The Emmys, Disney Succession and Dana Walden’s Moment

Did Dana Walden just inch a step closer to the frontrunner position for succession of the Walt Disney Company?

The impossibly svelte television executive stood triumphant in the middle of a massive post-Emmys fete on Sunday, as Disney took over the entire outdoor plaza of the Los Angeles Music Center downtown and dressed it with a dazzling tent, gorgeous flowers, sumptuous food and chic seating areas.

CEO Bob Iger hovered nearby like a proud papa, having sat supportively beside his star executive at the Emmy awards earlier in the evening. At his core, Iger is a TV guy – having come to Disney from Cap Cities/ABC in 1996 – and he was very much in his element.

There was a lot to celebrate. Disney certainly knew it was in for a big night at the Emmys, which aired on the company’s own ABC network. But even so they could not have known the company would take home a record 60 Emmy statues, including a record-breaking 19 awards for “Shōgun,” 11 awards for “The Bear” and a bunch more for Ron Howard’s “Jim Henson Idea Man” and Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.”

FX alone took home 36 Emmys, part of Walden’s television empire which also includes ABC, Disney Branded Television, Disney+, Disney Television Studios (20th Television, 20th Television Animation and ABC Signature), FX, FX Productions, Hulu and National Geographic.

But it is not Walden’s only win of late. In the wake of the successful ABC News debate last week between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, with moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis winning widespread praise for handling Trump’s lies, and a massive 67 million Americans tuning in, suffice to say that Walden is on a roll.

The embarrassing dispute with DirecTV got resolved ahead of the Emmys, ending a programming blackout that left ABC and ESPN dark on the satellite giant for 13 days.

Add to that the fact that Walden has a three-decade friendship with Vice President Kamala Harris who may be poised to win the presidency. Though the Disney executive has scrupulously stayed away from anything that publicly acknowledges that friendship – especially because ABC News reports up to her — it’s no secret that the two are tight.

It certainly would not hurt matters were Harris to win the presidency, and Walden could have the country’s first female president a cell phone call or private text away.

Walden is of course too savvy a player to comment on any such notion, and her spokesperson declined to say anything either for this piece.

Walden’s main rivals for the CEO position remain Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN; and Josh D’Amaro who oversees Disney Parks, a massive segment of Disney’s annual revenue.

But but but. Walden comes from the entertainment ecosphere. As Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment, she is responsible for what consumers see on television and streaming, overseeing the company’s full portfolio of entertainment media, news and content businesses globally.

That matters because the CEO position requires a solid grounding in entertainment content, in understanding what goes into the recipe for great storytelling, compelling characters and enduring IP. The Emmy sweep is proof positive of that quality, even if part of that is holding on to the legendary FX tastemaker John Landgraf.

Timeline? Iger’s contract ends in 2026, and he has vowed publicly that he would “definitely step down” at that time. But he has been extremely circumspect about the succession process.

The job requires relationships with Hollywood talent, and a knowledge of how to manage that talent when tough decisions loom. Does she have passionate love for legacy Disney content, the classic animation of “Bambi” and “Snow White?” Probably not. “The Bear” is way more Walden’s speed, coming from two decades at the edgier 20th Century Fox.

She also needs to show strategic business chops, and it is here that Walden privately complains that she does not get enough credit. To her, she still gets underestimated for her business savvy in a manner that reeks, to her, of old-school sexism. She has more than proven her business chops.

And while it’s unclear if Iger sees it that way, he certainly beamed from ear to ear at the Disney shindig.

Will it last? That remains to be seen.

Everyone loves a winner. And right now, Dana Walden is winning.

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