DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Disney’s theme parks reveal shrunken treasure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Bob Iger can’t get off the roller coaster. Walt Disney’s (DIS.N) chief executive plans to double the Magic Kingdom’s investment in theme parks and other experiences to $60 billion over the course of about 10 years. On the other, Disney’s dwindling cash and the increasing demands for it is cause for concern. One issue is that Disney’s free cash flow has plummeted. No wonder adding theme parks to the list is making shareholders skittish.

Persons: Bob Iger can’t, Walt Disney’s, Iger, Jennifer Saba, Bernie Sanders’s, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Walt Disney Studios, Reuters, Disney, Comcast, Pearson’s, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Hulu

☆ Disney's wildest ride: Iger, Chapek and the making of an epic succession mess
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +88 min

Iger told Chapek that he lived for those "two-shower days," according to people familiar with the conversation. In January 2020, Iger told Chapek the plan was back on. During his 27 years at the company, Chapek had only attended one annual meeting — as a guest in the audience. Bob Iger, Disney CEO, during a CNBC interview, Feb. 9, 2023. WATCH: Disney CEO Bob Iger's exclusive July 2023 CNBC interviewTake the 'A'During Chapek's tenure as CEO, Disney lost more than a quarter of its market value.

Persons: Elham, Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, Iger, wasn't, Chapek, Michael Eisner, —, who's, he's, Clint Eastwood, Eastwood, Arthur Bochner, Jackie Hart, Kareem Daniel, Chapek —, Eisner, Michael Ovitz, Ovitz, Bob, Disney's, Kevin Mayer, Mayer, Bryan van der Beek, he'd, Tom Staggs, Staggs, Staggs —, Steve Jobs, cajoled Ike Perlmutter, George Lucas, Rupert Murdoch, Iger's, Susan Arnold, Arnold, Peter Rice, David Paul Morris, Rice, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Mark Parker, Mary Barra, Michael Froman, Willow, Parker, John Donahoe, Roy Disney, Walt Disney, Stanley Gold, David A, CNBC Eisner, Big Bob, Little Bob, Christine McCarthy, Patrick T, He'd, McCarthy, Iger —, Coronavirus, Gavin Newsom, Michael Kovac, curtly, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Ben Smith, Smith, Disney, Randy Shropshire, Agnes Chu, Ricky Strauss, Chu, Strauss, Kevin Feige, Kathleen Kennedy, Who's, Alan Bergman, Bergman, Bob Kyncl, Daniel —, Iger didn't, Daniel rankled, Daniel, Chapek didn't, James Pitaro, Jesse Grant, CNBC Chapek, Jimmy Pitaro, Zenia Mucha, didn't, Mucha, Barbara Walters, Charles Eshelman, Scarlett Johansson, Scarlett Johansson —, Florence Pugh, Natasha, Yelena, " Johansson, Bryan Lourd, Johansson, Lourd, Steven Spielberg, Al Michaels, David Muir, Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, Spielberg, Geoff Morrell, Alan Braverman, Alan Horn, Jayne Parker, Bochner, Claire Lee, Paul Richardson, Josh D'Amaro, Ron DeSantis, Morrell, Disney Animation —, George Floyd, Reba Saldanha, Reuters Chapek, DeSantis, Nicholas Maldonado, Octavio Jones, Chapek she'd, we're, " Morrell, CNN's Chris Wallace, Kristina Schake, John Skipper, Daniel steamrolled, Latondra Newton, Newton, Charles Krupa, Pitaro, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Dana Walden, Thomas Murphy, Josh Kushner, Privately, Schake, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama's, David Dee Delgado, Kara Swisher, hadn't, Netflix's, overhiring, McCarthy hadn't, Safra Catz, Kareem, DMED, Horacio Gutierrez, Justin Warbrooke, Alexia Quadrani, Bryan Castellani, Michael Buckner, Quadrani, Lindsay Lohan, Winnie, Nelson Peltz, Catz, Donald Trump's, they'd, Walden, Gutierrez, D'Amaro, Rich Polk, Walden he'd, Iger she'd, Mickey Mouse, Mark Rightmire, haven't, Indiana Jones, Halle Bailey, Ariel, Hamilton Faber, Rich Greenfield, Bob Iger's, — Mayer, McCarthy —, doesn't, they'll Organizations: Disney, Marvel, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty, Walt Disney, Indiana University, Michigan State University, Shanghai Disney, Man, Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Pixar, Fox, Chapek, Nike, General, Mastercard, Foreign Relations, University of Pennsylvania, Grogan, Disney's, Fallon, ABC, ESPN, ABC News, California Gov, New York Times, Disney confidants, Hollywood, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Television, Walt Disney Studios, Hulu, HBO Max, Walt Disney Company, YouTube, Companies, Netflix, Apple, Disney Media, Entertainment, Stanford, Rights, Junior, petulant, Filmmagic, Brunswick Group, Covid, CAA, onetime Defense Department, Century Fox, Human, Florida Gov, Republican, Disney Animation, Reuters, Human Rights, HRC, Walt Disney World, Employees, American Foundation for Equal Rights, AP, Amazon Prime, Paramount, South Pacific, Capital Cities, Dow Jones, CVS, Kingdom, Variety, Trian Partners, Charter Communications, U.S, Comcast, Charter's, MediaNews, Orange, Allen, Co, Candle Media, Advisors Locations: Burbank , California, Midwestern, Brentwood, Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Iger, Hammond , Indiana, Shanghai, China, Hong, Fox, Willow Bay, Raleigh , North Carolina, Orlando, U.S, Hulu, Iger's Brentwood, coronavirus, Brunswick, Hollywood, Hawaii, Disney's, Marvel's, Anaheim , California, Montana, Florida, Rye , New Hampshire, Chapek, Hong Kong, California, missteps, South, DMED, Burbank, New York, India, Atlantic, Sun Valley , Idaho, America

