Bob Iger, CEO of Disney (L), and Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast (R).
Getty Images
Ho, ho, ho! It’s that time of year again: anonymous media executives share their forecasts for the entertainment industry in 2025.
This festive season, we present 12 predictions from influential media and entertainment leaders who have chosen to remain nameless, allowing them to express their views on what the upcoming year may hold. And to spread extra cheer, we’ve added a special 13th prediction!
Reflecting on last year’s forecasts, they weren’t particularly accurate compared to prior years, although there were a few successes.
Although Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max, Netflix and Disney didn’t unite for a major streaming bundle as anticipated, Max and Disney did collaborate. Additionally, regional sports rights continued to be secured by TV broadcast groups, as predicted by another executive. RedBird Capital did not fully acquire Paramount Global, yet it participated in a consortium with Skydance to announce a merger with the company in July.
Looking at the other predictions for 2024, Nelson Peltz and Jay Rasulo did not succeed in their activist campaign to join Disney’s board; Disney CEO Bob Iger opted not to extend his contract past 2026, he did not acquire Candle Media, nor did he name Dana Walden as his successor; NBA media rights didn’t end up with Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Apple — instead, they were acquired by Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon.
One more miss: Although Comcast did announce the spin-off of most of its cable networks, it did not merge NBCUniversal with Warner Bros. Discovery.
This brings us to this year’s predictions:
Executive 1: Comcast will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming assets and integrate them with NBCUniversal
Third time’s the charm! Warner Bros. Discovery is in the process of separating its linear assets from its other operations. Comcast is spinning off a majority of its cable networks. Surely this must lead somewhere?
Executive 2: Comcast will purchase Charter and spin off the remainder of NBCUniversal
Indeed, Comcast could have SpinCo 1 and SpinCo 2! This executive believes Comcast might challenge regulatory hurdles to merge with the largest U.S. cable companies, a decade after withdrawing its bid to acquire Time Warner Cable, which was previously the second-largest U.S. cable provider before being purchased by Charter after determining the government would block the acquisition.
Executive 3: Fox will acquire the majority of Warner Bros. Discovery’s assets
Following the sale of most of its entertainment assets to Disney in 2019, Fox plans to make a surprising comeback by acquiring HBO, the film studio, Turner networks, and the streaming assets of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Conversely, another executive opines that Fox might sell due to uncertainties surrounding the Murdoch family trust.
Executive 4: Dana Walden will leave Disney at the end of the year if she doesn’t get the CEO position
Disney has announced it will postpone selecting a new CEO until early 2026, meaning this prediction hinges on a somewhat earlier announcement. Walden, co-chair of Disney Entertainment, is seen as the main contender for the role. The company’s board is cautiously vetting candidates following the tumultuous transition from Iger to Bob Chapek in 2020.
Dana Walden, Ryan Murphy, Bob Iger, and FX Networks Chairman John Landgraf, from left, attend the premiere of Murphy’s limited series “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,” on January 23, 2024.
Credit: Disney
Executive 5: Jeff Bezos will be pressured into selling The Washington Post following President Trump’s comments about his space firm, Blue Origin
Though Bezos has pledged commitment to The Post, the paper has had its share of controversies. Perhaps 2025 will be the year Bezos decides it’s time to step away from the added burdens.
Executive 6: Several television station groups will divest due to financial issues
Companies like EW Scripps, Tegna and Sinclair Broadcast have seen their stocks tumble in recent years as traditional pay-TV valuations decline due to cord-cutting. Executives of these firms hope that a new Trump administration may pave the way for further consolidation, but many are likely to sell out of necessity to avoid bankruptcy or acquire the needed scale.
Executive 7: Regulatory changes allow CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox to acquire their own affiliate stations
In a similar vein, this executive predicts that the broadcasting networks themselves will acquire their affiliate stations.
The Paramount Global headquarters in New York on August 27, 2024.
Yuki Iwamura | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Executive 8: Paramount Global will acquire Lionsgate after it divests from Starz
If Paramount Global secures governmental approval to merge with Skydance Media, its new leadership will likely seek to transform the company. One anticipated move is the acquisition of Lionsgate once it separates from Starz at the start of next year, according to this source.
Executive 9: A major tech firm will acquire Electronic Arts
After engaging in conversations with both Comcast and Disney in previous years, Electronic Arts is expected to be sold in 2025 to a significant technology company, potentially Netflix, Alphabet, Apple, or Amazon, according to this executive. This would follow the precedent set by Microsoft‘s acquisition of Activision in 2023.
Executive 10: The hype surrounding mergers and acquisitions in the industry will be exaggerated, resulting in fewer deals than expected
Contrary to popular belief, this executive believes that many M&A predictions will not materialize, arguing that consolidation won’t adequately address the industry’s transitional issues.
Executive 11: Paramount+, Peacock, and Max will be bundled together
Leaders at Paramount Global, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros. Discovery have expressed the necessity of exploring streaming consolidation. One possibility is a bundle encompassing all three services, either through a dedicated platform or offered at a discount.
Executive 12: The Venu sports streaming service will never launch, and Fox will syndicate its sports content to ESPN’s platform
Venu, a collaboration between Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, was launched with great anticipation earlier this year. However, an antitrust lawsuit from Fubo has delayed its release. At the same time, ESPN is expected to launch its “flagship” streaming service by fall 2025, which may lead the companies to abandon Venu, according to this executive.
Executive 13: Kathy Kennedy will step down from Lucasfilm
Kennedy has led Disney’s Lucasfilm since 2012 and is now in her 70s. It may be time to bring in new leadership for the Star Wars franchise.
May the force be with you. Here’s to what 2025 has in store. Happy holidays!
Note: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC.
