Bob Iger On Politics In Sports: 'It's complicated'

ESPN's upcoming digital service will give viewers access to content not seen on TV , Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC's Fast Money.

The "add-on" service will let people watch ESPN content via mobile app. To watch, viewers will have to provide information from their current cable, satellite or over-the-top streaming services. The same app will have a yet-to-be named "plus product," which will give people access to 10,000 additional live sporting events. No price has been announced for the additional product.

"That will give you the ability on the same apps to see content you may not be able to see on the channels, and scores and highlights," Iger explained.


Here's what Disney CEO Bob Iger just said about ESPN & the NFL from CNBC.


Iger also stood by Disney's decision to retain Jemele Hill, after the ESPN anchor called President Donald Trump a "bigot" and "a white supremacist who has surrounded himself with other white supremacists" on Twitter. Trump demanded an apology tweeting ESPN was "paying a really big price for its politics (and bad programming)."

The company would not "engage" on Trump or the White House on the issue, Iger said. Though it preferred it anchors not talk about politics, Disney and ESPN took into account the context in which Hill spoke out and decided not to fire her.

"It's complicated these days because we have employees that feel the need to speak out -- particularly black employees -- who are angered by what they see societally, with prejudice racism or rights that they feel were hard-fought.... We have to take that into account," he said.