☆ Hollywood studios release details of new proposal to striking writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - Hollywood studios and streaming services on Tuesday released the terms of a revised proposal to writers in a bid to end one of two strikes that have halted production and cost the California economy billions of dollars. According to the latest proposal, the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) will get a compounded 13% pay increase over the three-year contract, and AI-generated written content will not be considered "literary material". "We have come to the table with an offer that meets the priority concerns the writers have expressed. The WGA, which represents around 11,500 film and television writers, walked off the job on May 2 after negotiations reached an impasse over compensation, minimum staffing of writers' rooms and residual payments in the streaming era, among other issues.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, Carol Lombardini, Nilutpal, Stephen Coates Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Walt Disney Studios, REUTERS, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt, Netflix, Writers ' Guild of America, WGA, Screen Actors Guild, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, California, Bengaluru

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., July 31, 2023. As evidence of its interest, Disney has 11 current job openings seeking candidates with expertise in artificial intelligence or machine learning. AI has become a powder keg in Hollywood, where writers and actors view it as an existential threat to jobs. In Switzerland, Disney Research has been exploring AI, machine learning and visual computing, according to its website. This technology is used to augment digital effects, not replace human actors, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Imagineering, Indiana Jones, Disney Imagineer, Groot, Imagineer, Harrison Ford, STEAMBOAT WILLIE, Willie, Bob Iger, Marvel, Hao Li, Li, Scott Trowbridge, Dawn Chmielewski, Krystal Hu, Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Walt Disney Studios, REUTERS, Hollywood, Reuters, Disney, Guardians, Screen Actors Guild, STEAMBOAT, U.S . Patent, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Disney Research, Star, Galactic, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Hollywood, Zurich, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Disney's, Switzerland, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Disney reportedly creates task force to explore A.I. and cut costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Members of the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild walk the picket line outside of Disney Studios in Burbank, California, on July 18, 2023. Walt Disney has created a task force to study artificial intelligence and how it can be applied across the entertainment conglomerate, even as Hollywood writers and actors battle to limit the industry's exploitation of the technology. Launched earlier this year, before the Hollywood writers' strike, the group is looking to develop AI applications in-house as well as form partnerships with startups, three sources told Reuters. AI has become a powder keg in Hollywood, where writers and actors view it as an existential threat to jobs. It is a central issue in contract negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America, both of which are on strike.

Persons: Walt Disney, Walt Disney Imagineering, Indiana Jones, Disney Imagineer, Groot, Imagineer, Harrison Ford Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Screen, Disney Studios, Hollywood, Reuters, Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Guardians, Screen Actors Guild Locations: Burbank , California, Hollywood

Picketers walk outside the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, CA on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 as the Writers Guild of America strike enters the sixth week. As the Hollywood writers strike nears its 100th day and pressure from striking actors mounts, producers are asking for a meeting. The Writers Guild of America told screenwriters that Carol Lombardini, the studio negotiator, requested to talk Friday about the possibility of resuming negotiations with the guild. The meeting request doesn't guarantee that producers and writers will resume talks, but it's the first sign of movement in a stalemate between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the WGA since early May when the strike began. Tens of thousands of actors joined the picket lines last month, bringing Hollywood productions to a standstill and marking the first simultaneous actors' and writers' strikes since 1960.

