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☆ Apple's Vision Pro isn't just a 'headset,' stupid — it represents the next big frontier of spatial computing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Peter Csathy | Fearless Media | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

He writes that Apple's latest $3,500 gadget is not just a VR "headset," but a bigger tech opportunity: spatial computing. Apple at long last revealed its long-anticipated "next big thing" — its Vision Pro — two days ago at its annual WWDC. "Minority Report" come to lifeViewed with the broader lens it deserves, however, Apple's Vision Pro represents so much more. It represents the dawn of an entirely new mass market and transformational tech opportunity of so-called "spatial computing." Spatial computing is essentially the film "Minority Report" come to life, three-dimensional computing divorced from the confines of physical screens.

Persons: Peter Csathy, Nanea Reeves, Tim Cook, Ralph Lauren, Joanna Popper, Bob Cooney, Evan Helda, Pierre, Stuart Rostain, Amy Allison, Tripp, Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's, Steve Jobs, Cook, Bob Iger, Jobs, Iger, Read Organizations: Creative Media, Morning, Fearless Media, Apple, CAA, Barnum, Amazon, Spatial Computing, European VRDays Foundation, Women, Disney, Pixar, Creativie Media Locations: Malibu, Netherlands

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger finally announced some good news after months of cuts and layoffs: a partnership with Apple on its new Vision Pro headset
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Nathan Mcalone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a partnership with Apple on its futuristic new headset. Vision Pro was unveiled on Monday and Disney+ content will be available on it from day one. "We believe Apple Vision Pro is a revolutionary platform that can make our vision a reality." "The Mandalorian" footage in the Vision Pro demo. Still, if the Vision Pro is a "revolutionary platform," as Iger predicted Monday, Disney will be right there to reap the rewards.

Persons: Bob Iger, We're, Iger, he'd, Apple, Bob Chapek, Mike White, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Disney, Apple, Morning, Mouse, Monday's Worldwide, Vision, Hulu, Marvel, Pixar, Star Locations: Florida

☆ Breakingviews: Disney can play Scrooge with Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) isn’t mickey-mousing around. Disney’s threatened retreat from the state is meaningful, and it can get worse for the state’s leader, Governor Ron DeSantis. But overall, Disney is one of the largest employers in Florida, and a massive contributor to the tourism economy. Follow @thereallsl on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSWalt Disney is cancelling plans to build a nearly $1 billion corporate campus, according to an email to employees on Thursday. Disney parks chief Josh D'Amaro said "changing business conditions" prompted Disney to reconsider its 2021 plan to relocate employees.

☆ Disney can play Scrooge with Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Congressional Democrats bash Ron DeSantis for alienating Florida job creator Disney World in service of a 'flailing presidential campaign'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Warren Rojas | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ron DeSantis's Tuesday swing through DC, calling it ill-timed, his political resume goofy, and his ongoing fight with Walt Disney World a devastating vanity project. Walt Disney World has roughly 80,000 employees in Florida and is the state's biggest tourist attraction. The Florida governor wasn't being offered much cover by Florida Republicans on Capitol Hill. When another reporter asked whether DeSantis had gone too far by threatening Disney with state prisoners for neighbors, Scott claimed ignorance. "Ron DeSantis is out campaigning outside of the state of Florida and picking fights with Mickey Mouse," Fried said.

☆ Inside Disney it's 'Revenge of the Creatives' and 'Shields Up!' against outside foes as returned CEO Bob Iger is taking no prisoners
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Since returning as Disney CEO, Bob Iger has vanquished foes and dumped many of predecessor Bob Chapek's hires. But it's a supercharged Bob Iger who is really taking command. "If I'm inside Bob's head coming back, after the downfall of Bob Chapek, this is all about taking no prisoners," said Will Schutte, a high-level executive coach. Disney World is scheduled to host a major conference on gay rights in September, according to the Miami Herald. Even if he wants to be the Bob Iger of old he can't be.

☆ Ousted Marvel Entertainment Chairman Ike Perlmutter to retain Disney shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 5 (Reuters) - Marvel Entertainment's former chairman Ike Perlmutter on Wednesday said he will hold on to his Disney (DIS.N) shares, a week after reports of his termination from the role. Reuters reported last Wednesday that Disney had laid off Perlmutter, 80, as part of a cost-cutting campaign. News of Perlmutter's termination had come after he supported activist shareholder Nelson Peltz's unsuccessful bid to obtain a seat on Disney's corporate board. "Trian CEO Nelson Peltz has a long history of improving shareholder returns at many leading consumer businesses," Perlmutter said in a public statement on Wednesday. According to the WSJ report from earlier in the day, he owns about 30 million shares of Disney, worth about $3 billion.

