DIS Shareholders and Stock Info ONLY

[wabbott]

But isn't inflation since pre-Covid up right around 25%? And looking at it in a vacuum, it seems like a lot but how much did other travel and entertainment options go up on that time frame?

Close. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculator, $1.00 in January 2020 is $1.22 in December, 2024.
https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

 

[wabbott]

They had itchy fingers on the send button for that rebuttal. lol

Whelan has been working on that story for a while, and I'm sure DIS had advance knowledge. Note that he said there's an internal debate within DIS on this very issue.

 

[wabbott]

https://variety.com/vip/disney-parks-q1-results-1236300413/

February 10, 2025 6:00am PT

Disney Experiences Weathers Storm Thanks to Overseas Parks Growth

by Robert Steiner

In this article

• Despite predicting a long-term parks slump, Disney Experiences saw decent results for the first quarter of 2025
• International parks saw a nearly 30% YoY growth in operating income, while U.S. parks took a 5% hit due to hurricanes
• Still, Q1 continues the trend of overseas parks outpacing domestic parks growth, partly owing to rising ticket prices

 

[wabbott]

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cable-tv-future-nbcuniversal-msnbc-syfy-e-usa-spinco-1236302864/

Feb 12, 2025 - 8:00am PST

Inside the Cable TV Hospice: Can NBCUniversal’s Divorce From MSNBC, Syfy, E! and More Prolong the Life of Once-Popular Channels?
By Michael Schneider

 

[Cfabar1]

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cable-tv-future-nbcuniversal-msnbc-syfy-e-usa-spinco-1236302864/

Feb 12, 2025 - 8:00am PST

Inside the Cable TV Hospice: Can NBCUniversal’s Divorce From MSNBC, Syfy, E! and More Prolong the Life of Once-Popular Channels?
By Michael Schneider

My bet is, no... not really....

 

[hertamaniac]

I'm only in a trial that ends in April, but this came to me via an email in new terms for D+ subscribers. I call hogwash.

"We are clarifying that, as we continue to increase the breadth and depth of the content we make available to you, circumstances may require that certain titles and types of content include ads, even in our 'no ads' or 'ad free' subscription tiers."

The foot is now in the door as part of their terms; they now have free legal will (as far as I know) to start to inject non-D+ advertisements whenever and wherever they want.

I think they are going to try and subsidize content with more advertising via the 'no ads' or 'ad free' route. The D+ diehards will likely just grin and bear it. To me, it's borderline false advertising.

 

[wabbott]

I'm only in a trial that ends in April, but this came to me via an email in new terms for D+ subscribers. I call hogwash.

"We are clarifying that, as we continue to increase the breadth and depth of the content we make available to you, circumstances may require that certain titles and types of content include ads, even in our 'no ads' or 'ad free' subscription tiers."

The foot is now in the door as part of their terms; they now have free legal will (as far as I know) to start to inject non-D+ advertisements whenever and wherever they want.

I think they are going to try and subsidize content with more advertising via the 'no ads' or 'ad free' route. The D+ diehards will likely just grin and bear it. To me, it's borderline false advertising.

Interesting. It is my considered opinion that paid advertising was always the long-range plan for all streamers. The 'no ad tier' was a loss leader.

 

[BrianL]

I'm only in a trial that ends in April, but this came to me via an email in new terms for D+ subscribers. I call hogwash.

"We are clarifying that, as we continue to increase the breadth and depth of the content we make available to you, circumstances may require that certain titles and types of content include ads, even in our 'no ads' or 'ad free' subscription tiers."

The foot is now in the door as part of their terms; they now have free legal will (as far as I know) to start to inject non-D+ advertisements whenever and wherever they want.

I think they are going to try and subsidize content with more advertising via the 'no ads' or 'ad free' route. The D+ diehards will likely just grin and bear it. To me, it's borderline false advertising.

I think this will have more to do with live broadcasting. Like, you can be on the "Ad Free" tier, but things like sports and live broadcasts still have commercial breaks.

 

[hertamaniac]

Interesting. It is my considered opinion that paid advertising was always the long-range plan for all streamers. The 'no ad tier' was a loss leader.

