
James Murdoch is currently Chief Executive of 21st Century Fox and Chairman of the satellite broadcaster, Sky.
Disney is reportedly back in discussions with Fox over the potential takeover of Fox’s movie studio, cable channels and international units – Sky and Star India.
How shareholders would view a Disney takeover is another matter. They have been critical of the Murdochs regarding corporate governance.
However, Disney is not the only interested party. Comcast and Verizon are also reported to be interested in bidding for the assets.
The rise of Apple, Amazon and Netflix is rapidly changing how media is consumed. This has resulted in a flurry of mega deals. But, regulators are wary of media mergers that combine both content and delivery.
The view is that the Murdochs favour a deal with Disney as it is likely to pose less of a regulatory risk.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/dec/05/disney-james-murdoch-21st-century-fox-ceo
