Back in September 2025, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was at the center of a controversy due to a comment the titular host made in regard to the death of political activist Charlie Kirk. It was eventually decided that Kimmel’s show would be suspended indefinitely, and then-acting Disney CEO Bob Iger was involved with the decision-making. At that time, some speculated whether that move was politically motivated, as U.S. President Trump was among those unhappy with Kimmel. Now, Iger is providing clarity on the rationale behind the choice.

During a broadcast, Kimmel said the public had hit “new lows” over the past weekend due to “MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr subsequently seemed to suggest that ABC’s broadcast license could be revoked due to the comments. It was shortly after that Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group pulled Kimmel from its ABC affiliates.

Kimmel’s suspension came down on September 17, with Iger and then-Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden (who’s since become the company’s president and CCO) making the call. Iger, who stepped down to make way for new CEO Josh D’Amaro earlier this year, spoke to The Financial Times and reflected on the Jimmy Kimmel situation. The businessman denied that politics played a role in the course of action he and Walden took and noted that it was spurred by something else:

It was alleged around that time that execs at Disney weren’t pleased with Iger’s decision to pull the talk show. Some higher-ups allegedly tried to advise Iger of other courses of action to take and, an insider claimed that after he opted for a suspension, some execs saw that as a “betrayal.” Nevertheless, internal conversations with Kimmel were simultaneously underway, and the goal was for all parties involved to find an ideal way to move forward. Eventually, the suspension was lifted on September 22, with the show resuming production the 23rd.

After returning to the air, Jimmy Kimmel said he was surprised his show was suspended at all. The veteran late-night host explained that he “saw it as distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks, and [he] aimed to correct it.” Kimmel has also since shed light on some of the discussions he had with network executives while he was off the air. While the Man Show alum admitted he could be “reactionary” at times, he said he also found it “helpful” to have discussions with Walden and others to hear their perspectives.

Mor Kimmel has been involved in another situation involving politics. In April, Kimmel made jokes ahead of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, including a barb about First Lady Melania Trump. Kimmel quipped that Trump had “a glow like an expectant widow.” Those jokes notably came ahead of the reported assassination attempt on POTUS’ life during the aforementioned dinner, and Kimmel received backlash after the fact. But he defended his joke, saying it was “not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination.”

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is in the midst of its summer stretch of episodes, and guest hosts will take to the desk while Kimmel goes on vacation. As for the controversies that have surrounded the show as of late, it seems the dust has settled. However, it’ll admittedly be hard to forget that suspension saga.

In March of 2005, Bob Iger began his (first) tenure as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company. He wouldn’t wait long to leave his mark on the House of Mouse, as less than 12 months later, it would be announced that Disney was acquiring Pixar. It would be the first of several major acquisitions for Disney under Iger, including Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and ultimately, 20th Century Fox.

Today, 20 years after Bob Iger acquired Pixar, a new CEO is taking over The Walt Disney Company. Josh D’Amaro, as Bob Iger did in the weeks before stepping down, has indicated that Disney isn't contemplating any major mergers on par with the recent Warner Bros./Paramount deal. That said, I will be shocked if there isn’t a smaller, but no less important to Disney, acquisition on the horizon.

Disney Is Going To Own Bluey Soon, Right?

I’m thinking about Ludo Studio, the Australian studio behind Bluey, the animated family show that is one of the most popular IPs in the world right now. Bluey is big business for Disney, which is why I fully expect Disney to own the Bluey business eventually.

There’s no way to undersell how big the little blue dog is right now. Bluey has been the most popular series on any streaming platform for the last couple of years. More Bluey has been streamed than anything else, which, considering episodes are only a few minutes long, is even more of an accomplishment. Disneyland just opened the first Bluey attraction in one of its parks, and the line for it ran halfway across the park. Bluey is becoming such a big part of Disney; a lot of people probably don’t realize Disney doesn’t own it.

What Works For Disney, Becomes Disney

Star Wars, Pixar, Avatar, and even the Muppets all appeared in Disney Parks before Disney actually owned them, but ultimately all of them came under the Disney umbrella. Paying licensing fees rather than having to actually manage a brand can be preferable in some cases, but Disney, even before Bob Iger, saw things differently, preferring to have control over everything.

And there is some evidence that Bluey is already becoming part of Disney in everything but name. In addition to being added to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World this year, there have apparently been talks about doing crossovers between Bluey and The Simpsons. Disney Jr. even released an animated short recently that had Bluey and her family dancing with Mickey and the gang.

This sort of Disney "synergy" isn't usually spent on licensees. Disney is very protective of even its own properties. We didn't get the first "official" Disney and Pixar crossover until 2021. Mickey Mouse doesn't dance with just any old cartoon.

If Bluey were merely successful, simply profitable, that would be one thing, but Bluey is arguably the most valuable brand Disney has at the current moment. The fact that the company doesn’t own it means that it can potentially lose it. That would be bad for Disney.

At the same time, simply buying Bluey isn’t enough. You need the creative minds that made Bluey successful if you want to have confidence that it will remain successful. This is why if you want Bluey, you need to buy all of Ludo Studio.

It certainly wouldn’t be a deal on the scale of the ones Bob Iger did, but it would allow Josh D’Amaro to make a mark and to improve Disney’s portfolio, without spending nearly as much money as it cost to buy Fox. It also means not having to share what is likely to be an incredible box office when the Bluey movie comes out next year.

And if this is going to happen at all, there's no reason to wait. I think, like Captain America, Luke Skywalker, and Kermit the Frog before her, Bluey is going to be a Disney property one day, and that day will probably be soon.

If everything had gone according to plan for Disney in the spring 2026 TV schedule, then Bachelor Nation fans would already be a week into Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette on ABC and eagerly waiting for more from the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star. Everything definitely hasn’t gone according to plan, however, with ABC pulling Season 22 from primetime and allegedly losing a lot of money because of it. Now, a Disney fan on social media pointed out an interesting coincidence that puts a new spin on the situation from a corporate perspective.

The situation started last week, when a video went viral of Taylor Frankie Paul in a domestic altercation while a child was in the room. ABC wasted no time in pulling The Bachelorette from the schedule, just days before Season 22 had been set to premiere on the network and stream via a Hulu subscription. While ABC reportedly left the door open to bring the season back rather than cancelling it entirely, even former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay was wondering how the franchise could “move forward” past what happened.

That may be a problem for new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro to deal with, as one user on X (formerly known as Twitter) pointed out:

Oddly enough, while I certainly doubt there are any nefarious forces at work, the timeline does work out that Iger’s tenures as Disney boss do neatly avoid some major complications in the entertainment industry. The longtime CEO left the company in 2020 after his contract expired, with Bob Chapek named as his successor effective immediately in late February 2020, a.k.a. just weeks before the industry-wide production shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bob Chapek only lasted from 2020-2022, at which point he was removed by the Disney board and replaced by Bob Iger, who stayed for another four years through to March 2026. Then, as we learned during Disney’s 2026 shareholders meeting, Iger stepped down again to be replaced by Josh D’Amaro on March 18. The date that the whole Bachelorette controversy broke and required ABC and Disney to act ASAP? March 19.

Somehow, Bob Iger has managed to bow out of the job of Disney CEO just before major events that require swift action, and I can’t help but wonder how Bob Chapek and Josh D’Amaro reacted when they saw how quickly they’d be dealing with some crises. Chapek at least got a couple of weeks before it became clear that COVID would require industry-wide shutdowns; D’Amaro got a day before Taylor Frankie Paul’s video went viral, although he had been named as Iger’s successor before stepping into the CEO role on March 18.

Of course, the Disney CEO job does encompass much more than The Bachelorette for Josh D’Amaro, and he was quick to name something that Disney has but other movie studios don’t. There are also the parks to consider, not too long after former CEO Michael Eisner openly acknowledged that Disneyland and Disney World are too expensive. Plus, even if we’re only accounting for ABC among Disney’s TV platforms, there are renewals and cancellations to consider this spring.

For now, Bachelor Nation fans can only wait and see if Taylor Frankie Paul’s season will ever see the light of day in any form, or if the franchise will be off the air until a new season of The Bachelor and/or Bachelor in Paradise can be produced.

A new era has dawned at The Walt Disney Company now that Bob Iger has stepped down as CEO (again) and Josh D’Amaro has taken the lead. His coming-out party yesterday was the company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders. It gave us a bit of news, including the release dates for Incredibles 3 and Lilo & Stitch 2, but was mostly focused on touting Disney’s place in the entertainment industry, a place the new CEO says nobody can touch.

At the Shareholders Meeting, which CinemaBlend covered live, after departing boss Bob Iger made some farewell remarks, Josh D’Amaro appeared in a prerecorded segment where he seemingly took a shot at the recent battle over Warner Bros, indicating that the chaos we’re seeing in the industry right now is because companies are realizing its something they have to do to compete, while Disney is riding high. D’Amarao said…

D’Amaro’s comments echo those of his predecessor. Bob Iger was asked (more than once) on earnings calls if Disney was considering any major acquisitions as a way to compete with the Warner Bros merger. He suggested that Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox several years ago was a case of Disney leading the way, and other companies were now playing catch-up by doing what it had already done.

And Josh D’Amaro certainly takes the reins of Disney at a good time. In 2025, Disney had three of the top five films at the global box office. It had the number one show on streaming, and its Experiences division, including the theme parks and Disney Cruise Line, the division he previously oversaw, was setting records for revenue.

It’s hard not to see Disney in a “category of one” with results like that. It isn’t just that Disney does so much more than many other companies in the entertainment space; it’s that Disney is also incredibly successful in nearly every area in which it competes. These different elements work nearly seamlessly together as well. An IP from Disney that finds success in one place can be leveraged across a variety of disciplines.

While the past has been incredible, there are still many questions about Disney’s future. The company is embracing AI in a big way, a move that many fans aren’t particularly comfortable with, though Disney insists it will be used by creative people, not used to replace them. What is clear is that Disney will undergo many changes under Josh D’Amaro. He will have an interesting tenure as Disney’s CEO to say the least.

It's a new era at the House of Mouse. Today, Josh D'Amaro officially takes the reins of The Walt Disney Company as Bob Iger ends his second term in the position. Dana Walden has also become Disney's first-ever Chief Creative Officer alongside her new role as President.

D'Amaro will start his tenure on a big stage at the Walt Disney Company's Annual Shareholders Meeting. There will undoubtedly be a lot of eyes on D'Amaro, both from Wall Street analysts and Disney fans who want to get a sense of what the future of Disney will be like under him. We can expect updates on all the things that will make both groups happy, like upcoming movies, theme park attractions, Disney Cruise Line details, and more.

Last year's Shareholders Meeting only gave us one significant announcement, in the form of the news that Coco 2 was in development. Since a lot of people are going to want to get an idea of what Josh D'Amaro will be like as CEO, I would expect that we'll be getting more than just updates on projects that Bob Iger started this year, but time will tell.

In just a few minutes, the Shareholders Meeting will be getting underway. The first question of interest is how much of Bob Iger we'll see. He is staying with Disney through the end of the year, and technically, this meeting is about the prior year's performance, so he may still be a big part of it, but since this is essentially the coming-out party for Josh D'Amaro and Dana Walden, I expect they'll be the main focus.

As such, I'd expect a bit more in the way of "new" announcements as it will get Disney fans excited and hopefully signal to Wall Street, the people this event is really about, that Disney will continue to make money going forward.

Disney's Shareholders Meeting gets under way with a sizzle reel showing many of the company's biggest hits on screen and in theme parks. Everything from Hoppers to Avatar and small pieces of stuff to come like Toy Story 5. Ill tell you, stuff like this makes it really exciting to be a Disney fan. They are so good at this.

Chairman of the Board James Gorman opens the meeting in a pre-recorded message. He was the man who led the CEO hunt. He calls out D'Amaro as the new CEO and Walden as President. He also thanks Bob Iger for his time as CEO.

We're now getting a second sizzle reel that is basically a thank you to Bob Iger, showing off all his achievements. And to be fair, there are a lot. He transformed Disney in a big way. The addition of Pixar, marvel, Lucasfilm, and Fox, changed entertainment.

We're getting a pre-recorded message from Iger saying goodbye. Clearly, we won't be seeing Bob again during this meeting, otherwise, they'd probably leave this goodbye for later. It's Josh D'Amaro's company now.

Iger says "leaders don't create the magic" and he thanks those he worked with for making it. He ays he "believes" in Josh D'Amaro as the new CEO. Calls Dana Walden's area "critical."

Goodbye Bob, thanks for everything.

And Josh D'Amaro was just "welcomed" as the Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company. The new era has begun.

D'Amaro's main message is that Disney is in a class by itself in the industry. There's a lot of use of the word "one" already today. D'Amaro released a memo earlier where he referred to the different parts of the company as One Disney. Expect that to be a major branding concept going forward.

The first IP gets dropped when D'Amaro starts talking about Toy Story. We're getting a look at a scene where Jesse confronts Lilypad.

D'Amaro runs through the 2026 and 2027 movie slates. Then we got release dates for live-action Lilo & Stitch 2, May 26, 2028, and Incredibles 3, June 16, 2028. That's really fast work for Stitch.

On Experiences, D'Amaro calls out World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris and the expansion of Avengers Campus. I was hoping for a bit of new theme park info, but it doesn't look like anybody is ready for that yet.

D'Amaro does announce the name of the ninth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the Disney Believe

That wraps D'Amaro's portion of the meeting, which means we're now shifting to the actual voting portion of the meeting. The 2028 release dates for Lilo & Stitch and Incredibles are certainly going to be important. Those are two blockbuster franchises that will almost guarantee that 2028 will be a solid year for Disney at the global box office.

The first three votes for the Shareholders meeting are standard: re-electing the board of directors, affirming the company's accountants, and confirming the executive compensation package. They will pass without issues.

The other three proposals are from shareholders. These are usually pet causes from individuals with an ax to grind. Shareholder proposals almost always fail, but not always. These proposals are about Disney's charitable giving policies, changing the method for board member elections, and reviewing Disney Parks' disability policies. This last one might succeed.

Unsurprisingly, the three proposals from Disney were approved, and the three shareholder proposals were not. We now shift to the Q&A

D'Amaro is on hand, and the first question is about changing out the Pixar films in the Imagination pavilion at Epcot. D'Amaro says there are "no plans to bring new shorts" to the theater, which was not at all the question. Something new needs to be done with that theater.

The second question is about the decision-making process behind making original movies versus sequels. D'Amaro talks about Disney's ability to build on stories between the different aspects of the company. D'Amaro says there will be more new and existing stories.

The next question is about where to find information about the backgrounds of the Board of Directors, which is a somewhat surprising question for this sort of meeting.

Question four is about how D'Amaro is incorporating the principles of Walt Disney into the company.

It's honestly amazing how often this sort of question is asked. Nobody asks David Zazlav how he incorporates the principles of Jack Warner at Warner Bros. D'Amaro focuses on Walt's embrace of technology and his ability to look to the future.

The next question is about Disney's use of AI. D'Amaro talks about the efficiency that AI can bring, but insists that AI will be used to "empower creativity, not replace it."

An Experiences question about balancing theme park revenue with making the experience great for everybody. D'Amaro says he looks at experience ratings and "intent to return" to be sure guests are having the great experience they want. D'Amaro mentions the kids' ticket offer at Disneyland as a way that the parks try to make it affordable.

D'Amaro says he's "looking at the landscape," but doesn't indicate any plans for new mergers.

A question about changing the disability access at Disney Parks. D'Amaro says the current approach was come to by working with experts and professionals. Doesn't indicate any plan to revisit.

A question about the amount of legacy content that Disney has access to, and how the company decides what to put on Disney+, since a lot of that content isn't there. D'Amaro doesn't really answer or indicate that any more legacy content will be going up anytime soon.

Question about the differences between Lighting Lane offerings at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. D'Amaro says that guest experience at each resort is very different, so Lighting Lane is handled differently to best match the way people use the parks.

The last question is about Figment. Could there be a movie or other Figment content? D'Amaro laughs and mentions the recent Disney+ animation short that included Figment. D'Amaro says there's nothing new to announce, but indicates that Disney is always exploring new ways to use characters. There is certainly a hint that there may be a future for Figment, who was voiced by Neil Patrick Harris in the short.

That ends the meeting. It was certainly interesting hearing Josh D'Amaro answer all the Q&A questions. It's a new voice and a pretty new approach. A couple of major release date updates was nice, but I was hoping for a little more. Still, with D23 coming up this summer, we'll get plenty of news on upcoming movies, series, and theme park attractions. The Josh D'Amaro era hasn't started with a bang, but it has begun. It will be exciting to see what happens next.

I'm still the first to argue that going to Disneyland or Walt Disney World is worth every penny, but it’s certainly true that a trip to either park is going to cost you a lot of pennies. Disney Parks are expensive, and they’re only getting more expensive as time goes on. Lots of people complain about the fact that Disney seems to continue to find new ways to add costs to vacations, and even former Disney CEO Michael Eisner thinks it's gone too far.

Michael Eisner Is “Not Wild” About How Expensive Disney Parks Are

In a recent interview with Graham Bensinger (via Boardwalk Times), Eisner talks about his time at Disney, as well as what has happened at the House of Mouse in the years since. He’s largely very complimentary of the state of DIsney by saying the company is in “great shape” and calling soon-to-retire Bob Iger an “excellent CEO.” However, he does part ways with the current regime in one area: the cost to go to Disneyland and Disney World. On that, Eisner says…

There’s certainly no argument that, as a business, the Disney Parks have been run “well.” Despite all the price increases, there has been no noticeable impact on attendance, indicating that guests are willing to pay the asking price. Disney's Experiences division reported record revenue last quarter. That said, there is a lot of frustration because of things like Lighting Lane, which allows guests to skip lines, a service that used to be free, but now costs money.

