Executives and industry experts made a series of predictions on the future of the media industry during the New York Times’s annual DealBook summit. Some of the previous year’s forecasts came true, such as Bob Iger extending his contract as Disney CEO and Christine McCarthy stepping down as Disney’s chief financial officer. However, others, like the rebound of the media industry and a potential Netflix merger, did not materialize. Hope remains high for the coming year.

Comcast is anticipated to spin off NBCUniversal and merge it with Warner Bros. Discovery. The two-year anniversary of Warner Bros. Discovery’s 2022 merger with Discovery is fast approaching, allowing for another significant deal to take place. The scenario is predicted to result in NBCUniversal acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery or Comcast keeping its theme parks business but selling the rest of the company in exchange for Warner Bros. Discovery common shares.

Another forecast suggests that Bob Iger will extend his Disney CEO contract, which was renewed through 2026 earlier this year. Additionally, Nelson Peltz and Jay Rasulo are expected to win their campaign to join the Disney board. The duo criticized Disney’s succession planning and announced their intentions to run for board seats next year. If Iger decides to leave, Dana Walden is predicted to be named his successor as Disney CEO, possibly with Andrew Wilson, the CEO of Electronic Arts, as an internal candidate to consider.

Additionally, a prediction involves Disney acquiring Candle Media and Kevin Mayer positioning himself as a leading internal candidate to take over for Iger. Furthermore, the NBA’s media rights are anticipated to go to Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Apple, while ESPN is expected to be the only significant bidder for the College Football Playoff’s rights fee increase. Lastly, local broadcast stations are projected to take most local NBA, NHL, and MLB sports rights away from regional sports networks.