Persons: Carol Lombardini, we've, Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree Organizations: Walt Disney Studios, Writers Guild of America, Hollywood, Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, WGA, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, SAG Locations: Burbank , CA

☆ Broadway union reaches tentative deal with management, averting strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Daniel Arkin | Diana Dasrath | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The union representing some 1,500 Broadway workers reached a tentative deal Thursday with theater industry management, averting a strike that would have closed the curtains on theatrical productions in New York as well as touring shows across the country. The deal was announced jointly by the union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and two organizations representing management: the Broadway League, the industry's trade group, and Disney Theatrical, a division of the media conglomerate. IATSE had been conducting a strike vote when negotiators agreed to a tentative deal. The agreement still needs to be formally ratified by IATSE members, a body that includes stagehands and other backstage employees. "The respective parties will inform their members of the details of this agreement in the coming days," the union and management groups said in a joint statement.

Persons: IATSE, Hamilton, Sweeney Todd, King, Matthew D, Loeb, America's Organizations: Behind Entertainment, NYC, International Alliance, Broadway League, Disney, IATSE, Broadway, North, Walt Disney Studios, Writers Guild of America, SAG Locations: Flatiron, Manhattan , New York City, New York, New York City, North America

☆ Why celebrities are on strike: Not every actor makes Tom Cruise money
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

However, the BLS noted in the data that actors aren’t paid full-time year-round due to the nature of the job. Screen Actors Guild members and supporters on a picket line in Times Square in New York, US, on Friday, July 14, 2023. Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesBefore the contract between actors and movie studios officially expired this week, SAG-AFTRA members had negotiated specific minimum rates for performers. For example, an actor who worked on a television show for one week was paid a minimum of $3,756. According to Shaan Sharma, an actor and SAG-AFTRA board member, just 12.7% of SAG-AFTRA members qualify for the union’s health plan.

Persons: they’ve, Meryl Streep, Matt Damon, Fran Drescher, you’re, aren’t, Yuki Iwamura, Kellee Stewart, ”, “, Dwayne “, ” Johnson, Forbes, Johnson, Cruise, Tom Cruise, Barry Diller, ‘, ” Diller, “ I’m, Shaan Sharma, Rod McLachlan, it’s, ” McLachlan, Chris Pizzello, ” Stewart, Stewart, “ There’s, Bob Iger, ’, Iger, Netflix’s, Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters, “ Rather, AFTRA, Kevin Klowden, Klowden, Natasha Chen Organizations: CNN, SAG, Hollywood, Hollywood’s, Guild of America, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, Guild, Bloomberg, Getty, Forbes, Variety, CBS, Sunday, Paramount, Netflix, Twitter, Disney, CNBC, Walt Disney Studios, The Alliance, Television Producers, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Apple, Warner Bros, Milken Institute Locations: California, New York, Los Angeles, London, Australia, New Zealand

☆ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Delivers $100 Million-Plus Debut for Disney’s Marvel
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Robbie Whelan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is the 32nd consecutive Marvel release to debut No. Photo: Marvel /Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures /Everett Collection“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” tallied $114 million in domestic ticket sales this weekend, giving Walt Disney’s Marvel Studios a strong but tepid start to the aging franchise’s release. The latest movie did better in its debut weekend than the first “Guardians” in 2014 but not as well as the second movie in 2017.

☆ Summer movie preview 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Most moviegoers can pinpoint one summer movie – or perhaps, a summer of movies – in their formative years that really and truly cemented their love for going to the cinema, whether it be 1975’s “Jaws,” “E.T. And while streaming has clearly siphoned off part of the audience, particularly for more serious films, what we think of as “summer movies” still have the potential to rake in cash just like the old days. (CNN and DC are both part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Courtesy Warner Bros. PicturesInitially meant for streaming platforms, this vehicle will herald the cinematic arrival of DC Studios’ first Latino superhero, played by Xolo Maridueña of “Cobra Kai” and “Parenthood” fame. If the fast-paced trailer is any indication, the movie looks sure to whisk those dog days of summer doldrums away quite nicely.

☆ The Star Wars timeline: All movies and shows in chronological order
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

These details are pulled from the official “Star Wars” resources “Ultimate Star Wars” and “Star Wars Character Encyclopedia,” as well as experts from outlets like USA Today and the AV Club. ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ (animated series)Ahsoka is Anakin's padawan in "The Clone Wars," and he lovingly calls her "Snips." ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’"Solo" shows how Han and Chewie became best friends. ‘Star Wars Rebels’Kanan Jarrus, Zeb Orrelios and Sabine Wren take on the Empire in "Star Wars Rebels." ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’Heroes attempt to find the plans to blow up the Death Star in "Rogue One."

