DIS Shareholders and Stock Info ONLY

[wabbott]

FWIW, here are a couple more. ALL publicly traded companies are subject to buyout, trade, or merger literally every business day, whether sensible or not

https://deadline.com/2025/09/paramount-warner-bros-discovery-merger-hollywood-1236529338/

Sizing Up A Possible Paramount-WBD Merger, Hollywood Wonders If This Episode Is A Repeat

By Dade Hayes, Peter White, Nellie Andreeva, Anthony D'Alessandro
September 12, 2025 8:14am

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/pa...cquisition-consolidation-analysis-1236515947/

Sep 12, 2025 - 6:41am PDT

Why Does David Ellison Want Paramount to Swallow Warner Bros. Discovery Whole? To Beat Rival Suitors to the Punch

By Todd Spangler

 

[HokieRaven5]

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/di...onship-to-create-new-digital-comics-platform/

BURBANK, Calif. & LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 15, 2025 — The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) and WEBTOON Entertainment (NASDAQ: WBTN) today announced that Disney and WEBTOON have entered into a non-binding term sheet for the development of an all-new digital comics platform that will feature current comic book runs and include decades of past comics from across Disney’s portfolio including Marvel, Star Wars, 20th Century Studios and more.

 

[peder]

Disney / ABC canned Kimmel

 

[Ashlotte]

Disney / ABC canned Kimmel

I just sold all but one of my shares because of this. I'm not supporting companies that bow down to government overreach.

 

[irlandaise]

Disney / ABC canned Kimmel

Maybe, maybe not:

“Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be preempted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson told Deadline today.

We'll have to see what happens in the next few weeks.

 

[Cfabar1]

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-may-15-et-brownfield15-story.html

The irony cannot be lost....

 

[HokieRaven5]

Disney / ABC canned Kimmel

Not trying to defend Disney, but their hand may have been forced between the FCC pressure, and Nexstar media and Sinclair media saying they would be suspending the airing of the show on their ABC Affiliates

 

[Gludfssr]

There is absolutely no way to defend this.
Does not matter if you like Jimmy or not, this is about Free Speech and if Disney is not sticking up for Jimmy, then I hope and wish that people send a message to this company because they have their hands in Democracy being taken away from each and every one of us with this move.
This is clearly a first amendment violation!!!!

This was one if not the biggest thing that made America so special, yet we are on the path of having Sate/federal run networks like they have in Russia & China.
I will be calling Disney tomorrow to tell them to cancel my subscription and the plans to go next year to DW are not on the table anymore.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

There is absolutely no way to defend this.
Does not matter if you like Jimmy or not, this is about Free Speech and if Disney is not sticking up for Jimmy, then I hope and wish that people send a message to this company because they have their hands in Democracy being taken away from each and every one of us with this move.
This is clearly a first amendment violation!!!!

This was one if not the biggest thing that made America so special, yet we are on the path of having Sate/federal run networks like they have in Russia & China.
I will be calling Disney tomorrow to tell them to cancel my subscription and the plans to go next year to DW are not on the table anymore.

Then maybe Disney shouldn’t own 20th Century Fox anymore if this is happening. Their purchase of the studio, and renaming of it to "20th Century Studios", was meant to separate it from the Murdoch family and their Republican garbage, courtesy of Fox News, but now it seems like Disney is being forced to bow down to that party and go down the right-wing path with the recent Jimmy Kimmel news.

I just hope Bob Iger’s replacement, whoever it is even though Josh D’Amaro is looking likely, can turn that around and save Disney from going down that path.

 

[peder]

Maybe, maybe not:

“Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be preempted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson told Deadline today.

We'll have to see what happens in the next few weeks.

Oh he's definitely gone. The only thing they're sorting out right now are the terms of his exit. These things often start this way before some sort of official announcement in the coming days or weeks, but $DIS can't allow their expensive (reportedly $15m / year just for Kimmel), low-ratings night show to have any controversy like this. Inertia has been the only thing keeping these late-night programs going despite audiences clearly moving on from the format (at the absolute minimum, why aren't the late-night shows available to stream immediately at time of airing? who would watch a late show the following day? lots of self-inflicted wounds from the industry for this type of show).

