Ramona Shelburne: The
Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to American businessman Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for a record breaking price over $12 billion, multiple sources told ESPN. Kushner and Iger were involved in the expansion process in Las Vegas, but a stunning turn, they pivoted to make an aggressive offer to buy the Lakers from Mark Walter, who had purchased a controlling interest in the team from the Buss family last year.multiple sources told ESPN. — 8/12/2026
x.com
Marc Stein:
The Lakers, for the second time in less than 18 months, are being sold. This time, according to @ramonashelburne, it’s a record $12 billion deal — richer than any North American sports franchise sale— that would transfer ownership from Mark Walter to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. — 8/12/2026
x.com
Ramona Shelburne: Statement to ESPN from
Mark Walter: “Owning the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the great honors of my life - an extraordinary investment, but what I will carry with me is the community, the fans, and a city that treats this team as family. I am grateful to Jeanie Buss, the Buss family, the players, and the staff for welcoming me into this chapter. The Lakers belong to Los Angeles, and I have every confidence the best is still ahead.” — 8/12/2026
x.com
Former Disney CEO
Bob Iger and venture capitalist Joshua Kushner—the younger brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared—are in talks to make a bid for a new NBA team based in Las Vegas, according to Bloomberg, just months after the league announced plans to explore an expansion. — 6/29/2026
Forbes.com
Disney CEO Bob Iger said he sees “tremendous value” in the company’s 11-year rights extension with the NBA despite the significant increase in costs over the previous agreement. — 8/7/2024
Deadline
The CEO said securing the NBA Finals every June for more than another decade would provide a major tentpole for ABC and ESPN, giving the company a consistent advertising and distribution vehicle. Live programming, he said, has been an “advertiser’s delight and an audience’s delight” in recent years. The “growing value of women’s sports” and the WNBA component of the deal would also justify the cost, Iger added. The long-term agreement also “secures our ability to bring ESPN in a digital direction,” Iger added, especially with the planned 2025 launch of ESPN’s flagship stand-alone streaming service — 8/7/2024
Deadline
Mike Vorkunov: CEO Bob Iger didn't want to give much on impending new NBA rights deal during Disney earnings call but did say:
"We're confident or optimistic we're going to end up with an NBA deal that will be long term that'll be in our best interest and the best interest of our subscribers." — 5/7/2024
Twitter @MikeVorkunov
During Smith’s appearance at the BSM Summit Wednesday, I asked him about Jimmy Kimmel’s comment last month that the late night host might retire after his current contract expires in 2026. Fifteen months ago, Smith told Sean Hannity that he’d “love” to be considered “heir” to Kimmel—so I asked Smith, whose current ESPN contract expires in July, 2025: Is that still the case?
“I’d be very interested in succeeding him,” Smith answered. But only if his bosses at Disney, such as chairman Bob Iger, asked him to follow in Kimmel’s footsteps as ABC’s late night star. — 3/15/2024
Front Office Sports
Mike Vorkunov:
Disney CEO Bob Iger, at the Morgan Stanley investor conference, on its involvement in the next NBA media rights deal: "We love our relationship with the NBA. That negotiation is unfolding. It's our goal to stay in that relationship because we love the sport." — 3/5/2024
Twitter @MikeVorkunov
Mike Vorkunov:
Disney CEO Bob Iger says on CNBC the company intends to launch its flagship ESPN direct-to-consumer product in late August/fall 2025. Says it will be different than this new Fox/ESPN/WBD bundle because it will have more features and calls this new joint venture a channel bundle. — 2/7/2024
Twitter @MikeVorkunov
