E157 - Episode 157: Disney Bids on Character.ai in Chapter 11 Sale
Published: October 14, 2026
Duration: 4:27
Disney Worldwide Services has entered a $20 million stalking horse bid for a non-exclusive perpetual license of Character.ai's intellectual property as the AI chatbot company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The move follows Disney's hire of Character.ai's former CEO Karandeep Anand as its new CTO last month — and the bankruptcy filing explicitly names those former employees as transition-services providers during the sale. The auction is expected to close in late November or early December, meaning Disney's AI avatar strategy could have a price tag attached before year-end.
Key Takeaways:
Disney Worldwide Services is the stalking ho...