Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger will be receiving The Ad Council’s Award for Public Service at its Public Service Award Dinner on December 5, 2024, at the Glasshouse in New York City.
“Under Bob’s leadership, Disney has continued its longstanding commitment to public service and social impact. Bob is a role model for so many in the industry and we look forward to celebrating his legacy of outstanding corporate citizenship,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council.
Iger served as CEO and chairman of The Walt Disney Company from 2005 to 2020, then as executive chairman and chairman of the board before his return as CEO in 2022. During his tenure, he has expanded Disney’s portfolio through strategic acquisitions including Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox. Iger’s management earned Disney recognition as one of Forbes’ “Most Reputable Companies” and Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies.” Recognized as one of the world’s influential business leaders, Iger has received numerous accolades, including being named TIME’s Businessperson of the Year in 2019. He currently serves on the boards of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Under Iger’s leadership, Disney has deepened its relationship with numerous organizations that support the well-being of children, particularly those facing critical illness. In 2018, Iger announced a global commitment of $100 million to help reimagine the patient experience in children’s hospitals, committing a mix of financial support, products and services. Additionally, through Disney’s collaboration with Make-A-Wish, the company has helped grant more than 155,000 life-changing wishes for children since the first wish was granted more than 40 years ago at Disneyland Resort.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by the Ad Council and I am immensely proud of the positive impact Disney has on people and communities around the world,” said Iger. “Our company, like our storytelling, has always been a force for good. We believe that nothing is more important than supporting the well-being of children, which is why we are so committed to bringing joy and inspiration to those who need it most.”
Bringing together leaders at the intersection of media, marketing, advertising, and technology, the Ad Council’s Annual Public Service Award Dinner is the organization’s largest fundraising event, with the last Annual Dinner in 2023 raising more than $8.1M to support the Ad Council’s national social impact programs.
Previous recipients of the Ad Council’s Award for Public Service include chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase Jamie Dimon, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, Verizon chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg, former chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson Alex Gorsky, former chairman and CEO of IBM Ginni Rometty, and former CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi.
This year’s event will be co-chaired by the chair and vice chair of the Ad Council’s Board of Directors Tara Walpert Levy, VP, Americas at YouTube and Rita Ferro, president, Global Advertising at The Walt Disney Company.
ABC will air 6 additional “Monday Night Football” games starting this week with Bills-Jets
ABC will simulcast six more ESPN "Monday Night Football" games, including Monday's AFC East matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets.
The addition of the six games means ABC will air 17 this season — 14 simulcasts with ESPN (including two playoff games) and three games exclusively on ABC.
The decision to simulcast more games was a joint decision between the NFL and Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC and ESPN.
The other added games are Baltimore at Tampa Bay (Oct. 21), Tampa Bay at Kansas City (Nov. 4), Houston at Dallas (Nov. 18), Baltimore at Los Angeles Chargers (Nov. 25) and New Orleans at Green Bay (Dec. 23).
The only two Mondays the rest of the regular season where ABC will not have a game are Nov. 11 and Dec. 2.
ABC had games all 18 weeks last season due to an agreement with the NFL since there was no new original fall programming due to the Hollywood writers and actors strikes. With more games on network television, "Monday Night Football" averaged 17.36 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, a 29% increase over 2022.
It was the best audience numbers for the league's seminal prime-time package since 2000. The Super Bowl 57 rematch between Philadelphia and Kansas City averaged 29.03 million.
Coming into the season, ABC had eight scheduled simulcasts, including two Saturday Week 18 games and two playoff games, and three exclusive MNF games when there were doubleheaders.
It also continues Disney's move toward putting more sports programming back on ABC. Super Bowl 61 from Los Angeles in 2027 will be on the network and the College Football Playoff championship game will also move to ABC the same year.
More games on ABC will also boost the ratings. Kansas City's 26-13 victory... Read More