It used to be a goal at Disney Parks to have “everybody be a VIP,” as Eisner says, but that’s simply not the case now. If you can afford to pay for all the various additional services, you can have an amazing time, but those who can’t afford it get left out.

To Be Fair, Michael Eisner Kinda Started It

It is interesting to hear Michael Eisner say this, because it’s hard to argue that this didn’t start under him. When Eisner became CEO in 1984, he didn’t think the parks were charging what they were worth. Disneyland tickets were about $18 in 1984 when Eisner took control. When he left in 2005, that same ticket was nearly $60.

That said, we saw a lot of great new attractions added to Disneyland, as well as several new Disney theme parks all over the world. But Eisner’s ticket price increases continued under Bob Iger, and we’ve seen price increases every year. Today, a single-day ticket at Disneyland can cost over $200 during the high season. Some families simply can't afford the price to get in the gate because it's so expensive.

It’s nice to hear that Michael Eisner does think that charging for additional perks is a step he might not have taken. FastPass was started under Eisner and remained free throughout his time and for years after, while many other theme parks began charging for line skipping. Perhaps this was because Eisner was against the idea.

Maybe we’ll be lucky and discover that Disney’s next CEO feels the same way. While it’s unlikely that we’ll see any massive shifts in the way Disney Parks go to market, since D’Amaro was the head of the Experiences division previously, maybe now that he’s in charge, he’ll take the comments of this former CEO to heart. It's unlikely that things will revert to the way they were, but if they don't get worse, that's something.

A new day is dawning at the House of Mouse. Josh D’Amaro has officially been anointed as the incoming CEO of The Walt Disney Company. His tenure officially begins in March, and while there’s no way to know what Disney will be like under the new boss, there’s at least one Disney insider who is expecting big things from him at the outset.

A Disney Insider Thinks Josh D’Amaro Will Need To Make Some Big Moves Early

When Bob Iger first became CEO, he made waves almost immediately by repairing the company’s relationship with Pixar and Steve Jobs, which eventually led to Disney buying the company, one of many acquisitions Disney would make under Iger. An unnamed source inside Disney recently told Page Six that he expects Josh D’Amaro to similarly make some big moves when he takes over, specifically within the entertainment side of the business. The source said…

Josh D’Amaro comes from the Disney Experiences division, which oversees Disney’s Parks, Cruise Line, and Consumer Products. The major knock against him as the next CEO was that he didn’t have the Hollywood industry knowledge and relationships that would be important to a Disney CEO. Disney Entertainment co-head Dana Walden got promoted alongside D’Amaro to President and Chief Creative officer, seemingly to balance that knowledge in the C-Suite.

The idea from this source is that since D’Amaro isn’t a major player on the Hollywood side of things, he needs to do something early to show that he’s capable in that space. It’s not a bad point, and I know just where he should start.

Let's Get Pirates of The Caribbean 6 Happening Now

While not every Disney studio movie released has been a major hit, most of the different franchises are in decent shape right now. Star Wars has its first movie in years ready to hit theaters in a few months, and more are coming after that. Marvel Studios has a pair of Avengers movies on the way. Disney’s last live-action remake and its last animated movie both made over $1 billion dollars.

The one franchise that’s been struggling has been the Pirates of the Caribbean. The last entry in the franchise came out almost a decade ago, and while Disney has been working on a new entry for almost all that time, we still don’t have a finished script, much less a project in active development.

A new Pirates of the Caribbean movie will be a big deal if and when it ever comes. Regardless of how much of an impact on it Josh D’Amaro actually has, if he were able to announce the next chapter in the popular franchise, it would be a big deal for fans and the industry. It would also be a big deal for Wall Street, who tend to react positively to “company that makes a lot of money reveals new way to make a lot of money” sort of announcements.

Josh D’Amaro’s tenure probably won’t be full of mergers the way Bob Iger’s was. The fact is, there just isn’t as much left to buy after Iger already bought it all, though there are a few possibilities in that space, too. Still, D’Amaro will almost certainly make an impact. The only question is how.

The Walt Disney Company has had a real-life Succession drama going on for the last couple of years. Ever since Bob Iger returned as CEO, it was clear his tenure would be brief, and he was really only holding things together for the next CEO. We now know that person is Josh D’Amaro.

The current head of Disney’s Experiences division will take the lead as CEO beginning March 18. Alongside him, Dana Walden, the other serious candidate for the top job, will become President and Chief Creative Officer. It’s a big change at a company that is one of the most important and most popular in the entertainment industry. Josh D’Amaro himself seems to truly understand what Disney means to many people. Speaking with ABC, D’Amaro called out the reason he felt Disney was a special company, saying…

D’Amaro’s comments were in response to a question regarding AI. Disney has entered into a multi-year agreement that will enable users of OpenAI’s Sora access to Disney characters for AI-generated videos and provide Disney Cast Members with access to ChatGPT. D’Amaro is clear that he is bullish on the use of AI, but that he sees it as a tool to be used by creative people, not something that will replace them.

While these words will need to be followed by deeds, they are absolutely the right words, which, as a fan of Disney, gives me hope that D’Amaro was the right choice as CEO. While his soon-to-be former position as Disney Experiences head had him working with creative people at Walt Disney Imagineering, the job is generally seen as one that is all about the numbers, as it contains Disney’s consumer products and theme park business, two of the company’s major revenue streams.

Disney’s previous attempt at replacing Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, didn’t particularly work out, and one of the reasons appeared to be that Chapek, who also came from the Experiences division, had difficulty working with the creative talents on the studio side. Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney was the most visible example of that.

D’Amaro’s words indicate an understanding that people are important, and that real creativity is something a computer just can't do. Working with those creative people was often seen as one of Bob Iger’s strengths in the role as CEO. D’Amaro says another thing the current and future CEO have in common is a willingness to take risks…

It sounds like we could be in for some big swings from the new CEO when he takes charge. If he’s willing to take risks, some of them will likely fail, but the ones that succeed could change the future of Disney. The next few years could be quite exciting.

One of the biggest jobs in all of entertainment has been the talk of Hollywood for a couple of years now. We've known ever since Bob Iger returned as CEO of The Walt Disney Company that he wouldn't be there forever. The question of who would succeed him came down to two major names: Disney Experiences head Josh D'Amaro, Disney Entertainment co-head Dana Walden

Well, the game of succession has now come to an end. This morning, The Walt Disney Company officially announced Josh D'Amaro will be the next CEO of Disney. However, I'm not sure that's the biggest piece of news to come out of this, because Walden has also received a major promotion within Disney. She will become Disney's President and its Chief Creative Officer.

Both promotions are effective March 18, 2026, which is a lot sooner than we thought. Bob Iger's contract doesn't end until December 31. Initially, the plan was that the new CEO would be working alongside Iger for several months and would take over Disney on January 1. Apparently, it's been decided that D'Amaro and Walden don't need to wait. Or maybe Bob Iger is just ready to go.

Dana Walden's Promotion Is History Making

While most eyes will be on the new CEO, I don't think we can undersell the promotion of Dana Walden as both President and Chief Creative Officer. This makes Walden the highest-ranking woman in Disney's history, and it demonstrates the company's recognition of her importance. While they may not have chosen her as CEO, they did not want her to leave.

While many studios within Disney have Chief Creative Officers, I don't believe they've ever had that position at the corporate level. In the role, she'll oversee the creative direction of both the entertainment side and, one assumes, the theme parks as well.

Disney also hasn't had a person in the role of President of Disney since Bob Iger stepped down from the largely redundant position in 2012. There hasn't been a person in the role of President who wasn't also CEO in nearly three decades.

Disney had to make a place for Dana Walden, but the company did that for her. It's not uncommon for people passed over for the top job in a company to go looking for greener pastures. Disney did not want that here; it knew it had two top candidates, and it wanted them both at the top.

The Pairing Harkens Back To Some Of Disney's Most Successful Times

While Josh D'Amaro may be the man at the top, it seems clear that the plan is for these two executives to work together. Walden is recognized as a talent in the creative field, while D'Amaro's success at Disney Experiences has been a key driver of the company's profits.

It looks very similar to the 1980s when Michael Eisner came in as CEO and Frank Wells was named President. The duo ushered in the Disney Decade and brought a floundering Disney back to prominence. It also bears a striking resemblance to the original duo of Walt and Roy Disney. Walt was the creative talent, Roy handled the money.

This feels like the right move for Disney. It prevents the "brain drain" that often follows new leadership, and the people who have been a big part of Disney's success for the last several years will be able to keep doing that. It will likely result in a shakeup of leadership within Disney Experiences, but Josh D'Amaro clearly cares about the parks, and he'll find the right people to lead that ship, likely with some input from the new President.

I was half expecting to start this quarter's live blog with news of who the new CEO of the Walt Disney Company is. The current rumor is that the Disney Board of Directors will be making that vote soon, sometime this week, but it apparently hasn't happened yet. That means If the new CEO, who will take over in 2027, joins Bob Iger on future earnings calls, that means this could be his last one without the new boss in tow.

Disney's earnings report for the quarter has been released. It's generally good news, including $10 billion in revenue for the Disney Experiences (which includes Parks and consumer products), a first for the company. This is a good time for that particular division to be setting records, since its head Josh D'Amaro is one of the two who are believed to be in the race for the Disney CEO.

Of course, the other name in that race, Disney Studios co-head Dana Walden, had her own big win last quarter with Zootopia 2, the highest-grossing animated movie ever, and Avatar: Fire and Water, which may not have matched the previous films in box office, but was still a force.

My only request of the next CEO of Disney is that they not host earnings calls at 5:30 in the morning. Can we get a new chief executive who sleeps?

The earnings call is officially underway. VP Carlos Gutierrez is giving the standard "forward looking statements" statement. Bob Iger will likely give his opening statement after that. If there's any big "news" to hit, it usually arrives during that part of the call.

Iger opens with Disney's $6.5 billion 2025 box office, the third biggest in history. He highlights Zootopia 2, Avatar: Fire and Ash and Lilo and Stitch as the three that crossed the billion dollar mark.

On streaming, Iger says their getting "encouraging results" in local programming internationally. Iger says short form content from Sora will be coming to the platform following the Disney deal with OpenAI.

ESPN has been going strong thanks to Monday Night Football and NBA games. Disney's purchase of NFL Network has been completed.

Disney Experiences: Iger mentions the $10B in revenue. Mentions the World of Frozen opening at Disneyland Paris next month. Disney Adventure cruise ship will launch next month as well.

Iger's opening statement is short and sweet, no major announcements, but now we'll see what happens with the Q&A.

First question: Asked About Iger's view on the battle for Warner Bros. and how he sees it. Iger mentions that the Disney deal for Fox was "ahead of its time." Iger says the deal was "well priced." Iger celebrates the cross-promotional appeal of IP across company, successful movies lead to theme park attractions. Iger doesn't see a need for new IP.

Second Question: Improvement in domestic parks attendance overall, looking for info on Walt Disney World bookings, and future outlook.

CFO Hugh Johnstone, says WDW had strong attendance and pricing performance. Bookings are up 5% for the full year.

Question the Third: Mentions Iger's big moves when he first became CEO. Asks if Bob sees any opportunity for big moves from the next CEO.

Bob Iger says a lot needed "fixing" when he came back, but he also set up the company for future growth. Iger says Disney is in better shape. He specifically brings up success of the success of Disney Experiences being in a good place to grow going forward. (A possible nod to Josh D'Amaro?)

Question Four: Asks about new bundle initiatives for streaming, looking for opportunities for growth.

Iger talks about the value of new content and new technology. Says that streaming is seeing reduced churn, and bundles are a big part of that. Hulu's "fully integrated experience" on Disney+ is expected by the end of 2026.

Next Question: Asks about OpenAI deal and how that will manifest.

Iger says deal allows users to create 30 second videos with 250 characters, that do not include a voice or face. Disney can then post those videos to Disney+. Iger hopes to use Sora to allow Disney+ users to crate videos themselves on the Disney platform.

Next question leads to a discussion on streaming and the turn around on profitability. Iger thinks the reorganization on streaming under Bob Chapek didn't lead to enough "accountability." He thinks that's key to whatever structure any future CEO might implement.

Question asks about the drivers for the upcoming quarter and the year for Disney Entertainment. Johnston says the theatrical slate for the second part of the year is strong. Upcoming Disney movies like Toy Story 5, live-action Moana, and Devil Wears Prada 2 are called out.

Iger also mentions that the first Zootopia and first two Avatar movies saw a huge boost when sequels hit theaters. Expects the new movies hitting streaming will be big.

Another question on Sora and when it will start arriving, will there be longer videos?

Iger says no specifics on Sora are being announced, but he expects it will be this year.

Johnston responds to next question and the fact that Disney Entertainment won't be breaking down details between streaming versus linear networks, because Disney basically creates content for all channels.'

Final Question asks Bob Iger and the growth of Parks business over his tenure. Does he see Experiences driving the profits of the company for years to come or will things be more balanced?

Iger says his major acquisitions (Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm) opened the door to new Parks experiences. Iger is bullish on its ability to grow, but also thinks the Entertainment side has a strong future. He thinks either side has the ability to be the driver.

That wraps the Q1 earnings call. No major bombshells, but Disney is in a strong place on both the Experiences and Entertainment side. Whoever the next CEO is will likely inherit a strong organization. We should find out who that will be very soon.

See you all in about three months when we'll do this all again. By then we'll know who's taking the reins of The Walt Disney Company.

This holiday season, what do you get the Disney corporate executive who has everything? Well, a few of them have something very special and hard to find on their wish list this year, becoming the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

Disney has been working on deciding who will replace Bob Iger when he steps down as CEO of Disney at the end of 2026. A final decision is supposed to be made early next year. One of the top candidates for the job is rumored to be Disney Studios co-head Dana Walden, and another is Disney Experiences chief Josh D’Amaro. A great deal has been written about the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the two, and how they compare to each other, something Walden recently told Bloomberg that she’s not a fan of. She said…

With Walden and D’Amaro reportedly the top candidates at the moment, a lot of what has been written in recent months has focused on which one of them would be better at the job. This usually involves comparing their history and pointing out where one candidate may be stronger than another in certain areas.

It’s understandable how that might be a little frustrating, considering we’re talking about people who work together every day, and probably like each other well enough, or might even be very good friends. And there’s a lot of reason for Walden to want to keep a situation like this as amicable as possible. Whoever becomes CEO will likely want to keep whoever doesn’t get the job, because they’re good at what they do, and will have an even closer professional relationship with them.

Disney has reportedly looked outside the company for potential CEO material; however, it doesn't appear that any outside candidates are top-tier picks. Walden’s partner at the studio Alan Horn and ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro have also reportedly been considered, but it doesn’t appear they have strong odds at this point.

Walden seems to indicate that Disney will be just fine regardless of who becomes the next CEO. She doesn’t advocate for herself, but simply calls the Disney team “world class,” something that certainly won’t change drastically after a new CEO is chosen. Walden continued…

The last time Disney changed CEOs, it didn't go so well. Bob Chapek took over for Bob Iger in 2020, and while his contract was initially extended, he was ultimately replaced by a returning Bob Iger. Disney appears to be taking its time with this new transition to avoid a repeat of what happened before.

Disney has said that a new CEO will be chosen early in 2026. Once that person has been selected, they'll be working alongside Bob Iger during his final year as CEO, before taking over the company completely when Iger leaves at the end of 2026.

Disney is a massive entertainment behemoth with so much content that it’s nearly impossible to avoid it. However, if you watch your television through YouTube TV, you have no choice but to avoid it, as the two companies have been involved in a stalemate that has kept all Disney-owned content off the platform for weeks. When this fight will end is anybody’s guess, but Disney seems willing to keep fighting.

Disney released its quarterly earnings for the fourth quarter of 2025, and while numbers overall were good, many still had questions about what’s happening between Disney and YouTube. Appearing on CNBC (via Deadline), Disney CFO Hugh Johnston confirmed that negotiations are ongoing, but indicated he wasn’t worried, saying he thought Disney had “some leverage” in the conversations. Johnston said…

Johnston’s comment that consumers can go to other places is a reference to the fact that Disney itself owns multiple platforms that would give customers access to its channels, specifically ESPN. There is some data that shows that platforms that compete with YouTube TV have seen growth in the weeks since the fight began. Disney owns three of them in the form of Fubo, Hulu Live TV, which just offered a discount to new subscribers, and ESPN, which recently launched its own standalone app.

The YouTube TV conversation also came up during the Disney Q4 2025 Earnings Call. Bob Iger made a point to bring it up at the end, noting that the deal that Disney has offered YouTube is something more than the platform is getting from others. Iger said…

Those with a YouTube TV subscription likely feel this situation has already gone past “timely” when it comes to when access will be restored. But while Disney is reportedly losing millions by not being available on YouTube TV, the platform is losing a lot as well, offering rebates to customers as a way to make up for the loss.

Disney seems to feel that what it is offering, and what YouTube is losing, may be enough to make a deal happen. While a solution could be announced at any moment, there are no signs that anything is ready to happen quite yet.