That's what I was asking myself too. At what crossover point does it make sense to have a single subscription fee, with ads, to justify the cost to the consumer? There has to be a number (although I'm sure it's dynamic).

 

[hertamaniac]

I think this will have more to do with live broadcasting. Like, you can be on the "Ad Free" tier, but things like sports and live broadcasts still have commercial breaks.

A distinct possibility. But the wording/phrasing pretty much has the hooks in place for future movement(s).

 

[wabbott]

That's what I was asking myself too. At what crossover point does it make sense to have a single subscription fee, with ads, to justify the cost to the consumer? There has to be a number (although I'm sure it's dynamic).

Think of this. We've all been conditioned (programmed, if you will) to just accept advertising as a part of TV and radio. We grew up with it and consider it a necessary evil so that "free" tv is widely available. If companies that are trying to sell us something are willing to pay a communications business (of whatever type) for time to get their product or service promoted, the broadcaster/newspaper/blogger/streamer will sell them the time.

Once the very first radio ad was aired in 1922, the future was inevitable. And lately, the demand for more money to feed and water the Hollywood/TV/Movie biz is greater than ever. Have you noticed how long the credits run after a TV show nowadays? Page after page after page of assistants, stage hands, producers, directors, and on and on. They all have to be paid.

Compare that to a TV show from the 50s or 60s. You could write all the names down on an index card. If you want to know just how ads are sold today, here's an interesting read.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upfront_(advertising)

 

[Cfabar1]

There are products on Hulu available as part of the "on demand content" part of the live tv package instead of the streaming content available to all Hulu subscribers. These are videos that often have ads.

 

[clarker99]

Captain America: Brave New World with a $180.2 opening weekend worldwide box office. Will likely push to $200m with the 4-day total.

https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Captain-America-Brave-New-World-(2025)#tab=box-office

 

[wabbott]

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/football-scripted-dramas-trump-inauguration-130000312.html

Football, Scripted Dramas and Trump Inauguration Boost TV Viewing in January
Streaming accounted for 42.6% of viewership for the month, while broadcast and cable’s shares were 22.5% and 24.4%, respectively, according to Nielsen

by Lucas Manfredi
February 18, 2025 @ 5:00 AM PST

 

[RivShore]

The future of sports is apparently gambling and user generated content and then they get into the ever increasing lack of quality in entertainment...it might bring in eyeballs but, as a consumer of a certain age, that future of sports and entertainment does not sound good to me...

ESPN's user-sourced content bet: Here's what to know​

 

[Brian Noble]

Interestingly, the Manningcast is exactly "watching people talk about the live event." And, I will admit that I enjoy the Manningcast more than MNF itself.

And I'm an Old.

So, maybe there is something here? I don't know. But if live sports stops garnering eyeballs, a fairly large chunk of the entertainment ecosystem is screwed. And that might happen. I have been in the habit of having a full-spectrum OTT streamer during the college/NFL football seasons to watch All Of It, and suspending it for the rest of the year. But, I noticed that this past year I was not watching nearly as much as I used to. I am seriously considering not re-starting this fall.

The plural of anecdote is not data, of course, but if *I* am seriously considering moving on, given my history with the sport, well....

 

[Brian Noble]

That said, I am planning to go to the UCLA @ Michigan women's gymnastics meet on Saturday. For $6 per person, I get to see Jordan Chiles perform live.

 

[RivShore]

Interestingly, the Manningcast is exactly "watching people talk about the live event." And, I will admit that I enjoy the Manningcast more than MNF itself.

I do too!
I wasn't thinking of the more "professional" version of watching someone watching something, since in that clip, they refereed to it as "user generated" content.

 

[wabbott]

Forgive the repetitive inquiry, but I still can't grasp what live sports has to do (or ever did) with the core brand of The Walt Disney Company? Can anyone explain it in simple terms?

 

[Jwaire]

Forgive the repetitive inquiry, but I still can't grasp what live sports has to do (or ever did) with the core brand of The Walt Disney Company? Can anyone explain it in simple terms?

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 (because he ran ABC programming for years), 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.