DIS Shareholders and Stock Info ONLY

[wabbott]

You could make that argument for anything TWDC has done outside of the animated films?

It's mostly money and mergers. ABC got in sports early with ESPN when it was a small, mostly regional cable network. ESPN couldn't afford broadcast rights from the big guys (college, NFL, NBA, MLB, etc). ABC stepped in 80's, funded those purchase rights and it blew up as mostly as a way to watch college/smaller sports like the NHL as cable became more popular.

Mid 90's, Eisner acquires ABC, Disney becomes sports leader. It's been the market leader for decades. Now, we in the greedy sports era where not only the majors, but colleges and minor sports are demanding hundred of millions of dollars for broadcast rights. Therefore, ESPN is having some issues.

I know how it all came about. Eisner thought (wrongly, it turns out) that ABC was needed to be a distribution system for all the content that DIS was creating. Movie theaters were going to disappear, cable was the Next Big Thing, the internet was the future, and so on.

Now so much streaming capacity is available to anyone/everyone, the need to have a broadcast TV network is nil.

I would argue that the experiences division is an extension of what was created by the movies - the characters, the stories, etc. So they are closely related products, imo.

Sports, not so much.

 

[Brian Noble]

I still can't grasp what live sports has to do (or ever did) with the core brand of The Walt Disney Company?

The answer is: "More than 15% of annual profits in the most recent fiscal year."

It is not going away anytime soon---at least, not by choice.

 

[clarker99]

I think the answer is ESPN domestic makes $3B/year in profit. Lol.

ESPN is gonna be a major part of Disney's streaming plans going forward with the integration into the Dis+ app.

 

[Brian Noble]

The less flippant answer: Disney is an entertainment content company. The revenue model for that content is threefold: Direct distribution*, licensing to distributors, and advertising associated with distribution.

Live sports are one of the last things standing that large audiences feel the need to see in real time, which means it is one of the last places where advertising works at scale.

Interestingly, one of the conclusions one can draw from the success of ad-supported streaming is that advertising no longer needs to be at sale to be significant.

-----
*: I'd also put Experiences in the "Direct Distribution" category, though that's a bit of a stretch.

 

[Brian Noble]

I also don't think that "the movie theater is dying" was so wrong on Eisner's part. The problem is "broadcast TV" is not its replacement.

 

[Jwaire]

I would argue that the experiences division is an extension of what was created by the movies - the characters, the stories, etc. So they are closely related products, imo.

Sports, not so much.

An entire new audience and demographic was exposed to Disney content via ESPN for decades. I'd say it became pretty core, pretty fast. The thought was you get dad exposed to Disney, he'll be more open to bringing the family to a Disney Park or going to see Disney films.

You had Mickey Mouse popping up on ESPN, Disney Super Bowl half time shows, ESPN came to the parks, etc.

Even today, the Super Bowl is not even on ABC but you still have the winning team saying "I'm going to Disney World."

Now, they're using ESPN as a carrot to sell bundles of Disney+ and Hulu.

It's just as core to them today as Lucasfilm or 20th Century Fox.

 

[HokieRaven5]

An entire new audience and demographic was exposed to Disney content via ESPN for decades. I'd say it became pretty core, pretty fast. The thought was you get dad exposed to Disney, he'll be more open to bringing the family to a Disney Park or going to see Disney films.

You had Mickey Mouse popping up on ESPN, Disney Super Bowl half time shows, ESPN came to the parks, etc.

Even today, the Super Bowl is not even on ABC but you still have the winning team saying "I'm going to Disney World."

Now, they're using ESPN as a carrot to sell bundles of Disney+ and Hulu.

It's just as core to them today as Lucasfilm or 20th Century Fox.

That plus the experiences aspect of the Wide World of Sports facilities that will pretty regularly have sports related events at the complex that brings families to the WDW area.

Or the Run Disney events that grew from there.

 

[Jwaire]

That plus the experiences aspect of the Wide World of Sports facilities that will pretty regularly have sports related events at the complex that brings families to the WDW area.

Or the Run Disney events that grew from there.

Which is where the name Wild Wide World of Sports came from!

Previous to ABC, Disney had a long history of sports content from the Wild World of Sports TV shows to cartoons to athlete documentaries.

I don't see it as any different. Made sense especially at the time they were expected to keep growing.

 

[HokieRaven5]

Which is where the name Wild World of Sports came from!

Previous to ABC, Disney had a long history of sports content from the Wild World of Sports TV shows to cartoons to athlete documentaries.

I don't see it as any different. Made sense especially at the time they were expected to keep growing.

Goofy’s How To [insert sport or athletic activity]. Classics

 

[wabbott]

If it is to be all about money, why is our company spending inordinate amounts of money and time on a product (entertainment) that returns 10 cents on every dollar of revenue vs a product (experiences) that returns 30 cents?

Expending most of the company's capital on low-margin product isn't very smart, in my opinion. It does seem that leadership has agreed within the last year to commit more resources to experiences, and I applaud that.

If we are strictly an entertainment company only, there has to be some guardrails on what type of entertainment, I would suggest.

 

[Jwaire]

I also don't think that "the movie theater is dying" was so wrong on Eisner's part. The problem is "broadcast TV" is not its replacement.

It worked for awhile, but everything changes. Most of my first exposure to Disney animated classics and especially the classic live-action films were on NBC and ABC. We didn't have cable and VHS was expensive. I think the first Snow White VHS was like $80 in the mid-80s.

They finally dropped it to around $30, but that's still expensive in today's dollars.

 

[irlandaise]

Which is where the name Wild World of Sports came from!

Previous to ABC, Disney had a long history of sports content from the Wild World of Sports TV shows to cartoons to athlete documentaries.