☆ Outside Hollywood Studios, Writers Make Their Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Brooks Barnes | Nicole Sperling | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

This corporate greed has got to go!”Similar scenes of solidarity unfolded across the entertainment capital. The streaming giant, for instance, has become known for “mini-rooms,” which is slang for hiring small groups of writers to map out a season before any official greenlight has been given. Because it isn’t a formal writers room, the pay is less. Writers in mini-rooms will sometimes work for as little as 10 weeks, and then have to scramble to find another job. (If the show is greenlit and goes into production, fewer writers are kept on board.)

☆ GOP lawmaker leading Florida legislature's effort to rein in Disney was a company stock-holder until the DeSantis feud
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

One key ally, Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, previously held Disney stock but said he sold on principle. Ron DeSantis claw back control of Walt Disney World's special tax district was once a Walt Disney Company investor, annual disclosures show. Ingoglia told Insider that he manages his stocks himself, and that they were long-term holds with a retirement or brokerage account. The financial ties to Disney underscore the company's largess and influence in Florida, where it's the state's biggest attraction. Disney CEO Bob Iger told Time he would be willing to sit down with DeSantis over the feud.

☆ Gwyneth Paltrow leaves door open for further involvement in the MCU: ‘I mean, I didn’t die’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Gwyneth Paltrow is never saying never to the prospect of her future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The “Iron Man” and “Avengers” costars speculated about their potential future involvement in the comic book films during their chat. When Johansson mused that Paltrow could indeed come back “at some point,” Paltrow exclaimed “Really?”“As 64-year-old Pepper Potts! (From left): Gwyneth Paltrow, Brie Larson, Pom Klementieff and Letitia Wright in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame." In 2020, Johansson married “Saturday Night Live” star Colin Jost, and the pair are now parents to son Cosmo, who turns 2 in August.

☆ DeSantis-picked board seeks new taxes and affordable housing at Disney after the company's 'blatant and hostile' grab for control
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

DeSantis' board overseeing Disney is considering new taxes, public transit, and housing. The board met for the first time since Disney's surprise maneuver. The five-member board met Wednesday for the first since Disney stealthily arranged a deal that would allow the theme park and resort to maintain control of its land, virtually in perpetuity. Much of the meeting made the legal case for the new board moving ahead, despite the maneuver Disney pulled last month. Firefighters who work for Disney's district said the previous board failed to give them the resources they needed to do their jobs, including new ambulances, even as Disney grew.

☆ Disney names first brand chief as Iger refocuses on core properties
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Walt Disney Company is looking to update its image. On Thursday, the company named Asad Ayaz as its first-ever chief brand officer, a position that will require the Disney vet to create a singular vision of the company for marketing campaigns. The company also recently rolled out its first wave of layoffs as it seeks to cut 7,000 jobs this year. On Wednesday, the company tapped Joe Earley to take over the role of president of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment. Ayaz will continue as president of marketing for Walt Disney Studios, where he has overseen marketing and publicity for the studio's films and TV series, as well as Disney+, since 2018.

☆ Gavin Newsom heckles Ron DeSantis over latest Disney power struggle, on the Florida governor's home turf
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Gavin Newsom of California praised Walt Disney World for its "masterclass" of putting Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida "back in his place" after the company created a loophole to maintain control of its land. News broke this week that a law giving the Florida governor power to take over Disney World's governing board is likely toothless. Democratic governors frequently criticize DeSantis' policies in Florida, and DeSantis last month mocked people who do so yet "end up being spotted on the beach somewhere vacationing in Florida." As for a potential 2024 GOP nomination contest between the former president and DeSantis, Newsom predicted Trump would "clean his clock."

March 29 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) has laid off Marvel Entertainment Chairman Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter as part of a cost-cutting campaign, a source confirmed Wednesday. Dan Buckley, president of Marvel Entertainment, will remain and report to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, the second source said. Perlmutter, who outmaneuvered billionaire Carl Icahn for control of the comic book publisher in the late 1990s, sold Marvel to Disney for $4 billion in 2009. Disney CEO Bob Iger later restructured Marvel in 2015, placing Marvel Studios under Walt Disney Studios. Perlmutter retained the title of chairman of Marvel Entertainment, a unit responsible for publishing, games, digital media and some consumer products.