It's the most wonderful time of year, the time when Disney holds it's Q4 earnings call for the year. What? You thought I was talking about something else? Maybe it's not a big deal for everyone, but it's a big deal for Disney, and it will be interesting to see what Bob Iger has to say when he takes the virtual stage in a few months. Follow along with us as we listen in to the call and see if we get any big announcements.

Disney's Q4 and FY2025 earnings statement has dropped, and it indicates a big year for both Disney+ and Disney's theme parks. The parks saw record operating income for both the year and the quarter, despite a small (1%) decline in attendance at U.S. parks. Both things may only increase following the price increases Disneyland and Walt Disney World saw in October.

Disney+ had its first full year of good business, with $1.3 billion in operating income generated. That's also likely to increase due to a price increase for Disney+ as well.

The new Shakira song from Zootopia 2 is playing as hold music before the earnings call gets underway, and I was honestly trying to avoid it so I could hear it for the first time when I saw the movie. So much for spoilers.

Earnings call is officially underway. CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston are here.

Bob Iger's opening statement celebrates Disney's earnings growth. Disney will offer a cash dividend of $1.50 this year, up from $1.00 last year. that's a solid return.

Iger mentions Lilo &Stitch, the second highest opening for a live action movie on Disney+, alongside being the highest grossing Hollywood movie of the year. Merchandise has also been strong.

Walt Disney Studios has crossed the $4B mark for the fourth consecutive year following the release of Predator: Badlands. Iger lists off all the major Disney releases for the rest of this year and 2026, including Toy Story 5, and Avengers: Doomsday.

Iger then moves to TV. Apparently, Dancing with the Stars this season saw ratings increases for the first six weeks following its premiere, which is something that has never happened. He also calls out the Taylor Swift content coming to Disney+.

Iger says Disney is looking to create and license more original content internationally.

On ESPN: shift to bring all of ESPN to the app experience has been a strong success so far.

Disney Parks operating income set a record. Disney Destiny launches next week and the Disney Adventure launches in the spring. World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris opens in the spring.

We're now shifting to the Q&A without any major announcements. Oh well.

First question on ESPN DTC: Asks Iger what they have learned so far and if it has changed their approach in any way.

Iger says the ESPN launch has been successful. says both those who get linear channels and those who never have are using the ESPN app strongly. Already getting more (and new) advertising for the platform based on the data ESPN can provide.

Disney is showing strong cash flow right now, which CFO Hugh Johnston says is due to early investments "leveling off."

Bob Iger adds that the vast majority of ESPN app customers have subscribed to Disney+ and Hulu as well.

Next question: Q1 for the studio is expected to be slower. Asks what the overall outlook is. Also brings up the Disney/YouTube TV fight and how they may impact things.

Iger says Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash are both expected to do very well. Iger is "bullish" on the slate for the next couple of years. Points out that despite some underperformers, the year has done well for Disney.

From Johnston: Avoids commenting on negotiations but says that guidance expects discussions could take a while. Points out that while Disney is losing money due to YouTube losses, they are picking up money from consumers going elsewhere.

Next question asks how Disney+ could become a portal to "all things Disney" including accessing the parks through it.

Iger says he sees that with the deployment of AI, Disney+ can become a portal to other things, an "engagement engine" for parks, cruises, as well as games and merchandise. Says AI will also give users the ability to create and consume user-generated content.

Next question asks about the future of M&A, basically asking if Disney might be looking to buy anybody, or how other mergers that are expected may impact Disney.

Hugh Johnston says he's not commenting directly on M&A (mergers and acquisitions) potential, but says that the IP portfolio that Disney has built is in a great position and Disney doesn't need to do anything. Will be paying attention to what other companies do, but it doesn't indicate any expectations to make changes.

Question on what the drivers for Experiences will be in 2026. How is income being expected on attendance growth versus price increases.

Johnston says Cruise business is expected to be a major driver. Also expects that price increases and attendance will both play a part in theme park business growth.

Domestic theme park bookings are up 3% for Q1 which is a good sign.

Next question asks about Disney looing to do additional streaming bundles, including bundling with other streamers as it already does with HBO Max.

Iger says those that bundle are less likely to cancel, making them better customers for Disney. Bundling with HBO Max also reduces churn. Iger says discussions with other streamers to bundle have happened, though it doesn't sound like anything new is forthcoming.

Asks about a slight drop in domestic parks attendance in Q4. Also asks about margins in Cruises versus Parks.

Johnston says attendance was in line with expectations. Mentions Epic Universe by name, indicating there perhaps was a slight decrease at walt Disney World specifically because of Epic, but not beyond what Disney was expected.

Johnston says Cruise margins are very good, though he doesn't go into specifics.

Final question: brings up AI and asks Iger how licensing IP to AI company's as well as use of AI to be more efficient.

Iger says conversations with AI companies have happened, both to use the tech internally as well as how to protect IP. Iger hopes agreements can be reached. Says AI is being deployed across the company both for Cast Member as well as consumer use. He says there are "phenomenal" opportunities to use AI with DTC.

Iger ends the call bringing up the YouTube situation. Says the deal proposed to YouTube is equal or greater than what other providers are doing. Iger is hopeful the deal will be closed on a timely basis.

That wraps up the Q4 FY 2025 Earnings call. No major announcements or surprising numbers, but overall, things seem good in the House of Mouse. The parks and streaming business is strong, and the studio is in good shape. Disney may not be the most valuable entertainment company in the world, but they are still one of the biggest in terms of reach. If this call taught us anything, it's that reach is only going to get longer.

Just a few weeks ago, the future of Jimmy Kimmel as a late-night talk show host was in question. He had been suspended from his self-titled show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! And whether he would ever come back was unknown. It was certainly a wild few days for Kimmel, but potentially not as crazy as the story of how he got the job in the first place. A situation that apparently had him stealing the job away from Jon Stewart.

In an appearance on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, Kimmel told the story of how he got hired as the host of ABC’s first traditional late-night talk show. Kimmel credits producer Michael Davies, who had hired Kimmel to co-host Comedy Central game show Win Ben Stein’s Money, for suggesting him to ABC President Lloyd Braun. Kimmel added that Jon Stewart nearly had the job locked up when things changed. Kimmel said:

Jon Stewart had only been hosting The Daily Show for a couple of years at the point this would have been happening. Somewhat ironically, it was a job he got after the previous Daily Show host, Craig Kilborn, had been hired away to host the show following David Letterman's new show on CBS. ABC only moved forward with its late-night talk show that Kimmel ended up hosting after Letterman decided to go to CBS and not ABC.

Kimmel admits he had no idea he had even been suggested as the host, as it wasn’t public knowledge at the time that ABC was looking to replace Politically Incorrect or that "they wanted a traditional late-night talk show." The show would eventually be moved into the Nightline time slot to compete directly with other major late-night shows.

According to Kimmel, ABC brought him into a meeting under false pretenses to discuss hosting a Thursday night variety show. He apparently spent that meeting talking about David Letterman, Kimmel’s talk show idol, with the President of ABC, and the discussion of hosting any sort of a show never came up.

Kimmel says he first heard about the late-night show because the secretary to the President of ABC was married to his The Man Show co-host, Adam Carolla, who was also friends with Kimmel’s wife. Ultimately, he was hired, which put his manager in an awkward position. Kimmel continued:

Jon Stewart, of course, was fine without it. He transformed The Daily Show into a late-night heavyweight in its own right. He's now back hosting the show after a stint with Apple TV+. Although that does raise questions about why ABC decided to go with Kimmel, a relative unknown at the time, over the better-known Stewart. It turns out Kimmel himself asked Disney CEO Bob Iger that question once, and got a somewhat blunt answer:

Kimmel may have been cheaper at the time, but a quarter century later, it does appear that money was well spent.

The Walt Disney Company has been playing its own game of Succession in recent months, and every day we’re getting a little bit closer to when a major change at one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world will take place. Bob Iger will step down as CEO (again) at the end of 2026, but who will replace him is still a major question.

We’ve been told by the Board of Directors at The Walt Disney Company that a decision on a new CEO will come in early 2026, and that person will work closely with Iger over the next several months before taking the reins themselves. While there have been reports that Disney has looked outside the company for potential CEO material, the general understanding has been that the top candidates are all top executives within Disney.

Disney Experiences Head Josh D’Amaro And Disney Studio Co-Head Dana Walden Are Reportedly In A Race For Bob Iger's Job

A new report from Bloomberg suggests that of the four internal candidates expected to vie for top job, Walt Disney Studios co-heads Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, Disney Experiences chief Josh D’Amaro, and ESPN head Jimmy Pitaro, it is now a “two horse race” with D’Amaro and Walden being front runners and the other two currently seen as “long shots” according to internal sources.

This isn’t the first time it’s been suggested that D’Amaro and Walden are the top contenders. The pair does seem to rise to the top of any discussion on the topic of the next CEO. What’s potentially more interesting is that, according to this report, one of them is a clear frontrunner.

Disney’s Next CEO May Come From The Same Place As The Last CEO

While the Bloomberg report claims that Bob Iger recently “bristled” at the idea that Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro is his likely successor, claiming that no decision has been made, and that he’s not part of the succession committee’s planning, it’s suggested nonetheless that D’Amaro looks like the “CEO in waiting.”

Josh D’Amaro is absolutely a qualified individual, having led Disney’s Experiences division, the most regularly profitable part of the Walt Disney Company, ever since the former head, Bob Chapek, was elevated to CEO himself. But then, that’s sort of the reason that D’Amaro’s alleged frontrunner status surprises me.

The last time that the head of Disney’s Experiences division was made CEO, things didn’t go so well. That said, Chapek and D’Amaro are absolutely different individuals by all accounts. D’Amaro is a people person who gets along with everybody, something that could not be said of Chapek. However, because of the difficulties that Disney had under Chapek, D’Amaro will have a lot of extra work to do to prove that somebody coming from his part of the company can do the job.

Fair or not, Chapek was perceived as somebody who understood the dollars and sense of Disney, but he struggled when dealing with the studio side of the company. That fact was made most obvious when Scarlett Johansson sued Disney over her compensation surrounding the decision to release the Black Widow movie straight to Disney+.

That’s not to say D’Amaro can’t handle these things better than his predecessor, but there will almost certainly be a perception of him if he takes the job because of what happened before, and perception plays a strong role in things that are quite important to Disney, like its stock price.

Whatever way Disney goes, the incoming CEO will have to prove themselves in some way that they hadn’t before. Dana Walden certainly doesn’t know the theme park business the way D’Amaro does, just as he will have to learn about the studio. Either choice has the potential to be great, but also the potential to be another Bob Chapek situation. I don’t envy the people tasked with making this monumental decision.

Jimmy Kimmel may be back on the air, but the fallout from his week-long suspension is still being felt. Disney, the parent company the talk show's network ABC, took the brunt of the criticism from those who spoke out against Kimmel being benched, with many threatening to cancel Disney+ over the decision. but it looks like PR isn’t the only casualty. The move appears to have cost stockholders money, and now those stockholders want answers.

According to a letter obtained first by Semaphor, lawyers for the American Federation of Teachers, Reporters Without Borders, and other groups who claim to be Disney stockholders are requesting the company to share documentation regarding the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel. The inquiry is looking for any evidence of mismanagement, wrongdoing, or potential breaches of the company’s fiduciary duty. The letter reads in part:

Disney has seen a significant hit to its bottom line since the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. According to Snopes, Disney’s market valuation dropped by $1.4 billion overnight following Kimmel’s suspension, and dropped by $6.4 billion in the period between Sept 17 and September 22. Disney’s stock, while it has been on the rebound recently, dropped from $117/share on September 17, the day Kimmel was suspended, to $112.25/share on September 23, the day Kimmel returned to the air.

The issue at hand is that Disney, as a publicly traded company, has a duty to do what’s best for its shareholders. The quote above specifically refers to the suggestion that Disney’s decision to suspend Kimmel may have come as a result of pressure from two major affiliate groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, or from pressure from FCC Chairman Brandan Carr, who made comments on a podcast some read as a threat if action wasn’t taken against Kimmel.

Nexstar and Sinclair still refused to air the show following the host's return. His return episode on Tuesday night had the highest ratings and viewership numbers Jimmy Kimmel Live! had seen in years, despite not being available in nearly a quarter of the United States.

There was allegedly a lot of internal conflict on the decision, with some reportedly asking Disney CEO Bob Iger not to suspend Kimmel. Many celebrities came out in public support of Kimmel, including many with strong ties to the Walt Disney Company.

While the drop in Disney’s value over the last week certainly indicates that Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension wasn’t good for business, there’s no way to know whether not doing so would have been worse. Even if the suspension was the “wrong” choice from a financial standpoint, as long as those who made the decision thought they were making the right call, they’re likely in the clear.

If, however, there is evidence in the documents that shareholders are looking for that Disney did bow to external pressures, it’s at least conceivable that stockholders could take action. Disney has yet to respond to the letter publicly. Disney’s next quarterly earnings call will likely take place in early November. While that‘s still several weeks away, there’s little indication that this topic will have died down by then. We can be sure Bob Iger will have something to say.

When ABC announced plans for Jimmy Kimmel Live! to be indefinitely preempted, there was immediate outcry. Many celebrities came out in support of Kimmel, late-night hosts spoke about the choice on their shows, and protests were held outside Walt Disney Studios by those who believe Disney made the wrong call. Now, it sounds like some inside the company might feel the same way.

How Some Disney Execs Allegedly Feel About The Jimmy Kimmel Situation

Some of Kimmel’s comments regarding the fallout from the killing of Charlie Kirk had led some ABC affiliates to decide not to air his show, which appears to have led to the decision to bench the talk show host. That decision reportedly came from the top, from Disney’s head of television, potential future Disney CEO Dana Walden, and current Disney CEO Bob Iger, but at least one unnamed executive told Deadline there were others who told Iger not to do it, they said…

It’s unclear which senior people may be at odds with Bob Iger on the decision. Even if it’s true that some think Iger made the wrong call, another unnamed source reportedly said that the disappointment in the decision is “in no way widespread,” seeming to indicate that the Kimmel suspension has a lot of differing opinions inside Disney, much as it does on the outside.

Some insiders are reportedly comparing the situation at Disney to the way things went over Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation. Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek found himself the subject of employee walkouts due to his lack of response to a Florida law that restricted what Florida public school teachers could teach regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.

Meetings About Kimmel Are Reportedly Happening Inside Disney

Whatever the feelings on the initial decision, that part is now done, and it seems the focus is on figuring out what the way forward is going to be. There were reportedly several meetings on Wednesday, both in person and virtual, to discuss how to handle the situation, and those talks are set to pick up again on Friday.

While some early reports claimed Kimmel had been fired, that’s not the case, and it does seem now that the intention is to get Jimmy Kimmel Live back on the air. The question is how to do that in such a way that makes all the parties involved happy, which does seem to be a complicated ask. Another unnamed source indicates the two sides are nowhere near any sort of resolution at this point.

This is very much an ongoing situation. At the moment, new episodes of Jimmy Kimmel's show are not airing on the 2025 TV schedule. As we learn more about the fate of his show and how it impacts television, we'll keep you updated.

In the past few years, our TV viewing experiences have gotten a lot more complicated. There’s a lot more than a handful of streaming services to subscribe to, and not only can it get expensive, it can be overwhelming to decide what to watch on any given evening. Here at CinemaBlend we’ve declared what we deem the best streaming services is a tie between Hulu and HBO Max, but we’ve just learned the Hulu app specifically will soon cease to exist. Let’s talk out what it means:

What We Know About The Hulu App Officially Going Away In 2026

During Disney’s quarterly earnings call on Wednesday morning, CEO Bob Iger announced that the Hulu app will soon be “fully integrating” on the Disney+ app, which means if you subscribe to both you’ll have one less app to click on come 2026. The decision comes after The Walt Disney Company decided to buy all of Hulu back in late 2023. Here’s what Iger said about the upcoming big change:

Now, if you already have a Hulu on Disney+ bundle plan, you already have a preview of the changes to come. However, the CEO also teased that the app itself will have “improved consumer experience” on the new version of the single platform including a “more personalized homepage for users. Plus, subscribers will still be able to choose between having a Disney+ subscription or Hulu subscription as standalone subscriptions rather than needing to have both to subscribe to one, per Variety. They’ll just be in the same place!

What Does This Mean For Future Price Increases On Disney+ And Hulu?

During the announcement, Iger suggested that Disney+ and Hulu being on one app will result in cost synergies, sharing that the move has “expected higher engagement, lower churn, and advertising revenue potential, as well as operational efficiencies that over time may result in savings that we can reinvest back into the business.”

Now that the Walt Disney Company will be in charge of two massive apps, I am a bit worried that they’ll have reason to bring up the prices further, but I will say since the two services have merged together, they’ve offered some great bundle deals every so often. Check out the current plans for Hulu and Disney+ below:

While that sounds like it could actually benefit the consumer, I do wonder how it will affect price increases on Disney+ and Hulu. Over the past four to five years, Disney+ has slowly raised their prices (on par with other streaming platforms).

Here’s hoping the death of the Hulu app not only lowers costs for Disney, but for its customers, because we’ll be bummed if it doesn’t! We're also hoping the quality of Hulu itself doesn't get downgraded now that it's entering a marriage with Disney+.

It's too damn early on the west coast but since I'm pretty sure Bob Iger never sleeps, the rest of us don't get to either. It's time for the Q3 2025 Disney Earnings call. Three months ago Disney announced it's parnership with Miral in to build a Disney Park in the Middle East, so these meetings can often result in big deals.

