Diego Lerner, a pivotal figure in The Walt Disney Company's expansion across Latin America and Europe from 1990 until this year, passed away on December 18 in Buenos Aires at the age of 71 after a prolonged illness. In recognition of his significant contributions, Disney had honored Lerner in November by naming him honorary president of The Walt Disney Company Latin America, with Martin Iraola succeeding him in the active role. Lerner's private funeral, held on Friday, was attended by close creative collaborators, including Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat, the creators of "The Boss."

A dedicated company man, Lerner dedicated nearly 35 years to The Walt Disney Company, seamlessly navigating two major transformations in the television industry over the past three decades. These included what Omdia Senior Research Director Maria Rúa Aguete described as the "long expansion or ‘golden age’ of multichannel pay TV in the region" and the subsequent "strategic pivot toward streaming, Disney+, and local production." Throughout his career, Lerner consistently championed the philosophy that success hinges on "not technology but storytelling. What matters is the quality of content. Scripts are still king," a sentiment he shared with ConverCom in 2019. Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, echoed this philosophy in a statement, acknowledging Lerner's "immeasurable" contributions to the company's legacy of storytelling and expressing deep gratitude for their nearly 35 years of collaboration and friendship.

Lerner's journey with Disney began in 1990 as executive director of its video and pay-TV divisions for Latin America. He quickly implemented strategic corporate initiatives, such as establishing direct distribution operations in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina. These efforts were crucial for combating piracy in Latin America, where, as he noted to ConverCom in 2018, intellectual property complaints were often dismissed as "abstract." During the early to mid-1990s, when pay-TV penetration in Latin America was still in single digits, Lerner scaled Disney's presence in tandem with the region's sustained growth, first driven by cable rollout and later accelerated by DTH. Promoted to president of The Walt Disney Company, Latin America, he launched key channels to capture a larger subscriber base, including Disney Channel in 2000, Jetix in 2004, and Playhouse Disney in 2008. Lerner was also instrumental in integrating all lines of business into a single vertical operation, a model that Disney itself recognized as a template for its international operations.

His exceptional performance in Latin America led to a rare honor for a Latin American executive: in 2009, he was appointed president of The Walt Disney Company in Europe, Middle East, and North Africa (MENA). Based in London, Lerner applied his expertise to Disney's largest overseas market, focusing on "continuous improvement in consumer affinity." However, by 2017, a new challenge emerged with the industry's shift from linear growth to intense streaming competition, marked by Netflix's early launch in Latin America in 2011 and its pioneering non-English originals like Mexico's "Club of Crows" (2015) and Brazil's "3%" (2016).

Lerner distinguished himself not only through his strategic growth vision but also his acute sensibility for the value of local creation. As early as 1997, Buena Vista International Latin America partnered with the Pablo Bossi-founded Patagonik Film Group, along with Argentinian media conglom Clarin and Spanish telco Telefónica. Patagonik, after co-producing Alan Parker's "Evita," went on to produce acclaimed Argentine films such as Fabián Bielinsky's "Nine Queens" and Juan José Campanella's "Son of the Bride." Lerner returned to Argentina, re-appointed president of The Walt Disney Company Latin America in late 2018. By November 2020, Disney+ announced over 70 original productions in development and production across Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia. Lerner emphasized, "At The Walt Disney Company Latin America, we know how important locally relevant stories are to our audience." Disney had already developed successful "true life fictions" like "Since I Met You" (2016) and "Selena’s Secret" (2018), both with BTF Media, and arguably the standout, "Monzón" (2019), from Bossi’s Pampa Films. More recently, Disney produced flagship series such as "Santa Evita," "Nada" (Robert DeNiro's first TV show with a character role), and its major success, "The Boss" ("El encargado"), now in its third season.

Lerner was often deeply involved in production, having helped originate the teen musical novela "Violetta" (2012-15) during his time in Europe, which became a phenomenon. He also conceived the ambitious drama series "Limbo," a Canneseries 2022 world premiere. While essentially an entrepreneur, he possessed the ability to navigate high political levels and was adept at persuasion, understanding others' desires and finding common ground.

Lerner's crowning achievement arguably came between 2019 and 2021 when, following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, he inherited 50% of the rights to Argentina's soccer Primera Division, shared with TNT – a highly prized national content asset. With Fox and ESPN, Disney then held an estimated 64% of TV sports rights in Argentina. Despite significant political opposition, including his close personal friendship with former president Mauricio Macri, at a time when Argentina was governed by Alberto Fernández and Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who had defeated Macri in 2019, Lerner prevailed. Facing anti-trust concerns from the Fernández administration and a more competitive offer from cable operator Telecentro, Lerner strategically sought allies on Argentina’s center-left, such as Sergio Massa, president of Argentina’s Congress. Disney also divested Fox Sports channels. Drawing on his past successes, such as exporting Argentine hits across Latin America when engaging with Fernández de Kirchner in 2012, Lerner achieved what was widely considered impossible: a Macri ally securing soccer rights from a Kirchnerist coalition. In January 2021, he announced that ESPN would continue to share Primera Division games with TNT, under a contract extending through 2030, marking a testament to his formidable negotiating skills and political acumen.