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

There is absolutely no way to defend this.
Does not matter if you like Jimmy or not, this is about Free Speech and if Disney is not sticking up for Jimmy, then I hope and wish that people send a message to this company because they have their hands in Democracy being taken away from each and every one of us with this move.
This is clearly a first amendment violation!!!!

This was one if not the biggest thing that made America so special, yet we are on the path of having Sate/federal run networks like they have in Russia & China.
I will be calling Disney tomorrow to tell them to cancel my subscription and the plans to go next year to DW are not on the table anymore.

Doesn't TWDC have a history of firing talent for stupid jokes. If I recall correctly Roseanne Barr, James Gunn, Gina Carano and there was that guy who joked about the Holocaust. I cannot remember his name, but I remember reading about TWDC firing that guy from The Mayans (?) for his jokes about killing Jewish folks. Not in my humor wheelhouse, but free speech it is.

I suppose one could argue that every person has the right to free speech and then it's up to the corporation that platforms their speech whether to continue to platform their speech or tell them to find a different platform. I mean, I guess what I am trying to say is that I would hope that TWDC wouldn't platform that fella who rants like a lunatic on YouTube with the Sandy Hook conspiracy theory stuff (which I believe he was sued for), because I am not sure that is (for lack of a better term) a "humanity message" that TWDC has spent decades trying to cultivate wants to platform. And, frankly, I don't spend enough time on YouTube or other SM sites to know who else is talking straight up crazy stuff.

Apparently Charlie Kirk was a podcaster. I never listened. I am not going to pretend that I was familiar with Charlie Kirk. Maybe Jimmy has an axe to grind? Who knows? Jimmy would've probably kept his job if he didn't tell a joke about a toxic topic (i.e. assassinations). Again, like holocaust jokes, not in my wheelhouse. But, everyone has their own sense of humor. I respect that. There are people who defend folks that joke about slavery. Free will. It's a mystery.

 

[BrianL]

Doesn't TWDC have a history of firing talent for stupid jokes. If I recall correctly Roseanne Barr, James Gunn, Gina Carano and there was that guy who joked about the Holocaust. I cannot remember his name, but I remember reading about TWDC firing that guy from They Mayans (?) for his jokes about killing Jewish folks. Not in my humor wheelhouse, but free speech it is.

I suppose one could argue that every person has the right to free Speech and then it's up to the corporation that platforms their speech whether to continue to platform their speech or tell them to find a different platform. I mean, I guess what I am trying to say is that I would hope that TWDC wouldn't platform that fella who rants like a lunatic on YouTube with the Sandy Hook conspiracy theory stuff (which I believe he was sued for), because I am not sure that is (for lack of a better term) a "humanity message" that TWDC has spent decades trying to cultivate wants to platform. And, frankly, I don't spend enough time on YouTube or other SM sites to know who else is talking straight up crazy stuff.

Apparently Charlie Kirk was a podcaster. I never listened. I am not going to pretend that I was familiar with Charlie Kirk. Maybe Jimmy has an axe to grind? Who knows? Jimmy would've probably kept his job if he didn't tell a joke about a toxic topic (i.e. assassinations). Again, like holocaust jokes, not in my wheelhouse. But, everyone has their own sense of humor. I respect that. There are people who defend folks that joke about slavery. Free will. It's a mystery.

But the issue here is not just about a corporation and an employee - and of course Disney has the right to fire an employee over speech - but we have an issue where government agencies are exerting influence and making threats, which is certainly problematic. Also, in this particular case, Kimmel didn't say anything that he hasn't been saying for years and he did not disparage the victim at all, so it's definitely suspicious that suddenly this is some "outrageous" thing.

Now, if Disney had told him to tone it down, and he refused to do that, I would 100% support them taking action. They seem to have been generally fine with his content up to now though.

 

[HokieRaven5]

And again, Disney has not fired Kimmel as of this moment.

Local Broadcasting companies who own the majority of the affiliate networks across the country stated they would not air his show, so at a certain point it’s not financially sound to air the show in a more limited audience.

He also expressed his sympathies for what happened to Kirk in the immediate aftermath of his passing.

 

[BrianL]

And again, Disney has not fired Kimmel as of this moment.