☆ Ant-Man’s Shrinkage Is a Problem for Disney—and Theaters
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Paul Rudd and Jonathan Majors star in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.’Disney ’s smallest superhero doesn’t appear to have much legs. That is a growing problem for the Mouse House, and for those showcasing its fare. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is the 23rd theatrical movie Disney has produced and released from its Marvel franchise. That doesn’t count the three “Spider-Man” movies produced by Sony that are considered part of the franchise’s cinematic universe, nor the five Marvel movies that came out prior to 2012’s “The Avengers,” which marked the first Disney-produced theatrical release after acquiring Marvel for $4.3 billion in 2009. Still, Disney’s end hasn’t been a bad haul; its own Marvel movies to date have grossed more than $22 billion in worldwide box-office, according to the industry-tracking site the Numbers.

☆ What the historic Northern Ireland deal really means: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

What the historic Northern Ireland deal really means: podcast, article with imagePodcasts category · February 28, 2023 · 11:09 AM UTCWhat Rishi Sunak’s high-stakes gamble means for Northern Ireland. Brits in search of better teeth hit by cost of living crunch. End of the Mouse House’s special status.

☆ Disney clash with activist Peltz will have sequel
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

NEW YORK, Feb 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Activist investor Nelson Peltz often plays a long game. Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger unveiled $5.5 billion of cost cuts last week when the $200 billion theme-parks-to-streaming company released fourth-quarter earnings. "The proxy fight is over,” a spokesperson for his outfit Trian Fund Management told Reuters. Could Peltz still end up on the Disney board? "The proxy fight is over.

"This reorganization will result in a more cost-effective, coordinated approach to our operations," Iger told analysts on a conference call. Disney earlier reported its first quarterly decrease in subscriptions for its Disney+ streaming media unit, which lost more than $1 billion. Iger also repositioned the company to capitalize on the streaming revolution, acquiring 21st Century Fox's film and television assets in 2019 and launching the Disney+ streaming service that fall. Now, Iger will seek to put Disney's streaming business on a path to growth and profitability. It reorganized its business in 2018 to accelerate the growth of its streaming business, and again in 2020, to further spur streaming's growth.

☆ Trian presses Disney to replace board member Michael Froman with Nelson Peltz
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The proxy battle between Disney and activist investment firm Trian Management LP is heating up ahead of the company's annual shareholder meeting. On Thursday, Trian said in a filing that Disney shareholders should vote to remove Michael Froman from the board and replace him with Nelson Peltz. "Trian Group believes Mr. Froman has no experience as a public company director outside of Disney," the firm said in a statement Thursday. "In contrast, Nelson Peltz has served on numerous public company boards over the last several years." Few members of Disney's board have media experience outside of the Mouse House.

☆ The biggest media targets and buyers in 2023, as speculation swirls around Disney's next move under CEO Bob Iger and how Warner Bros. Discovery can shed debt
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Continued pressure to get bigger has big media companies in Hollywood looking to scale up. Media bankers and investors predicted to Insider that dealmaking will rebound in 2023 as companies big and small size up their options for possible tie-ups. Pressure on big media companies to get bigger hasn't gone away. Apple: Could eye a big content prizeTim Cook. Paramount's library could help a streaming company bulk up its content; Netflix for one has explored Paramount's studio business before.

☆ Bob Iger's return as Disney CEO opens new possibilities for Hulu deal with Comcast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney will write "a big check" for Comcast's 33% share of Hulu, said NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell. With Bob Iger returning as Disney's CEO, Comcast is hoping for a broader conversation to seal the deal. Comcast is eyeing assets such as ESPN, FX, and NatGeo in return for surrendering its stake in Hulu. Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who was unceremoniously fired on November 20, refused to hold any talks on the topic with Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, according to a Comcast insider and a high-level Hollywood executive familiar with thinking inside Disney. Representatives for Hulu, Disney, and Comcast had no comment.

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☆ 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for dealmaking in live sports. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Big deals for the big (and little) screen. Next year is shaping up to be a big one for media deals. Like many other industries, media quickly turned quiet on the dealmaking front this year as the economy soured. However, a stabilization of interest rates, along with money burning a hole in investors' pockets, could lead to a big 2023, insiders say. The landscape for media deals is fascinating when you consider the two opposing forces, as Lucia pointed out to me.