Yesterday Disney dropped a huge bombshell with the news that the NFL hda acquired a 10% stake in ESPN in exchange for Disney buying the NFL Network. We can be sure Iger will talk about that and investors will have many questions about what it means for Disney's future.

The hold music for Disney earnings calls is always interesting. We're getting instrumental Disney music, including "Immortals" from Big Hero 6 and the Winnie the Pooh theme. How's your morning going?

Dropping the NFL/ESPN deal news at the end of business yesterday with the earnings call this morning was an interesting move. I wonder if the plan was to hold it until this morning, but something leaked, or Disney was afraid it would leak, and had to pull the trigger early. I'm assuming Iger's opening remarks will start there, and the first Q&A questions will be devoted to it.

Good morning, the earnings call is getting officially underway with the standard introduction and the cautionary statements.

Bob Iger opens the meeting. Iger touts Disney's "position of strength." Mentions the August 21 launch of standalone ESPN streaming app, alongside the NFL deal.

On the film studio, Iger mentions the live-action Lilo & Stitch success. Says Stitch will be the second highest-grossing merchandise brand for Disney this year, behind the juggernaut that is Mickey Mouse.

Streaming: Hulu is being merged "fully" into Disney+, replacing Star. ESPN standalone app launching August 21. ESPN will sell NFL+ premium subscriptions in the 2025 season. ESPN is getting rights to WWE Premium Live Events

Disney Parks: Iger mentions all the major expansion plans already announced. Disney Cruise Line will launch two ships, Destiny and Adventure this year.

That's it for the opening statement. The streaming info is significant for Disney. Will be a lot to go over in the Q&A.

First question is about ESPN/NFL deal. Asking about giving up 10% of ESPN. Do the changes impact Disney's guidance on sports growth? ESPN will go from 22 to 28 NFL games in a season as part of the deal.

Disney's CFO says he doesn't think the deal will have a material impact on current projections.

Next question asks about the integration of Hulu and wonders about the future of Hulu as a standalone app. Iger talks about the benefit to the consumer, but avoids responding to the future of the Hulu app.

Question on Experiences: Looking for perspective on growth in 2026. Also asks about the ESPN standalone app and how it may be a benefit to those who already have cable.

CFO avoids talking about 2026 yet, but mentions the cost of DCL launches having an impact. Johnstone says the goal is to engage [viewers] where they are." The feeling is that by giving viewers multiple ways to watch ESPN, as long as they use one, they don't care how.

Next question mentions Disney Experiences' growth, asking what is driving domestic park growth. Also asking about spending on content in the next 12 months.

Walt Disney World had a record Q3 revenue number. Disneyland Paris is also doing well. China is a challenge on per capita spending. Cruise Lines are doing well, with high occupancy and bookings. This was the first quarter that Epic Universe was open, and the fact that Walt Disney World had a strong quarter is great news for Disney.

Disney's ship docking in Asia will be its biggest ship in the fleet. Iger says the region has strong "brand affinity."

Question on launching new IP theatrically versus franchise success.

Disney assures that creating new IP is important, but knows familiar IP is popular. Bob Iger says there's no priority one way or the other beyond putting our "great movies." Iger says he considers Fantastic Four an "original property" because a lot of people didn't know those characters.

Next question asks about growth of Disney Cruise Line. Iger says a lot of the new ship guests are repeat visitors who have sailed with Disney before. Iger also mentions that there are many regions where DCL still doesn't sail, and the expansion gives them the ability to do that.

Johnstone says DCL is about half booked out for next year already.

On DTC, Iger says he expects engagement will increase with the ESPN app, NFL deal. Iger touts live streams like news and The Simpsons, which also increase engagement. Iger says Disney shouldn't need to increase spending on domestic series, but will likely invest more in international markets where growth is possible.

Another question on domestic theme park trends. Asks about international visitations and makes a side reference to the Epic Universe opening, wondering how they think it impacted the numbers.

Johnstone says "nothing material" is going on with international attendance changes. Per capita spending is where domestic parks had most of their growth, but says attendance numbers were still good and they were happy.

Final question. Iger thinks opportunity to bundle "other companies" sports offerings is possible. Hints that conversations have happened in that regard, but nothing to report.

That ends the earnings call.

A big day for streaming news with the confirmation of the launch of the ESPN standalone app, as well as the full integration of Hulu. The landscape of streaming, and by extension TV itself, continues to change in a big way.

Disney Parks were strong in the face of Epic Universe, confirming that theme park competition is good for all involved.

We'll see how the markets react to all this news this morning. Disney is stock is well above the $100 mark per share, which is a number it had trouble hitting not that long ago.

The 2025 box office is off to an interesting start, and while there's lots of potential for big blockbuster hits on the 2025 movie schedule, the movie that is likely to be the biggest winner won’t come out until almost year’s end, Avatar: Fire and Ash. However, Bob Iger has seen James Cameron's film early, and he's already praising it.

The third installment in James Cameron’s massive Avatar franchise won’t be out until December, and by all accounts, post-production work is still ongoing. However, a few people have seen early versions of Fire and Ash. The director has said the movie made his wife cry for hours. Now, Bob Iger revealed during Disney’s 2025 Shareholders Meeting that he had also seen an early version, and his two-word description excited me. Iger said…

While I certainly wouldn’t expect the CEO of Disney to say anything but good things about a movie the studio was making, Iger could have used different language or simply not said anything about the film. The fact that he stopped to praise it is an indication that he expects success. Iger always praised Inside Out 2 during quarterly earnings calls and that movie went on to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

“Breathtaking” is certainly what most fans are hoping for. While the Avatar movies may not have the most complex plots, the first two films have more than made up for that in visual spectacle. Part of the reason Avatar films have done so well at the box office is that a lot of people shell out the extra money to watch the movie in 3D, and with praise like this from Iger, I know I'll be doing just that come December. I just wish I could watch the first two movies in 3D again on Disney+.

At this point, little is known about Avatar: Fire and Ash from a plot perspective. We know that the movie will move the action to a new part of the world of Pandora, a volcanically active part of the planet, and it will introduce a new tribe of Na’vi who live there. Interestingly, indications are that the new tribe will be the primary villains of the story, meaning we could see battles between two groups of Na’vi rather than between Na’vi and humanity (or Na’vi working for humanity)

Disney is certainly expecting big things from Avatar: Fire and Ash, the first two movies in the franchise are among the highest-grossing movies ever made, and anything less from the third installment will likely be viewed as underperforming. Having said that, it’s only been a couple of years since Avatar: The Way of Water, so there are legitimate questions about whether people will turn out in quite so large numbers next time. If the early word of mouth remains so overwhelmingly positive, there’s a good chance of that.

It's that time once again for Disney's Annual Shareholders Meeting. Bob Iger will host the event that will look back at the last 12 months of the company and potentially give us a look at the future as well. This event often reveals some details that fans will want to hear, like the opening date of Disney Parks attractions or new movie projects that are on the way.

We're just a few minutes away from the start of the Shareholders Meeting. The hold music is your traditional Disney elevator music. Pleasant to drink a cocktail to while sitting in a bar at Walt Disney World.

It's hard to guess what news we may get from Bob Iger today. The last 12 months have been overall strong for Disney on both the movie and the theme park side. The next 12 are a bit more of a question, so there may not be much interest in drawing attention to that.

We're opening the meeting with a Disney sizzle reel, which Disney is always REALLY good at. They're always great at tapping into your emotional lizard brain and making you LOVE this stuff.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors James Gorman of Morgan Stanley, who is also leading the search for Bob Iger's replacement, calls the meeting to order via a prerecorded message. I see several books on the shelf behind him that I own.

Now we move into a Bob Iger prerecorded message. The video is recorded at Walt Disney Imagineering. Iger touts growing technology success, and shows off the BDX droids from Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. They were also highlighted at yesterday's NVIDIA meeting. Get ready for a lot of discussion of AI at today's meeting.

Iger mentions reorganization (layoffs) which he says "restored creativity." Then he brings up the top three movies of 2024, which were all Disney sequels.

Iger runs through the rest of the 2025 Disney slate. He calls Avatar: Fire and Ash "breathtaking."

We're getting a scene from the live-action Lilo & Stitch. It's the sequence at the luau where Noni takes Lilo and her "dog" to work.

Bob Iger officially announces a sequel to Coco is in the works. No details yet.

Now we're getting a clip of Alien: Earth which looks...like an Alien movie.

Now Iger is touting Disney+, and the inclusion of ESPN in the app, as well as the forthcoming ESPN standalone digital experience.

Theme Parks News: Iger runs through the already announced Disney World and Disneyland updates.

We also get a look at the model for the Lion King attraction coming to Disneyland Paris.

Iger also mentions the coming cruise ship and the Epic Games investment. No new details there.

Iger moves on to the Disney charity work, including helping out the victims of the recent Southern California wildfires, and the work with the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Iger's segment is wrapping up, so it looks like the Coco 2 announcement is the big new piece of info. Director Lee Unkrich is set to return to direct. He left Pixar after the first movie, so getting him back is a big deal

We're now moving into the official shareholder meeting, which will include various shareholder voting items, as well as a Q&A segment from shareholders.

Item 1: Is the official election of the Board of Directors.

Item 2 is the continued appointment of Price Waterhouse Coopers as the official company accountants.

Item 3 is the normal vote on executive compensation

Item 4 is a Shareholder Proposal. It asks Disney to diversify the company's employee retirement funds out of companies that are focused on fossil fuel companies.

Item 5 asks Disney not to participate in the Human Rights Campaign. The proponent asking Disney to get out of this is an anti-trans activist.

Item 6 asks Disney to commit to "politically neutral" advertising. This is another right wing argument. I'm not getting into it.

Disney asks that shareholders vote against all the Shareholder proposals, which is pretty standard practice. Shareholders usually, but not always, vote as Disney requests.

Inspector of Election reports that Disney's three resolutions have all passed.

Item 4 did not pass.

Item 5 and 6 had 1% of votes in favor.

We're now onto the Shareholder Q&A. Questions have been submitted in advance, which is boring. This was more fun when people asked completely random ass questions live. Bob Iger often found himself having trouble coming up with answers.

First question is a general one about how Disney's creativity is being leveraged in movies and the parks. It allows Iger to give a boiler plate response.

Question 2: What is the strategic vision for growing the company and building the stock price?

Another generic answer.

Question on affordability of Disney parks and attendance issues.

Iger admits demand is high and that parks can be crowded. Points out expansion efforts that he says will help with capacity.

Points out that Disneyland's lowest price ticket has been at the same price for years, which is his main argument for keeping the parks accessible.

Question on possible future international expansion of Disney Parks.

While Iger doesn't say "no" he makes it clear that expansion of current parks, and cruise ships, are the current focus.

Next question implies that Disney has been getting away from its history of making entertainment for families.

Non-answer from Iger

Question on potential increased dividends. Iger points out there was a recent increase, and he indicates future increases are certainly possible if business does well.

Question on the value of the Epic Games partnership. Iger says there's no date on when this new "universe" will arrive, but Iger is very "ra ra" on the whole thing.

Question about the future of AI in Disney.

Bob Iger starts by saying that human creativity is true value, but he agrees there are benefits to AI in particular places.

A question about the use of Figment outside the Parks.

Iger laughs that he has been asked this question many times. says he will look into some sort of content potentially being created.

A question about potentially making more Aulani style resorts in other nations. Iger says no.

And that's it. Nothing in the way of a wrap up, but the meeting is now over. Not a great deal of new info, but it was certainly exciting to learn that Coco is getting a sequel. Thanks for joining me.

It’s possible that there’s never been a better time to be a mildly obsessive theme park fan. 2025 is a year that will be huge, with the opening of both Epic Universe in Florida and Disneyland's 70th-anniversary celebration, but the next few years are promising massive changes, updates, and expansions all over the theme park space.

Disney is planning on spending $60 billion over the next decade on its parks, and most of that will be focused on expansion, from the massive DisneylandForward project in California to multiple new lands on the way at Walt Disney World. While there’s every reason to be excited, there’s also one big reason to be concerned that at least some of the planned changes may never happen.

Disney World And Disneyland Are Planning Major Expansion Over The Next Several Years

On both coasts, some major work is already being done at Disney Parks. Dinoland U.S.A. has closed down a large chunk of its space, and construction has already begun on the new Tropical Americas land planned for the area, which will include major attractions based on Encanto and Indiana Jones. Early work has also begun on Avengers Campus at Disneyland Resort, which will add two new attractions and double the size of the land.

Beyond that, the Muppets Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is set to close this year to make way for a new Monsters Inc. land, with an incredible new roller coaster at its center. Disneyland has announced its own Avatar land, the location of which is still largely a mystery.

Then there’s the massive overhaul of Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland, which will include the end of the Rivers of America. It will close to be replaced by Cars attractions and a new Villains land which will expand the size of Magic Kingdom.

Not all of these changes are popular with fans, with the Rivers of America closure being particularly unpopular. However, seeing so much planned for the future is still exciting... assuming it happens.

Disney Will Have A New CEO By 2027 Who Could And Likely Will, Change Everything

The projects that Disney already has underway are still years away from completion, and those that haven’t even started yet are further away than that. As such, the person who will ultimately determine what happens with these plans is not current Disney CEO Bob Iger, it’s whomever takes over his job.

Disney has announced that a replacement for Bob Iger as CEO will be announced early in 2026, with that person taking over full control when Iger’s current contract expires at the end of next year. Once that happens, they’re in charge, which means all bets are off. Some of the work being done will likely be too far along to be worth stopping or changing, but if the new boss is already committed to spending money on some of this, it could be bad news for the rest.

One of the people on the shortlist in Disney’s succession battle to the death is Josh D’Amaro, the head of Disney Experiences, the division that runs the parks. If he ends up getting the job, things will likely follow their current path. One assumes that he is already in favor of the plan as it is, or probably wouldn't be happening.

However, with three other strong contenders, including Disney Entertainment co-heads Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, whose interest in the parks is questionable, things could be very different. The fact is that at least right now, Disney Parks are still making money hand over fist. So if there are other places where money is needed that’s considered more immediate, other plans could end up on the back burner.

Disney World and Disneyland Will Still Change, But Maybe Not In The Way We Think

We’re already entering into an era of great economic uncertainty, and the last time that happened, a new CEO took over. In this Bob Chapek oversaw, some theme park projects, like a Mary Poppins attraction at Epcot, were canceled, and others, like the Guardians of the Galaxy and Tron roller coasters, took a lot longer than they probably should have.

Some projects that might have been planned to start soon may get delayed simply as a “wait and see” measure. If they wait long enough so that the greenlight needs to be given by the next CEO it might not happen at all.

That’s not to say these changes won’t happen ever, but if there are significant delays, we could end up seeing things change in ways other than what’s expected. If something happens and fans' prayers are answered, and the Rivers of America isn’t closed to make way for Cars rides, that doesn’t mean it’s safe forever. It could end up changing, but in a different way, especially if some other new Disney IP becomes a massive hit in the interim.

DisneylandForward is happening. Disneyland worked hard to get the city of Anaheim to approve the plan. Not moving forward seems all but impossible at this point. We don’t even know what the plan is for the expansion as far as what lands or attractions are being considered for inclusion, so it’s a safe bet we’ll never really know if those plans change drastically. However, it’s also a safe bet the next CEO will put their stamp on such a big change, as it will happen almost entirely under their watch.

Maybe Disney’s next CEO won’t care so much about the parks, and things will remain largely unchanged for years to come. Maybe Disney’s next CEO will be a big positive for the future of Disney parks. If they see the parks as a worthy investment, as past Disney CEOs have done, it could mean seeing much more investment, greater expansion, and only bigger and better things for years to come.

The real result will likely be somewhere in the middle. Disney’s next CEO, whomever they are, will pave the way for some changes in the company, which could mean that the version of the parks we’re now expecting may never happen. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is an entirely separate question.

Over the more than 100 years that the Walt Disney Company has existed, it has produced numerous iconic characters. None of them hold a candle to the success of Mickey Mouse, of course, but before Mickey, there was another that not everybody knows about. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was Walt Disney’s first creation, and nearly a century later, Oswald is reportedly coming back.

Earlier this week, it was reported that a Disney+ animated series based on The Princess and the Frog’s Tiana had been shelved, but today, Deadline says another animated character will be getting his own show instead. Jon Favreau is reportedly writing and producing the new series that will combine animation with live-action.

It’s an interesting choice to focus a new series around a character who is nearly 100 years old, one that many audiences won’t know, but this isn’t even the first time that a new series based on Oswald has been proposed, and I think it’s all because Disney CEO Bob Iger is a big Oswald fan.

Bob Iger Brought Oswald Back To Disney

The story of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is the story of the birth of Mickey Mouse himself. While Walt Disney and his animating partner Ub Iwerks developed the look and style of the character in the 1920s, it was owned by Universal, who the Disney Brothers Studio was working for. Ultimately, Walt lost Oswald in a power struggle with his distributor, driving him to develop a new character, who became Mickey Mouse.

Decades later, in one of the strangest deals in Hollywood history, Disney CEO Bob Iger would trade the contract of sportscaster Al Michaels to Universal-owned NBC for, among other things, the rights to Oswald the Lucky the Rabbit and all the original cartoons that Walt and his animators had created.

Why did Bob Iger do this? Well, because he made a promise to Walt Disney’s daughter. Upon the return of Oswald to Disney, Diane Disney Miller said…

Whatever it was that made Bob Iger a big fan of Oswald, he clearly was one. Oswald would go on to appear in the Epic Mickey video game and its sequel, as well as various merchandise. He’s also a character in the parks, often found at Disney’s California Adventure.