So Disney had something called "Wild World of Sports" before ABC started using the "Wide World of Sports" programming title? What was the "Wild" stuff?

 

[Brian Noble]

why is our company spending inordinate amounts of money and time on a product (entertainment) that returns 10 cents on every dollar of revenue vs a product (experiences) that returns 30 cents?

Because the 30-cent stuff relies on the earlier 10-cent stuff that turned out to be a hit. Need more 30-cent stuff in ten years? Need a current pool of 10-cent stuff to figure out what is going to work.

Also, maybe it is just me, but the phrase "our company" makes my skin crawl.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

It's just as core to them today as Lucasfilm or 20th Century Fox.

I believe those two won’t be core to Disney for long, especially under the regime of Iger's successor. Star Wars fans are hating most of the newer content anyway. Plus, it just doesn’t feel fair for a big studio to buy one of its competitors and be monopolistic, especially when it comes to Disney.

 

[wabbott]

Because the 30-cent stuff relies on the earlier 10-cent stuff that turned out to be a hit. Need more 30-cent stuff in ten years? Need a current pool of 10-cent stuff to figure out what is going to work.

Also, maybe it is just me, but the phrase "our company" makes my skin crawl.

I assure you it is MY company, just as it belongs to EVERY OTHER common stockholder. That's the way it works with a publicly traded company in the United States. For sure I don't have a significant position, but I assure you that it was real money that bought the shares, and those shares can be redeemed for US dollars every business day from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Eastern time.

I really don't appreciate the personal attacks at all.

 

[Brian Noble]

It was not a personal attack. It was an observation that when sitting around with a group of shareholders I would not describe the company as "ours" unless we collectively owned a controlling share.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.latimes.com/entertainme...end-mlb-broadcasts-after-striking-out-on-deal

ESPN says it will end MLB broadcasts after striking out on deal

By Meg James - Senior Entertainment Writer
Feb. 20, 2025 - 7:22 PM PST

 

[Elijah Abrams]

https://deadline.com/2025/02/daria-cercek-named-president-disney-live-action-theatrical-1236294697/

Daria Cercek Named President Of Disney Live Action Theatrical, Exiting Co-President Post At Paramount Motion Picture Group​

By Mike Fleming Jr
February 19, 2025 10:00am

EXCLUSIVE: Walt Disney Studios has named Daria Cercek as President, Disney Live Action – Theatrical. She will report to David Greenbaum, President of Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios. She will leave her post as Co-President, Motion Picture Group at Paramount Pictures, where with Michael Ireland she steered the studio’s film slates.

With the impending appointment of Skydance leadership at Paramount Global, I’d heard for some time that the well-regarded Cercek was being courted for a top post at Disney, and I’m told this has now transpired with the full support of Paramount President/CEO Brian Robbins. Ireland will run the division at Paramount.

In her new role, Cercek will be responsible for spearheading all aspects of Disney Live Action’s theatrical slate, driving the development and production of films inspired by the studio’s iconic stories and characters, and championing original projects. Reporting to Cercek will be Sam Dickerman, EVP Production; Allison Erlikhman, SVP Production; and Jessica Virtue, SVP Production.

“Daria’s unique creative talent, passion for storytelling and deep experience working with world-class filmmakers fits perfectly with Disney’s mission to create unforgettable cinematic experiences that will stand the test of time,” said Greenbaum in confirming the move. “I am thrilled to welcome her to the team and look forward to the incredible contributions she will undoubtedly make.”

Said Cercek, “Disney has long set the standard for timeless storytelling, bringing to life some of the most beloved characters and stories that have captivated generations of audiences around the world. Like so many, I grew up inspired by the magic of Disney, so it is a true privilege to join Alan Bergman, David, and this incredible team. I look forward to working alongside them, and today’s most visionary filmmakers, to build on the studio’s extraordinary legacy.”

During her tenure at Paramount Pictures, Cercek has been an integral force behind the studio’s highly successful theatrical efforts post-pandemic. Most recently, together with Ireland, Cercek oversaw the releases of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which has earned a franchise-best $478.6 million to date, launching the franchise to over $1.2 billion total in worldwide box office; Gladiator II; Smile 2; A Quiet Place: Day One; IF; Bob Marley: One Love; and Mean Girls. Prior to that, Cercek ushered the theatrical releases of Scream VI, The Lost City, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Mission: Impossible and Smile.
Prior to joining Paramount Pictures, Cercek served as EVP Production and Development at New Line Cinema, and before that she served as SVP Production and Development at 20th Century Fox.

Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios combined forces in February 2024 under Greenbaum’s leadership. Remaining in their roles and reporting to Greenbaum, Steve Asbell will continue to lead 20th Century Studios and Vanessa Morrison will continue to lead Disney live-action projects for streaming.

The combined upcoming slates include Snow White, The Amateur, Lilo & Stitch, Freakier Friday, Deliver Me from Nowhere (the Scott Cooper-directed drama with Jeremy Allen White playing Bruce Springsteen in making the seminal Nebraska album) Avatar, Tron: Ares, Predator: Badlands, Send Help, The Devil Wears Prada sequel, the Moana live-action movie, the first-ever Bluey animated feature film, and Ice Age 6.

My thoughts: I hope she becomes co-CEO of The Walt Disney Company alongside Alan Bergman.

 

[HokieRaven5]

https://mickeyblog.com/2025/02/21/disney-and-the-importance-of-live-sports/

Disney and the Importance of Live Sports​

Goes on about how having ABC/ESPN and their incorporation with Disney+ creates marketing synergy for all aspects of their company efforts.

 

[Cfabar1]

From owning the Angels in the Outfield to not broadcasting MLB… how times have changed…