Local Broadcasting companies who own the majority of the affiliate networks across the country stated they would not air his show, so at a certain point it’s not financially sound to air the show in a more limited audience.

He also expressed his sympathies for what happened to Kirk in the immediate aftermath of his passing.

This is true. Indications are that ABC wants to get the show back on the air as soon as possible, but they have to smooth things over first. That is not official information, just what I have been reading in the trades.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

but we have an issue where government agencies are exerting influence and making threats, which is certainly problematic.

Great point.

TWDC owns a theme park with the Chinese Government and also recently announced a deal to construct a theme park with the U.A.E. a country that has criminalized homosexuality. Indeed, very problematic except for any boost in stock prices.

 

[peder]

This is true. Indications are that ABC wants to get the show back on the air as soon as possible, but they have to smooth things over first. That is not official information, just what I have been reading in the trades.

And I was thinking that it's more likely they're just doing a standard legal review of things before they fire him so that they aren't at risk of getting sued by Kimmel. Most likely they're trying to pressure him into a settlement where he goes under an NDA, waives any rights to sue Disney for wrongful termination, gives up any rights to any projects he had in flight with Disney, and in return he gets the rest of his contract money for the year? Something like that.

But I'm pretty sure he's gone at this point. I don't think someone like Iger would be going to bat for him while he's been delivering poor ratings.

Now, even though his ratings haven't been great, I have no idea what ABC would put in his timeslot. The affiliates aren't going to want just any programming, they're going to ideally want a show that delivers even higher ratings than Kimmel.

Or maybe the affiliates want more of that time back for local news and other local content? I'm not really sure what angle the affiliates are taking here.

 

[BrianL]

Great point.

TWDC owns a theme park with the Chinese Government and also recently announced a deal to construct a theme park with the U.A.E. a country that has criminalized homosexuality. Indeed, very problematic except for any boost in stock prices.

Sure, and those can be their own problems, however those governments are not the US Government. The United States has protections that legally prohibit government restriction of speech, which I think most people in America support. We are dangerously close to, if not outright over, that line in this case, which is a cause for concern.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

however those governments are not the US Government.

I know.

TWDC doesn't get to control US Government decisions or even Florida Government decisions (e.g. Reedy Creek).

However, TWDC willingly, knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily chose to do business with the U.A.E. and the C.C.P. with full and complete knowledge of the government influence and exertion of influence over people and business. Which is worse? I don't know.

 

[BrianL]

And I was thinking that it's more likely they're just doing a standard legal review of things before they fire him so that they aren't at risk of getting sued by Kimmel. Most likely they're trying to pressure him into a settlement where he goes under an NDA, waives any rights to sue Disney for wrongful termination, gives up any rights to any projects he had in flight with Disney, and in return he gets the rest of his contract money for the year? Something like that.

But I'm pretty sure he's gone at this point. I don't think someone like Iger would be going to bat for him while he's been delivering poor ratings.

Now, even though his ratings haven't been great, I have no idea what ABC would put in his timeslot. The affiliates aren't going to want just any programming, they're going to ideally want a show that delivers even higher ratings than Kimmel.

Or maybe the affiliates want more of that time back for local news and other local content? I'm not really sure what angle the affiliates are taking here.

That's not what sources are saying, and may just be wishful thinking on your part. ABC/Disney want to get the show back on the air as soon as possible and generally support Kimmel (they've been airing him all this time and, again, he didn't say anything different than he has been for years). I think they will bring him back.

Now, with his contract being up next year, I think it's very possible that they won't renew it, and as long as that is due to business considerations, then there is no problem with that. It's also possible that they will extend the contract with some changes to the show/format - possibly shortening it, etc. as that has been a tactic employed in an attempt to save these types of shows. Again, as long as ABC/Disney is making that decision outside of FCC/government influence, then it's fine.

 

[BrianL]

I know.

TWDC doesn't get to control US Government decisions or even Florida Government decisions (e.g. Reedy Creek).

However, TWDC willingly, knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily chose to do business with the U.A.E. and the C.C.P. with full and complete knowledge of the government influence and exertion of influence over people and business. Which is worse? I don't know.

It's not about Disney controlling the US Government, but rather about the US Government controlling Disney. Only ONE of those things is being attempted.