Iger Gave The Greenlight to An Oswald Series Once Already

But that’s not the end of the story because the new Disney+ series based on Oswald actually isn’t the first time that such a show had been planned. Back in 2021, we learned that another Oswald the Lucky Rabbit series had been in development for Disney+. Bob Iger was reportedly a big proponent of the concept.

However, that project fell apart. While it’s unclear why, Bob Iger was no longer CEO at the time that we learned the project was dead. At that point, the job belonged to Bob Chapek. Now Iger is CEO again, and a new Oswald series is in early production. A coincidence? Maybe, but I doubt it.

As a fan of Disney history, and Oswald specifically, I’m excited about this new show. I just hope it actually happens. Bob Iger is set to leave Disney again at the end of 2026, and without Oswald’s champion running the show, anything could happen.

The world of streaming is a key part of any entertainment company’s business, which means the competition is fierce to boast having the best streaming service. For Disney, which has Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ all on offer, it’s all the more important. So you'd think losing 700,000 Disney+ subscriptions in the last quarter would be potentially devastating. However, the mega-corp is still quite content with that result, because while its namesake platform lost subscribers, Hulu gained a lot more, so on balance things are fine.

The Walt Disney Company released its Q1 numbers for fiscal year 2025 this morning and along with it came the news that Disney+ and ESPN+ each lost 700,000 subscribers last quarter, but Hulu gained 1.6 million, which is an overall win for the parent company. During Disney's Q1 earnings call Bob Iger revealed that following last quarter’s price increase, the company fully expected to lose subscribers, and actually expected to lose more, so the current numbers are seen as positive. He explained…

The price of a Disney+ subscription went up in mid-October 2024. An ad-supported subscription now costs $10 a month while the ad-free version costs $16. Each is also available as a bundle with Hulu and ESPN+.

Price increases on a regular basis are part of the streaming landscape, but all the platforms know this. Part of the expectation is that the increase in prices will help balance the loss of subscribers. While losing fewer subscribers than expected may seem like a weak silver lining, it certainly means Disney is making more money from their subscriber base right now than it expected to be. And streaming overall was profitable for Disney last quarter.

At the end of the day, Disney is a publicly traded company which means job one is to be profitable, and job two is to be more profitable this quarter than they were last quarter. After that, little else matters. While analysts on the earnings call had questions about the loss of subscribers, as well as the company's efforts to crack down on password sharing, nobody seemed to be particularly panicky on the topic.

Disney also prepared the financial sector with an expectation that Disney+ likely won’t see significant growth in the next quarter. Having said that, there is certainly potential for subscribers to come back when projects like Daredevil: Born Again debut and major theatrical hits like Moana 2 and Mufasa: The Lion King make their Disney+ debut.

Good very early morning. It's a bit too early on the West Coast but since Bob Iger famously gets up really early, apparently we all have to do the same when it's time for The Walt Disney Company to give its quarterly report to Wall Street. The earnings call is often a place where Iger drops announcements regarding Disney movies or theme parks, so while we're not necessarily expecting major news, we can't be sure it won't happen.

Disney's earning report is out. Some highlights include:

• Revenue: $24.7 billion
• Income: $3.7 billion
• EPS: $1.40
• Disney+/Hulu subscribers: 178 million
• Disney Experiences Revenue: $9.4 Billion
• Disney Experiences Operating income: $3.1 Billion

The most fun part o the earnings call is the pre-meeting hold music. It's always different so it's something they clearly use to promote the newest hit or whatever else they want to bring attention to. Call will start any minute

Bob Iger opens the call with a statement on those affected by the Southern California wildfires. Many Disney Cast Members were impacted and even stayed at Disneyland hotels while they were evacuated.

Bob Iger gives a surprisingly short opening statement. Brings up the success of the movie studio, in 2024, but that's all. We then go right into Q&A

Question one is about streaming profitability. Iger says password sharing, ad tech and other innovations will help.

On the topic of Epic Universe opening and how that may impact Disney Experiences business. Hugh Johnston says there's no change to the previous guidance. Disney has quietly indicated that they do expect an impact on Disney World attendance, but they think they've properly prepared for that.

Next question on the Fubo deal and the death of the sports steaming project Venu. Iger brings up the already-announced plan to make ESPN a standalone streaming option. Iger indicates that between the Fubo and ESPN plans, the sports streaming package was redundant.

Next question or CFO Hugh Johnson is on Disney's cost-cutting initiatives. Disney's growth in Q1 was far above the company's own expectations. Johnston says they're not changing guidance because the rest of the year is still full of unknowns.

Next question is about NBA, ratings have been down. Iger says they don't look at any of their licenses individually, he's still positive on the NBA deal overall. Iger then discusses streaming overall. He's confident on subscriber growth overall. Iger says news growth, both ABC and local stations, will be part of Disney+ growth.

Question on the Disney Treasure Launch and Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Disney Parks, and how they have gone.

Hugh Johnston calls the Treasure launch "spectacular." Expectations are the ship will be profitable in the first quarter. Johnston says Premiere is being "marketed very gently" as they learn how to manage it properly.

My other favorite part of Disney earnings calls is how they start the Q&A by saying please only ask one question, and then everybody asks multiple questions.

Growth in Disney+ this year is not expected to be particularly high this year, but Iger says they are "very pleased" with the number. Price increase didn't reduce churn as much as expected.

Last question is on ESPN flagship streaming and linear networks. Iger calls linear networks an asset, not a burden. Iger won't rule out changes in them at some point but isn't planning anything. Iger thinks ESPN needs to be streaming to attract younger viewers who prefer streaming to traditional.

And that's the end of the call. A surprisingly short discussion with little preamble from Iger. Unclear i that's just because there was little to say. It could be because the Disney Shareholders Meeting is set for March, so any deeper discussion is being held for that meeting. Still, things from a financial perspective at Disney are solid.

The massive wildfires in Southern California have left thousands without homes. Considering the massive size of the Walt Disney Company, it’s not surprising that dozens of those impacted are employees of the company. Luckily, the company, and more specifically Disneyland Resort, has come to the aid of those in need.

Those who have either lost their homes, or have simply been forced to evacuate, need a place to stay. Many have found shelter with friends and family, but Disney actually has a place that has the amenities that people need. Which is why many Disney Cast Members, the company’s term for employees, are currency living at Disneyland.

100 Disney Cast Members Are Staying In Disneyland’s Hotels

According to the New York Times, about 100 people who have currency displaced, including the company’s general counsel, are currently staying in empty hotel rooms at Disneyland Resort. Since Disneyland is far south of Los Angeles, the resort is in no danger and a good place for those who have been forced to leave their homes to find shelter.

Waking up at Disneyland probably isn’t quite as wonderful when you’re there because you can’t be home. At the same time, there are worse places to wake up every morning. Disneyland's hotels are amazing. The Grand Californian Hote & Spa is the most luxurious spot on the resort property. The Pixar Place Hotel is incredibly well-themed. The Disneyland Hotel is still iconic, even if you can't ride the Monorail from there into Disneyland anymore.

Once evacuation orders are lifted, Disney will continue to help out those who can’t return home. Up to two months of free furnished housing is being offered and Disney’s employee relief fund is offering cash for household necessities.

Disney CEO Bob Iger Is Focused On Rebuilding

Disney CEO Bob Iger is reportedly taking a very active role in trying to help out Cast Members in need. In addition to getting his employees housed at DIsneyland, he also opened up the Disney Studio’s wardrobe department, allowing those that need clothing to take some of the lightly used items. Iger posted about the assistance on Instagram

Iger is also reportedly focused on the eventual rebuilding effort. He’s willing to offer DIsney’s assistance in setting up a temporary school and has also suggested that Walt Disney Imagineering could be used to help design new town centers.

Considering that Imagineering has spent the last few years developing Disney’s first Storyiving communities, the team that develops Disney’s theme park attractions certainly learned a lot about residential development and can put that know-how to good use in the areas that will need to be rebuilt.

The relocation of all the Cast Members who have lost their homes, and the rebuilding of it all, will be a long-term process, but Disney seems committed to making sure its Cast Members get through it all.

The R-rated Deadpool & Wolverine continued the franchise’s tradition of dishing out extreme violence and raunchy jokes, despite the fact that it was officially canon with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jokes about cocaine, sex and more were present throughout Shawn Levy’s gleefully violent superhero romp. However, there was one wild joke that didn’t make the final cut, and it was just recently revealed. That barb involved Mickey Mouse and, following its reveal, a source has claims on how Disney CEO Bob Iger played into the decision to cut it.

What Exactly Was The Joke That Was Cut From Deadpool & Wolverine?

We’re currently heading into awards season and, with that, Walt Disney Pictures is currently looking to campaign on behalf of some of its biggest 2024 movie release schedule entries. D&W is included in that discussion and, because of it, the screenplay has officially been shared by the House of Mouse and Marvel Studios. Within the script, the aforementioned dirty joke comes into play after Wade Wilson learns of Magneto’s death. He then reacts with anger, blurting out the following sentiment:

I’m honestly not sure if I’ll ever get that mental picture out of my head. (And, let’s be honest, that’s probably what Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy were hoping for.) Seriously, that’s a wild statement even by this franchise’s standards, which is impressive, in some ways. Had that comment actually been featured in the flick, it could possibly be considered one of Deadpool’s best quotes. But, alas, it just wasn’t meant to be.

What Allegedly Happened When Bob Iger Heard The Joke?

Ryan Reynolds and co. explained earlier this year that they were given a lot of creative freedom. However, a source close to Reynolds recently spoke to TMZ and alleged that Bob Iger himself asked if this particular line of dialogue could. Despite that, the unnamed person further claimed that Iger didn’t demand that that be the case. They also said that the Free Guy star was fine with the request, given that it was just one line and that the family-friendly studio had been gracious when it came to other creative decisions made for the film.

Even though the Mickey Mouse joke wasn’t included in the finished film, it’s still impressive just how many gnarly gags the team behind D&W were able to stuff into the motion picture. Some may laugh at the thought of this, but there’s definitely an art to the dirty joke, as one needs to know what’s appropriate at a given time and how not to cross certain lines. You may not realize, but the team did avoid going in a few dark places for jokes, with CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell truly realizing that during a recent rewatch.

I’d say that Bob Iger’s request didn’t hurt the film, of course, especially since Deadpool & Wolverine earned $1 billion worldwide at the box office and earned mostly positive reviews. One must also remember that the crass jokers are only part of the film’s appeal, as it’s the action and heart that also make it great. So, all in all, Iger, Ryan Reynolds and their colleagues have a lot to be proud of. Now, if I could only remove this mental picture of Mickey Mouse from my subconscious.

Deadpool & Wolverine is now available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. Also, be sure to read up on upcoming Marvel movies, as there are plenty of them on the docket.

The biggest job in entertainment is going to be vacant in a little over two years. Bob Iger is set to step down, again, as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company at the end of 2026. Who the next CEO of the company could be is far from clear. There are four different strong candidates who work at the House of Mouse right now that are reportedly in the running, but it’s possible that none of them could end up getting the job.

It's previously been reported that inside Disney, the CEO succession battle is between ESPN chief Jim Pitaro, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amato, and the co-heads of Walt Disney Studios, Dana Walden and Alan Horn. However, A report in the Wall Street Journal this morning confirms something that had been suspected, that the Disney Board of Directors is considering possible candidates from outside of TWDC. Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson has been named specifically as a potential choice.

As a big Disney fan, and a frequent theme park visitor, I’m pretty strongly invested in this CEO search, and while I understand there’s potential value in bringing somebody in from the outside, I have some serious concerns.

I Want A CEO Who Understands Theme Parks, Movies And Merch As Well As How They're Supposed To Work Together

Disney is a multi-headed hydra that's quite different from most entertainment companies. It’s a movie studio and also a theme park company. A massive chunk of its revenue comes not from either of those, but from the merchandise that’s attached to both of them. There’s simply no external candidate who is going to have the right mix of experience to understand how it all works, because nobody does it like Disney.

To be fair, one of the major arguments against some of Disney’s internal candidates is that they are missing some of that knowledge, too. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro has been part of the theme park business for years, but he certainly isn’t an expert on the studio side. It was one of the big problems that former CEO Bob Chapek had when he made the move from Parks to CEO (as evidenced by the since-settled Black Widow lawsuit). Likewise, Disney Studio co-chair Dana Walden has strong relationships within Hollywood but isn’t a theme park expert.

If those issues are potentially disqualifying for those inside the conglomerate, any external candidate is going to have even bigger downsides. Those who work there, even if there are things they don’t know, still understand how the company works and how the different pieces work together.

Disney Doesn’t Need New Blood (At The Moment)

The Walt Disney Company has only brought in one CEO from the outside in the company’s history. Michael Eisner was hired from his job at Paramount specifically because Disney’s studio was in trouble and needed new ideas. It was clear that “business as usual” at Disney wasn’t working at the time.

However, the mega corporation doesn’t have that problem right now. The top two box office movies from the 2024 movie schedule are both from the House of Mouse, and they’ve each made a billion dollars. Disney’s theme parks continue to dominate and, with the expansion plans at Disneyland and Disney World already announced, things will surely grow from here.

Bringing in somebody new from the outside now could very well bring fresh ideas the business needs, but it could just as easily break what isn't broken.

I Want A CEO Who Cares About Disney As Much As I Do

Arguably the biggest problem with an external candidate is that they’re not likely to come into the job with a passion for all things Disney. While this quality can't exactly be measured, I truly believe this matters as much as any knowledge about running movie studios or theme parks.

Disney is unlike other entertainment companies not simply because it owns a dozen theme parks, but because the name Disney matters to the average consumer in a way that few other brands matter. The company's former CEOs have been very protective of the brand name because many who have held the role over the years knew Walt Disney personally.

Even those that never met him understood that they were following in his footsteps. Listen to Michael Eisner or Bob Iger talk, and you can hear their passion for Disney. It's not just that they want it be successful, they want it to be Disney.

It’s not impossible that a new CEO from the outside won’t become passionate about Disney, that certainly happened with Michael Eisner, who drank the Kool-Aid (ate the Dole Whip?) very quickly. However, the more likely scenario is that somebody who has never worked for Disney will treat it like it’s just any other company, which it isn’t. And it's a big risk.

That's not to say that every internal Disney candidate is a better option here. Dana Walden is a relatively recent addition to Disney, having come over as part of the Fox merger. How much she has embraced all things Disney is far from clear. ESPN is practically an island unto itself, so how much Chairman James Pitaro even feels like he works for the Mouse House is unknown.

Disney doesn't need to remain stagnant. In fact, it absolutely should not. However, any new CEO is going to make big changes simply because they are different people. What Disney is, matters.

The Walt Disney Company is one of the largest, and most prestigious companies in all of media. As a result, being the CEO who leads the house that Walt built is a job that one can imagine a lot of people would love to have. Having said that, finding somebody who is right for that job has been a surprisingly difficult affair. And according to Disney, it will be more than a year before we know who the next Disney CEO will be.

When Bob Iger returned to lead Disney following Bob Chapek’s brief run as CEO, it was made clear from the outset that Iger’s tenure would be brief, with the primary focus being finding the right successor. Today Disney announced that James P. Gorman, the executive chairman of Morgan Stanley, who is currently leading the Disney succession committee, would be taking over as Chairman of the Board of Directors on January 2, 2025. In addition, the committee does not expect to name a successor until early 2026.

2026 Seems Too Late For Disney To Name a New CEO

It’s been just under two years since the night that shocked the entertainment industry when it was announced that Bob Chapek was out as CEO of Disney and Bob Iger was returning to the role. From the beginning, it was made clear that the feeling was that the decision to give the CEO role to Chapek had been a mistake and that Iger’s main focus would be holding down the fort while a new successor was chosen.

Bob Iger’s current contract runs through the end of 2026. It’s always possible that Iger will leave early once a new CEO is named, but the more likely scenario is that once the choice is made, the final months of Iger’s time will be spent showing the ropes to the new CEO. All signs currently point to the new CEO coming from inside Disney with Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro and Disney Studio co-head DanaWalden widely seen as the top candidates.

The problem I see with waiting more than a year is that a lot can happen in that time. If the race for CEO is truly between D’Amaro and Walden, any other company looking for a CEO might consider either of them and if another organization comes along with a deal too good to turn down, Disney could lose their best options if they wait too long to make a deal.

There’s an argument to be made that the only reason Bob Chapek was chosen as CEO in 2020 was because he was the only one left. Several others who likely would have been in the running, including former Disney COO Tom Staggs, had left the company for greener pastures previously. The longer the CEO search takes, the more likely something like that could happen again.

Could Disney’s Next CEO Come From Outside The Company?

Of course, it’s possible the extended timeline could mean that Disney isn’t too worried about its prospective candidates from inside the company leaving. That could be because Disney is seriously considering candidates from outside. If their top candidates are already CEOs elsewhere, there will be less concern that they won’t be available a year from now.

A new Disney CEO from outside Disney would be a big deal. Only once in Disney's more than 100-year history has the CEO come from outside. Michael Eisner became Disney's CEO after being the President of Paramount in 1984. While he would leave the role in 2005 after being forced out, Eisner’s experience outside the company may have also been a tremendous benefit. Eisner did a lot of great things for Disney.

