Bob Iger, chief executive officer of Disney, desires minority partners for ESPN, but striking an agreement will be difficult.

Bob Iger, the chief executive officer of Disney, has taken the unusual step of paying former executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs a consulting retainer to assist him in resolving a difficult issue: what to do with ESPN.

Mayer and Staggs are Candle Media's co-CEOs. Both individuals are close to Iger and have previously served as informal advisors to him. They are collaborating with Jimmy Pitaro, president of ESPN, on the strategi....