☆ All 31 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked by how much money they made at the global box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Travis Clark | Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Universal Pictures Worldwide box office: $264.7 million Total domestic box office: $134.8 million Domestic opening weekend: $55.4 million Budget: $150 million 29. Disney/Marvel Worldwide box office: $370.6 million Total domestic box office: $176.7 million Domestic opening weekend: $65 million Budget: $140 million 28. "Ant-Man" (2015) Marvel Worldwide box office: $519.3 million Total domestic box office: $180.2 million Domestic opening weekend: $57.2 million Budget: $130 million 23. Marvel Studios Worldwide box office: $644.8 million Total domestic box office: $206.4 million Domestic opening weekend: $85.7 million Budget: $170 million 19. Marvel/Sony Worldwide box office: $880.2 million Total domestic box office: $334.2 million Domestic opening weekend: $117 million Budget: $175 million 11.

☆ 1 in 5 studio films included an LGBTQ character in 2021, GLAAD report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Sixteen of the 77 films released by those studios (20.8%) featured 28 LGBTQ characters, the report found. That percentage is down slightly from 2020, during which 10 of the 44 theatrical releases (23%) featured 20 LGBTQ characters, according to the report. Of the 16 films that included LGBTQ characters in 2021, 11 films (69%) included gay male characters, four (25%) included lesbian characters and two (13%) included bisexual characters, according to the report. For the second year in a row, GLAAD found that there were zero LGBTQ characters with disabilities or LGBTQ characters living with HIV represented in the year’s films. The majority of the 28 characters, 17, received fewer than five minutes, and six of those characters received less than a minute of screen time.

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.

☆ We're fed up after Disney's terrible quarter and streaming losses. It's time for some big changes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Operating income fell 91% to $83 million mostly due to higher than expected losses from the Direct-to-Consumer business. In better news, Disney ended Q4 with 164.2 million Disney+ subscribers, up 12.1 million from the prior quarter and well above estimates of about 160.45 million. Bundling has a negative effect on ARPUs, and Disney said Tuesday evening that bundled and multiproduct offerings now make up over 40% of domestic Disney+ subscribers. In terms of subscribers, Disney sees core Disney+ subscribers slightly increasing in its first quarter, though Disney+ Hotstar is expected to lose subs due to the absence of the Indian Premier League Cricket rights. After checking consensus estimates, this is a terrible miss compared to expectations of sales growing by 11% and operating income increasing by 17%.

☆ How a media executive you've never heard of brokered one of the most consequential deals in Hollywood — and brought us 'Seinfeld'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Jane Biondi Munna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In a new book, Jane Biondi Munna recounts highlights from her father Frank Biondi's career. In a new book, Biondi's daughter, Jane Biondi Munna, recorded and compiled the story of his career. The author, Jane Biondi Munna, and her late father, Frank Biondi. Apparently some guy, some comedy writer, was living in his car — actually living in his car — when he sold the show to Castle Rock, and Castle Rock sold it to NBC. From LET'S BE FRANK: A Daughter's Tribute to Her Father, The Media Mogul You've Never Heard of by Jane Biondi Munna.

☆ Jeffrey Katzenberg is done with media after 'riding that Quibi rocket ship into the ground.' Here's why he's betting on cybersecurity and VPNs.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Katzenberg, a co-founder of DreamWorks and former chairman of Walt Disney Studios, founded another high-profile media venture, Quibi, in 2018. Jeffrey Katzenberg: Our areas of focus when we started were software as a service, best-in-class digital technology, and consumer technology. And then we recognized that digital media wasn't actually going to be successful for us, or frankly for anybody else. What's your outlook at the moment for traditional media companies, big tech, and streaming? What's the right sequencing, what's the right windowing, where's the greatest value creation coming for all parties involved — that's the testing that's going on.

☆ How Bryan Lourd became one of the most powerful people in the history of Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

Lourd, 61, isn't a household name, but he wields a stunning amount of influence in Hollywood. Lourd's Hollywood clients aren't just A-listers, they're A+-listers: Brad Pitt. An old-fashioned talent agent who loves discussing old movies and doesn't mind pointing out the flaws in his own clients' work, Lourd has become arguably the most powerful person in Hollywood. "He's one of the most powerful people in the history of Hollywood," said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. But Lourd's clients are such bankable stars that it's equally important for Hollywood executives to be friendly with him as it is beneficial for Lourd and CAA.

Search resuls for: "Walt Disney Studios"

25 mentions found