Disney's Bob Iger Tops SBJ's List Of 50 Most Influential People In Sports Business

Disney Chair & CEO BOB IGER tops SportsBusiness Journal's annual list of the 50 Most Influential People in Sports Business. The list has typically avoided execs like Iger and "other titans of the industry," such as Nike's PHIL KNIGHT, CBS' LES MOONVES or Fox' RUPERT MURDOCH and the sort. Their jobs "entail much more than sports," and the focus of the list is on the "people they have running their sports businesses." But Iger this year "did move the market, the entire sports media market," and it was a an influence "we could not ignore." Iger’s comments in August about the future of the cable industry "created such a stir because, arguably, for the first time a top Disney executive seemed to be acknowledging that subscriber losses and growing rights fees are affecting the business." They also "could be seen as a prediction: ESPN is looking for ways to shop itself directly to consumers." On top of his media influence this year, Iger also "placed himself in the midst of two future decisions that have huge implications for the American sports scene." Last month, he became Chair of the NFL stadium project in Carson, Calif., "giving an edge" to the joint Chargers-Raiders effort. He also gave his endorsement to L.A.'s effort to land the '24 Olympics, what "could be a do-or-die moment for the Games ever returning" to the U.S. (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/7 issue). Click here to read how the SBJ editors put the list together.