The returning CEO, Bob Iger, has confirmed that Apple isn't buying or merging with Disney.
The idea of Apple buying Disney isn't a new one, and it's something that has come up time and again. Steve Jobs was famously on the Disney board for years, with the two companies having what could perhaps be described as a special relationship.
However, speaking at a town hall at Disney's Burbank HQ, Iger said that any involvement with Apple was "pure speculation."
No deal
Deadline reports that Apple's largest buyout remains its $3 billion purchase of Beats in 2014. The company has since bought smaller companies but has shown little appetite to get involved in anything the size of what would be required to pick up Disney. The report also notes that "Disney's traditional holdings would likely be unattractive to a large-scale tech firm."
However, it is thought that Iger was recently brought back to take over at Disney to find a suitable buyer, something that hasn't been confirmed. Picking up Disney would undoubtedly give Apple access to a vast content catalog, which it couldn't buy anywhere else. In addition, Disney owns Pixar, while the Star Wars franchise alone would potentially make the buyout worth considering.
The Disney Plus would presumably be part of the deal, a service that currently competes with Apple's own Apple TV Plus streaming offering.
If Disney isn't being sold to Apple, could it look to expand by buying other companies itself? Deadline reports not, saying that "the man who bought Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Fox for Disney during his last stint as CEO also noted that the House of Mouse wasn't looking to make any more big-ticket acquisitions any time soon."