Whatever happens, a lot of eyes will be on the Disney CEO job over the next year and a bit. A lot could happen in that time. Perhaps the next Disney CEO is a name that hasn’t even been suggested yet. Whoever the next CEO will be, we can stop worrying about that question for the next year because the answer isn’t coming soon.

Comic book movie fans received a massive piece of news back in July when it was confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, the twist is that the actor won’t be playing Tony Stark/Iron Man but the imposing villain Doctor Doom. To say that the news was a shock would be an understatement and, since it was revealed, fans have shared thoughts on Downey playing Doom. Aside from a cheeky social media post, the actor himself has been rather quiet about his new role. But the Oscar winner has now provided some insight into why he decided to take on the role.

The Oppenheimer star’s casting was announced at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, where he walked on stage in Hall H in a green cloak and metal mask, before revealing himself. As you can imagine, the MCU OG can’t say too much about his newly acquired comic book role. However, the insights he shared with THR’s Awards Chatter Podcast regarding how he landed the part were interesting. Funny enough, while the Sympathizer star is still chummy with Kevin Feige and other Marvel Studios bigwigs, this all started in earnest with his desire to meet with the Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger to discuss a proposition:

So, as it turns out, the Downeys were somewhat taken aback by the notion of Robert returning for upcoming Marvel movies. After all, Tony Stark died at the end of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, and even Kevin Feige said definitively that that specific moment wouldn’t be undone. However, it turned out that Feige had another idea up his sleeve and, eventually, the Downeys had an epiphany:

One might be tempted to think that the idea became a done deal after that conversation. However, there was still one more person that the Sherlock Holmes star wanted to consult with:

Robert Downey Jr. is set to play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and its direct sequel Secret Wars. The films will allow the A-lister to reteam with Joe and Anthony Russo, who are helming both films. While some are excited by the prospect of the star taking on the role of the revered big bad, some are worried about RDJ playing Doom. It definitely is a risky idea, to say the least, especially since this version of Victor von Doom could end up being a Tony Stark variant. Still, it goes without saying that Downey is a talented actor, who could certainly sink his teeth into the role, so there’s, at the very least, a chance that this could end up being inspired casting.

If anything though, it sounds like the Avengers icon is truly passionate about returning to the MCU and doing justice to the part he’s playing. It’ll be some time before we actually get to see a true glimpse at his performance. Here’s hoping lightning strikes twice, and that he manages to effortlessly bring another compelling Marvel character to life on the big screen.

Robert Downey Jr.’s previous MCU appearances in the Iron Man films and more can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription. And, while you’re at it, why not just stream all the Marvel movies in order to better appreciate the Infinity Saga.

Walt Disney World has been the king of the theme park world since it opened over 50 years ago. Magic Kingdom is still the most visited theme park in the world, and the sheer size and scope of what the resort has on offer is beyond what anybody else is capable of doing. But Universal Orlando Resort has seen growing success of late and with Epic Universe set to open in 2025, many fans wonder if Disney World should be worried. 

Bob Iger was recently asked if he was worried about Disney World competing with the new Epic Universe park. Iger responded that he felt that several recent additions to the park, from Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind to Tron Lightcycle Run to the new updates to Epcot, along with everything new at Disney World that is planned (not all of which has been announced) put the vacation kingdom in a strong position. But not all fans agree.

Epic Universe recently revealed details surrounding Dark Universe, the Monster land at Epic Universe that has some incredibly exciting elements. When contrasted with the newest thing to open at Disney World, the admittedly lackluster Communicore Hall, it’s hard to not feel like Disney World is behind the eightball.

As the fan above points out, the issue is also one of the future. While Disney World has absolutely done some great work recently, the future is very much a question mark. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens at Magic Kingdom today, and with it, we just don’t know what’s next for attractions beyond an updated Test Track. Disney has promised us big things like a new land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and a major expansion of Magic Kingdom, but we don’t know when those projects will even begin construction. Some fans think Epic Universe will change their go-to resort.

 Universal certainly isn’t going to stop in Orlando with Epic Universe either. Lots of rumors, including a Legend of Zelda-themed land in the current Lost Continent area, indicate that there are at least plans to do more in the existing parks. As one fan pointed out, Disney fans have wanted a land dedicated to villains for a long time, but Epic Universe will give fans Dark Universe years before that happens if it ever happens at all.  

The issue is one of perception. Disney probably has lots of exciting plans, but nothing is being talked about yet, and more importantly, even less actual work is being done. Universal is looking active, while Bob Iger and Disney look like they’re standing still. 

All this could certainly change very soon. With D23 happening in August, there will be an entire presentation dedicated to the Disney Parks. Maybe all the announcements we’ve been waiting for will happen all at once. Of course, that will still need to be followed by the action of making it all happen, and preferably soon. 

One of the most contentious topics in entertainment today is “AI.” Machine learning has been touted by its supporters for its ability to “create” art with simple inputs. Writers went on strike last year in part to fight for protections against AI taking over. There is fear that if the technology is relied upon too much, it could take work away from the creative people who have been telling our stories for generations. Disney CEO Bob Iger feels that the use of AI in making movies is all but inevitable, and thinks Walt Disney himself would have supported it.

Bob Iger is an investor and board member of Canva, the online design platform. And during the recent Canva Create event (via Variety), Iger touted the benefits of new technology, pointing out that Walt Disney himself was always a strong supporter of new technologies and what could be done with them in the hands of creative people. Iger explained…

As far as it goes, Bob Iger isn’t wrong about Walt Disney. Disney was a futurist and big proponent of technology and how it could be used to improve filmmaking, as well as how it could be used to simply make life better. It was this desire to use technology to improve life that led Disney to design Epcot, his plan for a “city of the future.”

There's every reason to believe Walt Disney would be looking at how machine learning could be used in filmmaking if he were with us today. Disney created the multi-planer camera, a new way of filming animation that had never been done before. Walt pushed for the development of audio-animatronics, which made characters from animated films come to life in theme parks in new ways. Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is an attraction all about how technology improves the world, something he truly believed. 

Of course, the issue at hand for most of those critical of “AI” isn’t how storytellers can use it, but the idea that it could replace many storytellers entirely. During the writer's strike, Iger was specifically called out by those who believed AI could take away their careers. To that, Iger says that people shouldn’t be focused on the way AI is disrupting the industry, but rather they should accept the technology, and focus on how it can be used to make stories better. He continued…

We’ve already seen ways that technology has changed storytelling, even just within Disney. Computer animation has all but completely replaced the hand-drawn animation of Walt’s day. For what it’s worth, Bob Iger’s comments seem to indicate that he sees AI as a tool to be used by creative people, not replace them. Certainly, time will tell. 

The last few years have been especially rocky for The Walt Disney Company. Bob Iger officially stepped down as CEO in early 2020, just before the global pandemic closed theme parks and movie theaters, effectively shutting down the company’s entire business. Bob Iger’s return as CEO in 2022, was welcomed by the industry and Disney fans alike, but the returning hero faced challenges of his own.

A sinking stock price led to a proxy fight with activist investor Nelson Peltz that culminated in a recent Disney Shareholders’ Meeting where Peltz attempted to get himself on the Disney board. Peltz was ultimately unsuccessful in that bid, but it all worked out pretty well for him. CNBC reports (via Variety) that Peltz has now sold all his Disney shares, making a tidy profit of approximately $1 billion, because Disney stock has been on an upswing.

Disney Stock Is Performing Well Overall

Disney stock which is currently trading just over $100 per share, is up 11% on the year, slightly higher than the S&P 500 as a whole, which is usually the benchmark for stock success. It appears that the proxy fight may have been an overall success for all. Peltz made his money, while Wall Street has taken a look at Disney and decided that the future is brighter under Iger’s control than it would have been under other circumstances.

This is despite the fact that Bob Iger’s tenure has been marred by issues since his return. The shareholders' vote and the stock price were both indications that Disney is headed in the right direction and that past difficulties may finally be in the rearview. 

Bob Iger’s Return As CEO Has Faced Challenges 

Bob Iger has said the first year and a half or so of his return has been a period of “fixing” and there has been a lot to fix. At the box office Disney, the once unstoppable powerhouse, has had struggle after struggle. Only Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a clear box office win, with everything either failing outright, or at the very least performing below expectations.

Disney+ has continued to grow, but it has yet to become profitable for the company. While this was always part of the plan, Disney+ isn’t expected to reach a profitable point until the end of 2024. Some of the losses just before Iger’s return were seen as excessively high. Iger has said he thinks that too much was being spent on content.

Even the Disney Parks, which make up a massive amount of the company’s revenue have seen their issues. While the Disney Experiences division has remained profitable, most of that success has come from international parks, with the domestic parks not always being as successful. There’s a feeling from some that Walt Disney World isn’t doing enough to compete with Universal Resorts and Destinations as it gets ready to open the brand new Epic Universe Park next year. 

Disney+ is on track to be profitable this year. Walt Disney World is about to open Tiana’s Bayou Adventure which will likely bring in a lot of attention as well as guests. Deadpool & Wolverine is looking like it might be a massive hit. Perhaps Disney is on the way back to its previous position of excellence.  

2025 is going to be a big year in the theme park industry when Universal Orlando Resort opens Epic Universe, its third theme park. The new location will almost certainly be one of the most advanced and impressive from a technology standpoint. Based on what we know about Epic Universe, we fully expect guests will flood the new park to be among the first to experience the new attractions, but Disney CEO Bob Iger isn’t worried about Epic Universe’s potential impact on Walt Disney World, as he believes the new park might actually be a benefit.

Theme park vacations are expensive, so it’s not hard to imagine that people are going to have to choose between visiting Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. The brand-new theme park might be the determining factor for a lot of those potential guests. But when asked about the potential impact of Epic Universe on Disney World, Bob Iger told MoffetNathanson’s Media, Internet & Communications Conference that he’s not losing sleep over the park because overall tourism in Orlando is likely to increase with Epic, and Disney has already done a lot to draw in guests. He said…

Iger certainly isn’t off-base in his claim. There is certainly a bit of “rising tides lifting all boats” that happens when something new arrives in Orlando. While Universal will certainly see the majority of the benefit from Epic Universe opening, it doesn’t mean that people won’t also visit Walt Disney World on the same trip. Disney World is still Disney World

And the park certainly has been giving vacationers a reason to visit. Just in the last few years, we’ve seen a lot of new attractions at Disney World, including a major overhaul of Epcot that included three brand-new attractions: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Moana: Journey of Water. They also opened Tron: Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom and will be opening Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the end of June.

And we know more is coming. Disney has committed to spending $60 billion on the parks over the next decade, and that will include a new Tropical Americas land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and an entirely new land at Magic Kingdom. There are going to be plenty of reasons for people to check out both Disney World and Universal Orlando for the foreseeable future.

In the past, The Walt Disney Company has had its quarterly earnings call in the afternoon after markets have closed for the day, but this quarter everybody is waking up early to talk about the state of the company before markets open. Whether this is indicative of some sort of news they want to get out early, or just a general business change, remains to be seen.

One thing we can say is that the change in time wasn't to announce great numbers. The Walt Disney Company's quarterly earnings report posted a quarterly loss before the start of the call, though that's mostly due to a $2 billion charge it took on due to changing the way it did business in India. 

On the plus side, Disney+ came very close to breaking even this past quarter. Disney expects the platform to become profitable this year, and that is looking more and more likely. Investors will be happy to see that as it means more long-term than the one-time charge causing a loss.

The call has officially gotten started, a couple minutes late. CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston are here. and Bob Iger starts things. Iger calls it "strong performance" for the quarter.

The "entertainment portion" of Disney+ was profitable this quarter. Still expects total Disney+ profitability by Q4. Encouraged by early results of addition of Hulu to Disney+. An ESPN tile will be added to Disney+ later this year.

Iger runs through the rest of this year's upcoming Disney movie slate. No major announcements or changes. Points out that shows from linear channels are among the most popular on streaming, making both key to Disney.

Iger sings praises of ESPN, including Women's NCAA Final Four, the most watched basketball game ever on ESPN. 

Disney Experiences: Iger mentions DisneylandForward expansion vote happening tonight. Repeats that Avatar will come to Disneyland, but with no additional details. 

Hugh Johnston talks numbers. Disney+ expecting a bigger loss next quarter, though profitability is still expected in Q4. This is mostly due to cricket rights in Asia. 

Strong Disney Experiences numbers, Hong Kong Disneyland and Walt Disney World, along with Disney Cruise Lines, drove growth

We're into the Q&A. Question about the Marvel pipeline, if it being reinvigorated with the upcoming movies and series. Iger says he "feels great" about the film slate. Says he has worked hard to focus on output and reduce quantity. Expects MCU to be no more than 2 series and 2-3 movies per year

Password sharing will be dealt with in "select markets" next month, with a full press in September. Calls Netflix the "gold standard" in streaming business and compliments their business and password sharing work.

Regarding Disney Experiences investment. Johnston says Disney Cruise Line has a lot of potential, which is why a lot of focus is being given there. DCL has the best customer satisfaction scores in the company.

ESPN, as a standalone streaming service, will include all ESPN+ content, but ESPN+ subscribers will be able to simply have that if they want. ESPN+ is the tile being added to Disney+.

Iger says there's "a lot of value in sequels." Calls Thunderbolts an original as far as upcoming Marvel movies. Iger is asked about using the Fox library for future franchises. Iger implies that will happen but doesn't give specifics. 

Asking about licensing content to other streamers. Iger says they are doing some, and may do more. Iger has an "open mind" but says not to expect a significant amount. 

That wraps up the quarterly earning call. No major announcements, which may mean that early morning calls are just going to be the norm going forward, though it may depend on how the market responds as things get going this morning. 

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) may not be causing actual seismic activity from the home viewing parties that have been happening since the iconic concert special became available to stream with a Disney+ subscription, but it’s definitely making waves over at the House of Mouse. Disney CEO Bob Iger indicated as much during the shareholders meeting held April 3, so is it possible that Taylor Swift will be teaming up with the streamer for future concert specials?

That question was asked directly to the CEO at the end of Wednesday’s call, and — as reported by our own Dirk Libbey — he didn’t have anything to announce at that time. However, Bob Iger did say that Disney wants to continue their great relationship with Taylor Swift.

The 13-time Grammy winner always has upcoming projects for Swifties to be excited about, so there’s undoubtedly plenty of potential for concert specials and more on Disney+ in the future. In addition to the Eras Tour concert film that was released in March, the streaming service was already home to Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, a documentary where she spoke about and performed all 17 songs from her eighth studio album.

After Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour special left Netflix at the end of 2023, is it possible Disney+ could pick that up for itself — possibly to coincide with the as-yet-unannounced release date of Reputation (Taylor’s Version)? Could there possibly be accompanying material with the upcoming release of The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift’s 11th album, out April 19? 

With Bob Iger saying there was nothing immediate to announce, those possibilities don’t seem especially promising, but you can never tell with Swift, who is known to be very intentional about when and how she reveals these sorts of projects. 

With the Midnights artist being the biggest celebrity in music right now — if not the world — Disney definitely should be looking for ways to grow their relationship with her. One of those avenues may be to bring more Taylor Swift into the Disney parks. Can you imagine a “Getaway Car”-themed roller coaster or a fireworks show where the kingdom lights can shine just for me and you?

Between Taylor Swift and Disney, there are more than enough creative juices to keep the projects coming. But as Swifties wait for those things to come to fruition, they appear to be more than happy to continue replaying their favorite moments of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie. The artist added all three acoustic sets from the shows that were filmed in Los Angeles, allowing fans to experience even more of the Eras Tour surprise songs than they got in theaters or by renting the concert special afterward.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) is available to watch online from anywhere and be sure to check out everything else that is new and upcoming to Disney+. 

A great deal has been made about Disney’s struggles at the box office of late, but those battles have become a possible war for The Walt Disney Company as the entertainment giant is fighting a proxy war on two fronts. Two different investment firms are making plays for seats on the Disney board, the most significant, Nelson Peltz’s Trian Group, has the support of former Marvel Entertainment head Ike Perlmutter, but Bog Iger and Disney just solidified a major ally in George Lucas.

This morning the man who sold Lucasfilm to Bob Iger and Disney in 2012 for $4 billion, and in doing so became a significant Disney shareholder, released a statement (via Deadline) in support of the current CEO, and urging all Disney shareholders to vote for the board of directors supported by Disney. In the statement, Lucas says that he has “full faith and confidence” in Disney under Iger. Lucas’ statement reads…

Needless to say, this is a pretty big deal for Disney and Bob Iger. George Lucas has remained largely quiet since he sold Lucasfilm to Disney. We know he occasionally visits the sets of Star Wars projects but he rarely does so with much fanfare. In fact, some comments Lucas has made in the past have indicated that he’s perhaps less than happy with the direction Star Wars has taken under Disney, but if anything a statement this much in favor of Bob Iger and Disney may hold even more weight because of that.

George Lucas’ words here are chosen carefully, the campaign started by Trian Group to argue that Nelson Peltz and former Disney executive Jay Rasulo should be added to the Disney board has gone under the name “Save the Magic.” Lucas’ opening line here seems to be a reference to that, saying that “the magic” is not something for those who don’t know what to do with it. Disney’s primary argument against Trian Group has been that Nelson Peltz has no experience in the various areas of Disney’s business, and is thus unsuitable for Disney’s board. 

The Trian Group first made a play for a seat on the Disney Board a year ago but ended its fight early after Bob Iger returned as CEO and instituted a massive cost-cutting plan that resulted in thousands of Disney Cast Member layoffs and billions of dollars saved. However, Nelson Peltz now says Disney has not done enough, and that shareholder value is suffering due to poor decisions by Iger and the current Board of Directors.

