Disney Says It Has Made “No Decision” on Selling ABC But Is Open to “Strategic Options”

The Walt Disney Co. said in a statement Thursday that it is “open to considering a variety of strategic options for our linear businesses,” but shot down a report that it was in active discussions to sell its ABC broadcast network and stations. “At this time The Walt Disney Company has made no decision with respect to the divestiture of ABC or any other property and any report to that effect is unfounded,” the statement continued. The statement followed a Bloomberg report that said Disney had held “initial” talks about a sale of ABC and its local stations to Nexstar, the local TV giant and owner of The CW network. The Bloomberg story and subsequent Disney pushback came after Tom Carter, a former Nexstar executive and current adviser to the company, told a Bank of America conference Wednesday that should Disney’s ABC stations become available, Nexstar would be able to buy them with “little friction.” “We think there could be some opportunities depending on how things fall out,” Carter added. Disney CEO Bob Iger got the M&A rumor mill rumbling in July, when he told CNBC that Disney’s linear TV channels, including ABC, “may not be core” to the company’s
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