As a result of an unexpected decision, The Walt Disney Company announced on November 20 that Robert Bob Iger would take over as CEO again after his departure in February 2020. The move is made on the eve of the debut of Disney+ Basic, the company’s new version of its streaming service consisting in an ad-supported plan scheduled to launch on December 8 in the United States and intended to expand internationally in 2023.

According to some US media, the CEO change may put at stake all the decisions that have been made recently, including the launch of the ad-supported plan and the increase in the price of the basic package, something Iger did not approve of. The executive has not announced new measures so far, though he said that in the next few weeks organizational and operative changes would be implemented with the aim of giving back decision-making power to creative teams and rationalizing costs.

After having been replaced by Bob Chapek as CEO in 2020, Iger went on serving as Executive President of the company until December 2021. Disney’s press release announced Chapek’s exit without explaining the reasons behind it. Nor did the announcement make it clear whether the decision had preceded or followed the reappointment of Iger. “The Board has concluded that as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely situated to lead the Company through this pivotal period.”

According to official sources, the resolution is to become effective immediately and Iger is to hold office for a two-year period.