Disney's Shareholders Meeting is set for April 3. On that day we'll know whether The 100-year-old Walt Disney Company will continue forward on its current path, or make a major change. George Lucas' support may very well sway some of those on the fence to support Disney and Lucas' shares will certainly help as well.

For over two decades now, the genre that has dominated the box office has been that of the comic book movie. However, in recent years, the movie industry is going through a transitional period, as superhero movies are not performing as well as they used to. Even though some people are still excited about upcoming Marvel and upcoming DC movies, there are concerns about the phenomenon of "audience fatigue" due to recent box office bombs like The Marvels, Ant-Man: Quantumanium, and most recently Madame Web. Nonetheless, Disney's CEO Bob Iger disagrees with this idea. In a recent interview, he stated that he doesn't think that's what's actually happening.

There are still plenty of comic book movies for fans to look forward to on the 2024 movie schedule, but the brakes have been somewhat applied to all MCU flicks besides one: the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine. Despite the growing narrative suggesting the public may be growing weary of capes and cowl flicks, Iger believes the issue is about something other than the quantity of Marvel content but rather the quality. Speaking at a conference this week hosted by Morgan Stanley in San Francisco on Tuesday (via The Hollywood Reporter), he emphasized that the audience's appetite for films remains robust, provided those films are well-made. He said: 

Despite initially being Iger's idea to inundate the streamer with content, this isn't the first time the experienced CEO has attributed Disney/Marvel's box office struggles to "Quantity" over "Quality." In an interview with CNBC, before he returned to the leadership position within the House of Mouse, Iger said that Disney+ needed "more volume.”

There have been some noticeable changes within Marvel Studios over the past year. The focus has shifted to put more emphasis on quality storytelling. Clearly, those in charge over at Marvel are trying to take bold steps with its upcoming content. For instance, the forthcoming Blade movie will have a hard R-rating, and the Echo series aimed at a mature audience with a TV-MA rating under the recently launched Marvel Spotlight initiative. These moves show that Marvel is committed to ditching the more is more approach of the past and is focused on creating impactful and substantive stories that resonate with audiences on a deeper level. 

As Iger and his team reduce its content production, it's important to note that there are still some exciting things to look forward to. Fans can mark their calendars for the only official MCU release of 2024, Deadpool & Wolverine, hitting theaters on July 26. And for those who want to binge-watch the Marvel Movies In Order, all you need is a Disney+ subscription.

Yesterday was a big day for news if you’re a Disney fan. We learned that the previously planned Moana Disney+ series has been transformed into a Moana sequel movie. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert movie will call Disney+ its streaming home. Disney has made a massive investment in Epic Games and will become part of Fortnite in a big way. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is getting a second season. All the cool news may have helped to bury some less-than-stellar information, that Disney plans to crack down on password sharing on Disney+ in a big way, starting later this year.

In an interview with CNBC prior to the Disney Q1 2024 earnings call, Bob Iger admitted that the company believes that recent cost-cutting initiatives, largely focused on the streaming sector, show that the business “can be profitable,” which, of course, is a business-friendly way of saying that right now streaming isn’t making any money. During the earnings call later, Disney CFO Hugh Johnston included managing password sharing as one of the key ways he believed streaming would find its way to profitability. 

In a move similar to one Netflix has made, Disney+ will go after password sharing starting this summer. Accounts that are believed to be sharing their password outside their household will be given the option to add a secondary account that allows another household to use the account, for a fee, or the household sharing will be able to set up their own account. Iger said in the CNBC interview that they know the amount of sharing currently happening is “significant.”

This will, of course, be bad news for some people with a Disney+ subscription. A lot of people are likely sharing accounts with friends or family. It’s not exactly unknown that it is happening. There are a lot of streaming services out there and to get access to everything will cost a not insignificant amount of money, so some reduce costs by sharing passwords. That apparently won’t be an option much longer. 

Disney+ actually lost a significant number of subscribers over the last quarter, largely attributable to the recent significant price increase. Having said that, the price increase, along with the recent addition of an ad-supported Disney+ tier, has increased the revenue per subscriber. While subscriber numbers are a key metric for Wall Street, simply making money is the ultimate goal, and Disney+ is headed in that direction.

And with all the big news items that came out yesterday, we could see an influx of new Disney subscribers. Any Taylor Swift fans who want to be able to view the Eras Tour Movie anytime they want will need to subscribe, so it seems likely a lot of Swifties who don’t already have Disney+ will be strongly considering it. 

When Bob Iger became the CEO of The Walt Disney Company for the second time he did so with a clear intention to try and get the company out of its public political battles. However, the feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has only gotten worse, with multiple lawsuits between the theme park company and the state brewing. And now it seems that Iger is embroiled in another public battle, this time with Elon Musk.

Elon Musk is one of the most prominent public figures in the world, so when you get on his bad side, people know it. Iger has found himself in Musk’s crosshairs following a decision by Disney to cease doing business on Twitter, which has resulted in a variety of different responses by Musk. Here’s a complete rundown of the ongoing beef between Bob Iger and Elon Musk.

 Disney Pulls Advertising From Twitter 

On November 15, 2023, Elon Musk responded to a tweet that promoted an anti-semitic conspiracy theory, calling it the “actual truth.” In doing so Musk caused a firestorm of controversy. Multiple companies, including Comcast, and its subsidiary NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros. Discovery pulled their advertising from the platform in response, but the company that seemed to get noticed the most for the decision to pull advertising was The Walt Disney Company.

When asked about the decision to pull advertising from X (née Twitter) at the New York Times Dealbook Summit, on November 29, Iger said that he “had a lot of respect” for Elon, but that he felt Disney simply had no choice but to part ways with the platform. Iger said…

Disney still uses Twitter as a promotional tool, but no longer advertises on it. A move like this might have been temporary, with Disney and other companies eventually returning to the platform if and when the heat died down, but in Disney's case that has become less likely based on what followed. 

Musk Tosses an F-Bomb At Bob Iger

As coincidence would have it, Elon Musk was also being interviewed at the same New York Times Dealbook Summit. When asked about the decision of Bob Iger and others to stop advertising, Musk suggested the decision could kill the platform, but then also took a combative tone, calling out Iger specifically with some pretty harsh language, saying… 

While Disney certainly wasn’t the only company to end its advertising relationship, Bob Iger has apparently become the figure head for all of it. As with the DeSantis battle, Disney is a massive company with global name recognition, which makes them an easy target in public. It certainly makes avoiding these battles, as Iger has said he wants to do, more difficult. 

Elon Called For Bob Iger’s Removal As CEO 

After the war of words between the two, things might have been expected to calm down, but that hasn’t been the case. About a week later, on December 7, Musk, on Twitter, called for Iger to be fired as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, claiming that Walt Disney would not appreciate what Walt had done to his company… 

The "What Would Walt Do" mantra is one of those things brought out by everybody who doesn't like what Disney does, from supporting marginalized groups to closing a theme park attraction. It's also technically impossible as Walt Disney was cremated.  

While there is an attempt by activist investor Nelson Peltz to get himself on the Disney Board of Directors, claiming that the company needs to make drastic changes to become more profitable, there seems to be little dissatisfaction within Disney when it comes to Iger. Iger was the one the Board turned to when it was decided former CEO Bob Chapek wasn’t working out. As such, Iger's getting fired seems unlikely. He has a contract that keeps him on as CEO through the end of 2026.

Tesla Pulls Disney+ App From Vehicles 

But wait, there’s more. In a move that is not officially connected to the Musk/Disney battle, but seems likely to be related due to the timing. Electrek reported on December 18, 2023, that Disney+ was informed by Tesla that it would remove the streaming service from its in-vehicle dashboard entertainment systems. Disney+ was reportedly told initially that the app would be removed entirely. A few days later Tesla said that Disney+ would only be removed in vehicles where the app had not been used.

The fact that this move was done now, and with reportedly no explanation as to why, certainly leaves the impression that it is an act of retribution against Iger made by Elon Musk’s other big company. Disney+ is the only app being removed like this. Netflix has been available in Teslas for years. Hulu, which Disney is in the process of buying outright from minor shareholder Comcast, is also in Tesla vehicles and is reportedly staying.

Musk Funds A Lawsuit Against Lucasfilm

As 2023 came to an end, it looked like whatever was going on between Elon Musk and The Walt Disney Company was ending as well. However, in February 2024, Gina Carrano, who had been fired from her role in Star Wars series The Mandalorian in 2021 after tweets that Lucasfilm called "abhorrent," filed a lawsuit against Lucasfilm, asking not only for financial damages but that she rehired by the show. Because the inciting incident took place on Twitter, Elon Musk is funding the lawsuit.

While we certainly can't say for sure that this lawsuit is related to other issues that Elon Musk has with Bob Iger, the fact that Lucasfilm's parent company is Disney certainly can't be overlooked.

What’s Next For Bob Iger And Elon Musk? 

Overall this has been a very one-sided "feud." Beyond Bob Iger’s initial comments about the decision to pull advertising, he hasn’t said anything publicly about Elon Musk or the situation. 

It seems unlikely he will volunteer any public comment, though he could get asked about it in a future interview. The most recent Disney Quarterly Earnings Call covered a lot of ground, but the Lucasfilm lawsuit never came up. The Tesla situation probably won't have a significant bottom-line impact, though it's probably annoying for some Disney+ subscribers who will lose easy access to the app in one place.

Beyond that, Elon Musk likes to challenge people to cage fights, so Bob Iger may want to be on the lookout for that. 

Disney was once the king of the box office mountain when it came to the numbers, scoring one billion dollar hit after another. While every studio has had its struggles since the pandemic, Disney, being the one at the top previously, has fallen the farthest. Even the once bulletproof Marvel Cinematic Universe has struggled in 2022. The Marvels has been the latest film in that franchise to have a tough time in theaters. Disney CEO Bob Iger claims a lack of “supervision” for the movie’s poor performance. While that may be part of the answer, it certainly isn’t all of it based on the numbers.

In an interview at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit (via CNBC), Iger says that because The Marvels was shot during pandemic restrictions, and because the studio had drastically increased its MCU output between films and Disney+ series, The Marvels didn’t have the oversight that projects like it had previously had, which affected its quality. Iger explained…

Iger seems to be throwing The Marvels under the bus here a bit, claiming that the movie’s failure at the box office is a result of it not being as good as it could have been. The thing is, to be blunt, quality has never been a significant factor when it comes to box office success. Bad movies score big at the box office all the time. It’s true that critics didn’t love The Marvels the way they have other MCU movies, but the movie’s 61% Rotten Tomatoes critics score is only slightly worse than that of Thor: Love and Thunder, which grossed three-quarters of a billion dollars at the global box office. 

And The Marvels has an RT audience score of over 80%, nearly 10 points better than Love and Thunder, indicating that those who have actually seen the movie like it. They don't have an issue with the quality. This means the issue, at least in part, isn’t one of quality, but simply one of getting the audience to show up at the theater in the first place.

Why the audience isn’t showing up, could be attributed to the success that streaming has had, especially for Disney. Disney+ has been a success for the company in terms of subscriber base, even if the company has yet to make money on it. Iger did acknowledge this fact during the interview, though he again indicated that he felt the determining factor for getting audiences into theaters was quality, saying…

Another factor that has been continually suggested for the recent struggles of superhero movies, not just Marvel, has been the idea of “superhero fatigue,” but Iger seems to reject that idea out of hand. He’s not looking to stop making sequels to popular movies, as long as the sequels have a “reason to make them.” He says…

At the end of the day, all fans want the MCU movies to tell compelling stories, and Bob Iger clearly thinks that the recent increase in quantity impacted quality. Certainly. The list of upcoming Marvel movies and series is lighter in 2024 than we've seen in years. With only one MCU movie set to release next year, we are certainly seeing adjustments being made already. Time will tell if the changes lead to more box office success. 

Frozen is one of the most popular things that the Walt Disney Company has created in its 100 years of existence, so it wasn’t actually a shock when it became one of the few Walt Disney Animation Studios projects to get a full theatrical sequel. When that movie became an even bigger hit than the first, we were all but expecting the announcement that Frozen 3 was coming. But it appears the studio isn’t going to wait for Frozen 3 to be a hit, as Frozen 4 is already in development.

Hong Kong Disneyland is set to open the new World of Frozen in just a few days, and in anticipation of it, GMA spoke with Disney CEO Bob Iger from the theme park resort. During the conversation, Iger revealed that Jennifer Lee (who is the writer and director of the Frozen franchise and the head of Walt Disney Animation) is currently working on the story for not just Frozen 3, but also Frozen 4. Iger said…

Iger does use the word “might” when referring to Frozen 4, so clearly the project is not a certainty. If Jennifer Lee can’t put together a story that Disney thinks is a winner, it probably won’t happen, but the fact that Iger announced the project publicly as an upcoming Disney movie certainly implies that he thinks the movie is likely. The fact that Jennifer Lee has been asked to work on it at all indicates that Disney is planning on more Frozen content.

That's not surprising. Frozen is a massive franchise and it’s only becoming more important to Disney. The World of Frozen that is about to open at Hong Kong Disneyland is one of two Frozen-themed lands, as Disneyland Paris is getting one as well. One has to believe that World of Frozen is also on the shortlist for potential projects for the planned Disneyland Resort expansion. There's already a lot of Frozen at Walt Disney World, though certainly there could be plans to add more.

Disney’s theme parks help promote their movies, and their movies help promote their theme parks. You need both to be running smoothly for the Disney “synergy machine”, as former CEO Bob Chapek once called it, to run at its most efficient.

But the fact that there are two Frozen movies is also potentially exciting for fans, not just because there will be more movies, but because those movies could be approached in a unique way. We’ve never seen an animated Disney movie that knew it was getting a sequel. How might Jennifer Lee and WDAS approach Frozen 3 differently because they know Frozen 4 is coming? Could we see a two-part story akin to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and its upcoming sequel? That option is at least available now, and that’s certainly an exciting thing to think about.

Disney and Marvel Studios are no strangers to box office letdowns, starting with Ant-Man 3 failing to perform and the latest being The Marvels. Bob Iger, Disney's CEO, places the blame squarely on prioritizing "quantity" over "quality" in the post-Avengers: End Game era. What's intriguing is that this emphasis on churning out more content originated from Bob himself.

While the House of Mouse Head Hancho seems to have had an epiphany about the merits of "less is more," his initial stance was quite the opposite. With a 15-year tenure as Disney's CEO until 2020, later extending as executive chairman until 2021, Iger expressed to CNBC in an interview that Disney+ needed "more volume." However, a recent transcript from Disney's Q4 2023 earnings call (via The Motley Fool) reveals a notable shift in Iger's perspective since resuming the CEO role.

During the call, the CEO reflected on the onset of the pandemic, acknowledging a significant production uptick at the time. He candidly admitted that the pursuit of "quantity" had its downsides, asserting:

This about-face, from Iger's viewpoint, raises questions about Disney's evolving content strategy. The shift from advocating for more volume on Disney+ to acknowledging the pitfalls of quantity on overall quality suggests a new approach by the House of Mouse may be needed.

Amidst speculations fueled by a revealing Variety report on the state of Marvel, discussions about superhero fatigue have gained traction, dampening anticipation for upcoming superhero movies. The perceived saturation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the onslaught of upcoming movies and shows scheduled for the  2023 TV schedule have contributed to a sense of fatigue. However, attributing The Marvels' lackluster performance solely to this overlooks the successes of properties like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

GoG Vol 3 garnered $845 million globally and positive reviews, while Love and Thunder surpassed $750 million in worldwide earnings despite mixed critical reception. Sony's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse emerged as a box-office powerhouse, contributing to 2023 being one of the best years for animation. The issue might not be superhero fatigue but rather a potential mishandling of Disney and Marvel's brand, deluding the brand.

Recognizing the need for a course correction, Iger and his team have reportedly taken steps to revitalize their offerings. From rumors of Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man comeback to the decision to give Blade a hard R-rating and the Echo series embracing mature content with a TV-MA rating under the new Marvel Spotlight banner, it's evident that change is afoot at the House of Ideas. The question lingers, though — is it too little, too late?

As Iger and his team scale back on content production, it's essential to remember that not all is gloom in the Disney realm. Celebrating its 4th anniversary today, the Disney+ streaming platform, launched on November 12, 2019, allows fans to revisit the MCU's glory days. While the future direction of Disney and Marvel remains uncertain, a stroll down memory lane via a Disney+ subscription is the perfect way to mark this milestone.

Streaming is still a major focus of all entertainment companies. And while most have launched their own streaming service, actually making money at it is still something that exists only in the nebulous future. Disney knew from the beginning that Disney+ was going to cost more than it made for a while, and it only expects to be making money on the service about a year from now. It added seven million new subscribers despite a Disney+ price increase, which is a nice start. But another way it hopes to get there is by integrating Disney+ and Hulu and I need this now.

Earlier this month Disney confirmed what had already been expected, that it will be purchasing Comcast’s current stake in the Hulu streaming service and will take full control. Along with that, on yesterday’s Disney Q4 earnings call, as well as in an interview with CNBC, Bob Iger revealed that a “one app experience” is on the way that will integrate Hulu and Disney+ into a single location. This app will be made available in a beta stage next month, with a final version expected in the spring of 2024. Iger said…

This is wonderful news. Most of us probably subscribe to multiple streaming services and if you find yourself looking for something to watch, that's going to mean jumping between apps and having to wait for them to load and you just try to find something to keep you entertained. Seeing Hulu integrated into Disney+ will make things easier for anybody who subscribes to both.