☆ From Apple and Disney to Warner Bros. Discovery, here's the 2023 media deal outlook for Hollywood's biggest companies, according to 13 bankers and industry experts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

☆ Disney Needs to Do More With Less on Streaming
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

But those moves will prove easy compared with the challenges he faces with Walt Disney ‘s streaming business, where he must find a way to make do with less. Two weeks into Mr. Iger’s return to the Mouse House’s corner office, investors remain optimistic. As of Friday’s close, Disney ‘s shares are up 8% since the Nov. 20 announcement—more than double the S&P 500’s gains in that time. The fact that Mr. Chapek had McKinsey consultants running around to push those changes didn’t seem to help his case internally. At the end of the day, even Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy turned on him, according to The Wall Street Journal’s reporting.

In this article DIS Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTBob Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company Scott Mlyn | CNBCDisney reappointed Bob Iger as its chief executive recently, abruptly replacing his hand-picked successor Bob Chapek, and giving Iger an early goal — find a new replacement during the next two years. Iger's attention has quickly turned to the other part of his mandate from the board — the immediate challenges facing Disney's business, such as the company's reorganization, cost structure and the future growth of its streaming business. He is the chairman of Disney's studio content and spearheaded the integration of Iger's acquisitions into Disney's overall content pipeline. D'Amaro is head of Disney's parks, experiences and products, the same position Chapek held before becoming CEO. Rebecca Campbell, who's currently in charge of Disney's international content and operations, is another candidate that Iger may favor, people familiar with the matter said.

☆ Disney insiders are worried about how Bob Iger will remake former CEO Bob Chapek's business structure — here's what they hated about it and what they hope will change
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Elaine Low | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger has said he will put "decision-making back in the hands of our creative teams." Under former CEO Bob Chapek's structure, distribution and budgets were taken out of the hands of creative execs. Chapek's 2020 restructuring — which focused the company's firepower on boosting streaming subscriber growth at Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ — meant additional layers of approval for studio and network execs at Disney General Entertainment (DGE) to get projects made. That meant hands were tied across Disney's studios and networks, from Disney+ to 20th Century to Hulu. For creative execs whose careers were built on their ability to balance storytelling and business needs, losing control over the latter was frustrating.

☆ Brandy is back as Cinderella in new ‘Descendants’ movie for Disney+
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Twenty-five years after she first played the role of Cinderella, Brandy is stepping into her glass slippers again. The singer and actress will reprise her role as the fairytale heroine, first seen in the 1997 television movie “Cinderella,” in a new installment of the “Descendants” franchise for Disney+, the Mouse House announced Monday. The first three films, which included “Descendants 2” from 2017, starred Dove Cameron, Booboo Stewart and the late Cameron Boyce. Brandy starred in the Emmy Award-winning late-90s retelling of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” opposite Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother, for ABC’s Wonderful World of Disney. Disney also announced Monday that “Descendants” fan favorite Melanie Paxson will reprise her role as the Fairy Godmother from the previous “Descendants” movies for “The Pocketwatch.”A release date for the film has not yet been announced.

☆ Disney to test early merchandise access for U.S. Disney+ customers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The company described the offering as a limited test of an additional benefit for streaming customers looking to grab coveted products created for the holiday shopping season. Disney, Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) and other companies are working to attract streaming customers amid growing competition for online viewers. Viewers can reach the page via QR codes under "Shop this Story" on the Disney+ page for a specific series or movie. A shop tab will appear on Disney+ primary profiles for U.S. subscribers 18 and older, the company said. U.S. Disney+ customers also will have the option to buy exclusive "Frozen 2" and "Lightyear" products.

☆ Tim Burton says he probably won’t work for Disney again
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Tim Burton is sounding off on his previous working relationship with Disney, saying he is unlikely to return to the company as a director in the future. The filmmaker attended the Lumiere Festival in France over the weekend, where he received the honorary Prix Lumière award. There’s less room for different types of things,” Burton said, according to Deadline. “I can only deal with one universe, l can’t deal with a multi-universe,” he said. “The thing about ‘Dumbo,’ is that’s why I think my days with Disney are done, I realized that I was Dumbo, that I was working in this horrible big circus and I needed to escape.

☆ Disney doesn’t need Loeb to kick ESPN out the door
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-12 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Sept 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Pushy investor Dan Loeb has changed his mind, somewhat, about Walt Disney (DIS.N). He is backing off his demand that the $210 billion entertainment giant run by Chief Executive Bob Chapek sell sports network ESPN. Amid the glad-handing of Disney devotees, Chapek, talking to reporters, maintained that ESPN is still a fit for the Magic Kingdom. On a multiple more than rival Fox (FOXA.O) but less than Netflix (NFLX.O), Disney could fetch $40 billion for ESPN. CONTEXT NEWSActivist investor Dan Loeb said in a tweet on Sept. 11 he is backing off his push for Walt Disney to spin off cable sports network ESPN.

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