Disney’s Bob Iger hired by Chargers, Raiders to oversee Carson stadium project
Walt Disney Co.’s Bob Iger has been hired to head a proposed NFL stadium project in Carson.
Bob Iger, the chairman and chief executive of the Walt Disney Company, has been appointed by the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders to head their proposed stadium project in Carson.
Iger will serve as the non-executive chairman of Carson Holdings LLC, the joint venture of the two NFL teams, and will be responsible for working with the city of Carson on the project. He will be responsible for hiring a president, and be the project’s strategic leader who provides a vision for what the stadium should look like, the fan experience, how fans get on and off the site, etc.
“Bob Iger’s inclusion as a the chair and the visionary force behind the Carson project is a game-changer,” said Carmen Policy, executive director of Carson Holdings, LLC. “We now have the kind of leadership and expertise that should calm any concerns about any NFL teams going into L.A. and getting off on the right foot and pursuing the right course. And certainly if you’re going to do two teams it really lends a layer of talent and experience, plus unbelievable know-how to the whole effort.
“Who could we get better to guarantee fan experience than the man who runs the happiest place on earth?”
Disney owns ESPN, and Iger has a working relationship with many of the NFL owners as well as Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The owners of the Chargers and Raiders are competing with St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who is backing a stadium and accompanying development in Inglewood on the old Hollywood Park site.
The NFL is holding committee meetings at league headquarters in Manhattan on Wednesday, and will hear presentations from the cities of San Diego, St. Louis and Oakland on why those home markets should keep their teams.
In a written statement released by the Chargers, Iger said: “Should the owners approve the move, Los Angeles will proudly welcome two incredible teams to our community and build a stadium worthy of their fans. L.A. football fans will enjoy unprecedented access to games during the season, in a state-of-the-art stadium designed to deliver the most entertaining, exciting and enjoyable experience possible.”
Iger, who is at a company conference in Orlando, Fla., will not be attending the NFL meetings Wednesday.
Follow Sam Farmer on Twitter @LATimesFarmer
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