The two services will still be available as separate services for anybody who only has one. Iger said during the conference call that one of the reasons the app would be made available in beta was to give people a chance to properly set their parental controls, as obviously, the inclusion of Hulu will mean a massive increase in TV-MA and R-rated content on Disney+. There is already some of that on Disney+ in the form of the more mature Marvel content, but it’s currently just a handful of individual items.

There was no mention of how the combined app might impact what somebody who is paying for both services might end up paying. Disney only recently implemented a bundle option that included both Disney+ and Hulu, but not ESPN+, either with or without ads. It seems likely that the bundle, which does offer a discount, will be the discount for those using the new app. It was likely introduced in preparation for the new app.

There's not a lot of information about this beta period or how it will work. Whether a separate app will be available to all subscribers, or if you'll need to sign up. It may only be available to a few people to start before it gets rolled out. I'll certainly do what I need to try and get access as soon as it's available.

2023 isn't quite over yet, but the fiscal year has ended for Disney. It's time to get the rundown of where things stand. There are a few things we can likely expect. Disney+ will almost certainly post losses, but the size of them will be of key importance to investors. Disney Parks are usually a bright spot in Disney earnings, but exactly where in the world success was found will be of interest. 

Sometimes Bob Iger will take the opportunity of earnings calls to announce some new part initiative or movie project, and with this being the earnings call for the last quarter of the year, we might get some of that if there's a significant discussion of where fiscal year 2024 is planning to go.

Disney's financial report has been released and it looks pretty good on paper. Disney cut costs by $7.5 billion, $2 billion more than previously announced, and streaming losses are shrinking, in part due to an increase in Disney+ subscriptions by seven million, more than what Wall Street was expecting. 

The call is now going live. It will open with a general statement from Bob Iger. Interim CFO Kevin Lansbury is taking the call. A new permanent CFO, Hugh Johnson, was named earlier this week, but I guess he's not ready for prime time yet. 

All three segments, Entertainment, Experiences, and Sports, saw income growth over Q4 last year. Iger then touts the increased cost cutting as well as the Disney+ numbers. Disney+ expected to be profitable by Q4 2024.

Iger says a lot of time was spent on "fixing" previous problems, a clear slight at the Chapek regime and the decisions he made Iger did not agree with. But Iger says that the fixing period is over, and it's now time to begin "building."

On Disney+/Hulu: More than half of the new Disney+ subscribers took the ad-supported option. Iger mentions the deal to take one Hulu, and reiterates plan for a "one app" solution for Disney+ and Hulu, which will happen once the deal is complete. Beta version of one app solution in December, full roll out in Spring

On ESPN: Growth in revenue and operating income, the last two years. Viewership numbers are the best ESPN has seen in four years. ESPN Bet launching next week. 

Linear Networks: Disney is "evaluating options" which is the business way of saying that they're not selling anything yet, but that's clearly still on the table. Iger has indicated selling networks is an option.

Parks and Experiences: Iger singing the praises of Disney Parks' financials, says the return on investment has been strong. Talks about plans to spend a lot more on the parks in coming years, but doesn't go into any specifics. 

Iger has handed the call over to the interim CFO. Runs through the major financial numbers that are important to Wall Street. Disney needed to put up big numbers this quarter and it did. Growth is almost clear across the board,. Even in DTC operating income, where there was a loss, that loss is shrinking.

Operating results at Walt Disney World decreased due to the closing of Galactic Starcruiser, and the lack of the 50th anniversary celebration, which we can assume means lower attendance compared to last year. Everywhere, else, including Disneyland, saw year over year growth. 

Over 8,000 total layoffs were made as part of the Disney cost savings plan announced earlier this year. That's 1,000 more than were originally announced. On the plus side, the much beloved Disney stock dividend will be recommended to return by the end of the calendar year. 

Q&A Begins: First question about recent carriage deal with Charter. Iger says the deal focused on streaming, which made it make sense for Disney. On the studios he says that Disney made too much, which harmed quality, and the plan is to make less in order to improve quality.

Question about what profitability in DTC might actually look like, as well as the plan to bring ESPN as a full DTC offering. Iger calls ESPN as a total direct-to-consumer platform is "inevitable." Iger sees DTC as a "real growth business." Says Hulu is part of that. Iger also says that success of Disney theatrical films on D+ will allow them to spend less on original content.

Question about wider advertising trends, where gains on streaming can balance losses with linear networks. Iger says linear is stronger than they expected, it's seen a slight improvement. Targeting ads on Disney+ are improving, and sports advertising is very strong. He says the tools for targeting ads are what advertisers want. 

Asked about the possibility for Disney to license more content to other streamers, like WB is doing with DC films on Netflix. Iger says that licensing is happening and likely will continue, but he doesn't see it happening with "core brands" so don't expect to see the MCU on Netflix in the future. 

Final question: question regarding ESPN partnership possibilities, and then a follow up on Disney Parks demand. Iger says a "number of different entities" are involved in possible partnerships. On Parks consumer demand, Lansbury says Disneyland and Cruise Lines look very strong going forward, expectation that Walt Disney World numbers will continue through Q1, which is when the 50th anniversary celebration ended a year ago.

That's a wrap for the Q4 and fiscal 2023 earnings call. Good numbers for Disney, it will be interesting to se how the stock market responds in the morning. As far as more consumer focused info, the integration of Hulu and Disney+, seemingly just on the app level, not technically as a single service, will be starting as early as next month. It will be excited to see how that ends up working.

The battle between Walt Disney World and Florida has continued to make headlines as both sides continue to make moves in both state and federal court. Disney, being one of the biggest media companies in the world, would likely rather be focusing on its business of making movies and running theme parks. And to that end, Disney CEO Bob Iger recently told investors Disney plans to “quiet the noise” when it comes to the culture war that started the fight.

The battle between Disney and Florida began when the Mouse House came out against a Florida law that detractors referred to as “Don’t Say Gay.” Alongside that, Disney has received criticism from conservative media for making movies and shows that include gay characters or otherwise push what DeSantis and others refer to as a “woke agenda.” Iger’s comments, which came as part of a recent presentation to investors on the future Disney Parks business (via Reuters), indicate a desire to move on and an apparent understanding that these sorts of battles are not good for business. 

The comments echo other statements that Iger has made in recent months. In answer to a question from a stockholder at the last Disney Shareholders Meeting, he made it clear that the goal of Disney is to entertain, and that choices are not made from the standpoint of following an agenda. Iger said…

While agenda-driven media is exactly what Disney is being accused by some of creating, Bob Iger doesn't accept that's the case. While Iger clearly wants to focus on Disney as an entertainment company, he also clearly feels that Disney can focus on entertainment, and still create stories that reflect the world that we live in. He continued… 

These statements would seem to indicate that while Bob Iger wants to quiet the noise, simply stopping what Disney is doing (which is causing a lot of that noise) isn't exactly the plan. It leads to the obvious question of just what the plan then is. Some sort of settlement with Florida over the various lawsuits would be an obvious solution, but the fact that Disney filed them first would likely indicate they would need significant concessions from Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in order to stand down, and in the current political climate that seems unlikely.

At the same time, money talks, and Disney just announced it's planning to double the investment it was going to make in its parks over the next 10 years. While some updates to Walt Disney World are planned, the biggest known expansion is taking place at Disneyland Resort, and Disney not spending money in Florida, may be the best way it can make its expectations known without making too much "noise."

The future of one of the Big Three television networks has a future that is very much in question. Disney CEO Bob Iger has made comments in the past that have indicated that selling off ABC, as well as other Disney linear networks, is something that he might entertain. And despite the fact that Disney is making it clear that no decision has been made, if it wants to sell, it has a potential buyer in media mogul Byron Allen.

Bloomberg reports that Byron Allen, who owns the Weather Channel as well as several local TV stations, has made an unsolicited offer to Disney to purchase ABC, FX, and Nat Geo for the sum of $10 billion. This comes following a report that Disney had been in talks with Nexstar, owner of The CW, and 200 local stations around the U.S. The report led to Disney sending out a press release to make it clear that “no decision” had been made regarding divesting ABC or any other properties.

However, the same press release said Disney was “open to considering a variety of strategic options,” so the possibility of a sale remains. Back in July Bob Iger first indicated that selling ABC was at least possible, calling the business model of linear television “definitely broken.”

The fact that traditional television is struggling might have meant that there wouldn’t be much interest from other companies in purchasing ABC, but Allen’s offer and the alleged conversations with Nexstar indicate that there may actually be a few places interested in picking up what Disney might be interested in selling. Even if the Mouse House isn’t looking to sell in the short term, the right offer might become too good to refuse.

A source for Bloomberg called the offer “preliminary” so if Disney actually shows interest, it sounds like there is room for negotiation. Allen may also be willing to sell off the non-ABC local stations that he owns in order to prevent problems with the other networks. 

Advertising revenue from traditional television is certainly on the decline, and Disney and other media companies have shifted to focus on streaming, specifically, ad-supported streaming, which can potentially replace the lost ad revenue from traditional platforms. Disney specifically has been promoting the ad-supported tier of DIsney+ hard and has made it clear it wants consumers to use that platform over the ad-free version.

However, while the ad revenue may be shrinking, there is another side of the issue because the content these networks produce is pretty important to Disney. Nat Geo is one of the pillars of Disney+ and FX is a big part of Hulu, which Disney owns most of, and may be getting ready to purchase the rest of very soon. The timetable for Disney and Comcast to make a deal there recently moved up. Selling off the networks doesn’t mean a deal can’t be made to retain the content, but that would become a new expense Disney would need to pay.

It’s somewhat ironic that Bob Iger, who became part of Disney when Michael Eisner led the company to purchase Capitol Cities/ABC, might be the man who separates the two powerhouse names. But what’s clear is that the media landscape is in a period of upheaval, and in a few years it’s unlikely that the way we consume film and TV is going to look much like the way it was just a few years ago. 

As of late, Disney has been involved in a situation involving a major cable provider. The House of Mouse found itself engaged in a carrier dispute with Charter Communications – the operator the Spectrum TV. Said dispute led to about 15 million customers being left without ESPN, Disney Channel and other networks owned by the entertainment conglomerate. Amid the situation Disney also shared a blistering take on the disagreement. Now, the business squabble has been resolved and, in the aftermath, Bob Iger released a statement that was far less harsh. 

News of the updated deal between the companies was reported on Monday, and both sides are apparently satisfied with the manner in which the proceedings shook out. At least, that’s the feeling one gets by what was said by the heads of the companies. Disney CEO Bob Iger released a joint statement with Charter’s head honcho, Chris Winfrey. The two execs discussed their shared desire to have an “innovative” approach to their business dealings moving forward. They also touched on what this agreement represents in their eyes: 

This statement, which was shared with The Hollywood Reporter, is vastly different in tone from what’s been said by both companies as of late. Spectrum accused Disney of ignoring its proposals for new deals while simultaneously only seeking to raise costs for carrying its content. As mentioned by the trade, one of the most significant points of contention revolving around Charter Communications wanting more flexibility when it comes to the channels it offers customers. Additionally, it also wanted permission to offer the entertainment titan’s streaming services. 

Charter may now find itself in a prime position to attract prospective (or even existing) Disney+ subscribers. A “wholesale agreement” now allows select Spectrum TV customers to have access to the ad-based tier of the flagship streaming platform. Those who partake in the carrier’s Select TV Plus service can also gain access to ESPN+. So Monday Night Football fans should be pleased, for the most part. However, several networks -- like FreeForm and FXX -- are no longer available to those customers because of the revised charter, according to TVLine.

Before both sides signed on the dotted line though, the two corporations shared some blunt thoughts on the state of affairs. Disney, in particular, didn’t hold back. The corporate entity  expressed interest in resuming talks with Spectrum amid the dispute. But simultaneously, it told consumers that “they have many options today and can choose from competing pay TV providers that offer Disney’s entire portfolio of networks and programming.” It also accused Charter of making this past Labor Day weekend “stressful” for viewers due to the standstill.  In a subsequent message, the House of Mouse further recommended that those wishing to have their content direct themselves to Hulu + Live TV, per Fox Business. All in all, it goes without saying that this message is a lot softer than those previous ones. 

This is just one of the business matters Bob Iger has had to contend with since he returned to The Walt Disney Company in November 2022 and began making big changes. He’s also overseen the brand’s lawsuit against Florida governor Ron DeSantis and had to contend with a string of box office disappointments. All of that aside though, Iger and his colleagues can at least, breathe a sigh of relief over the fact that the company’s relationship with Charter and Spectrum has been smoothed over.

Bob Iger had planned to retire several times before he finally passed the title of CEO of The Walt Disney Company to Bob Chapek. While the handover took place during a difficult time, the beginning of the pandemic, it seemed like the company knew its path forward, but that, it would seem could not be further from the truth. Chepek spent less than three years in the job as CEO, and it appears that an Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland, and what Chapek called “Eeyore” employees, had a lot to do with why.

A new report from CNBC claims to have spoken to more than two dozen people about the period at Disney surrounding Chapek becoming CEO, while former CEO Bob Iger was Executive Chairman, and during Chapek’s tenure in the role, and subsequent removal and replacement by a returning Iger. Among its claims is that Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow lawsuit was a major point of contention between Iger and Chapek. 

We already knew that a November 2022 quarterly earnings call was a major factor in Chapek’s removal, but we now appear to have some very specific details. On that quarterly earnings call, we heard a very positive Bob Chapek, despite the fact that quarterly losses for Disney+ were significant, more than double the same quarter a year earlier, and Disney’s bottom line financials were way off of Wall Street Expectations. There have been reports that Chapek shifted some costs from Disney+ shows over to Disney Channel to try and make the numbers look better. Disney is now facing multiple lawsuits from investors over this issue.

Chapek’s position of positivity wasn’t just a show for Wall Street apparently. He really did believe things were in better shape than others at Disney. Chapek reportedly started calling those with a more negative outlook “Eeyores” in reference to Winnie the Pooh’s perpetually downtrodden donkey friend.

When the Earnings Call did happen, It was Disney’s then-CFO Christine McCarthy who took particular exception to Chapek’s performance. Rather than discussing the numbers in a frank way, Chapek celebrated the way tickets to Disneyland’s Halloween event, Oogie Boogie Bash had sold. 

It was following this earnings call that the wheels came off the Chapek bus. Disney’s share price dropped, and activist investor Nelson Peltz began his campaign to get a seat on the Disney board. The Disney board then began to speak to the company’s division heads, who reportedly all stated they did not support Chapek anymore, and the call to Iger went out shortly thereafter.

It was reportedly Disney’s head of TV Dana Walden who first reached out to Iger to see if a return to the CEO role was possible for Iger. On November 12 the two went for a walk and Iger said he was willing to consider it. On November 19, Susan Rice, the Chairman of the Board, called Iger and offered him the job. 

Chapek has been largely out of the spotlight since leaving Disney, so it seems this battle is over. But Disney is still trying to find its path forward, dealing with a struggling stock price, and trying to get costs under control. It seems unlikely we've heard the last of the backroom chaos at Disney.

For 100 years The Walt Disney Company has been a stalwart of the entertainment industry. Virtually since the day Mickey Mouse was born, the company has been reliably successful, with few bumps in the road. But the last few years have been unusual for the amount of corporate upheaval, with CEO Bob Iger, first leaving, then returning to replace the CEO that replaced him. A new report claims there were several reasons Iger made the decision to return, but one surrounded Scarlett Johansson’s infamous Black Widow lawsuit.

Back during the pandemic, Disney made the decision to release Black Widow and a number of other titles simultaneously in theaters-- as well as on Disney Plus as a Premiere Access title. This means it had an additional cost beyond the subscription required for viewing. The problem was that Johansson’s contract was tied to an exclusive box office release, and so she sued.

A new report from CNBC dives pretty deep into the battle at the top of Disney between Bobs Iger and Chapek, and it says that the Johansson situation was a big issue between them. It seems that part of the reason that the whole thing made it to the lawsuit stage was that each Bob thought it should be the other one’s problem. Chapek felt it was an issue with creative talent, which was the area Iger was supposed to be handling as Executive Chairman. Iger saw it as a contract dispute, and thus something Chapek should deal with as CEO.

Following the lawsuit, the story says there was a virtual meeting in which Bob Iger was in attendance, but did not speak. Iger apparently thought the meeting was “amateur hour” and a “meeting run by children” as there were far too many people giving input on how to handle the situation. 

This feeling that each had that the other should be taking point apparently extended to how Disney handled the lawsuit in its earliest days. Apparently the initial response from Disney, which accused Scarlett Johansson of “a callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic” was a statement that sources claim neither Chapek nor Iger was in favor of. But neither objected to the language of the statement, because each felt the other should be in charge of the problem.

The report indicates that Bob Iger had been questioning Chapek’s leadership abilities almost as soon as he was named the CEO of Disney. Iger himself reportedly feels now that he mistook Chapek’s operational capabilities for leadership qualities. He certainly wouldn’t be the first person to promote somebody past the area where their skills are best utilized. 

Scarlett Johansson and Disney eventually settled the lawsuit, but clearly, the damage from it would go far beyond whatever it cost Disney in dollars. With Iger back at the help some internal issues may have been quelled, but it's still too early to tell what the long-term outlook is for the Mouse House.