Disney (and others) at the Box Office - Current State of Affairs

[monothingie]

Believe it or not Youtube is actually paying for that content indirectly, by paying the content creators based on the ads being shown. Or did you think that all those content creators do it for free? And so the issue with Youtube is just like every other streaming platform they also have an algorithm that pushes content based on what people watch, like the mindless drivel you dislike. And so if more people switch to Youtube only and end up only watching that mindless drivel, well guess what all that content you like now disappears because the content creators cannot making money from it. Its a vicious cycle that is always going to be driven by the almighty dollar.

BTW, I haven't watched it myself yet, but have you watched the reboot of Imagineer That! on Disney's Youtube channel?

You really don't know what you're talking about.

Most YouTube creators, even ones with hundreds of thousands of followers don't generate significant income from the monetization of their content through ads. The real money is made through addons like merch, subscriptions, and upcharge opportunities.

 

[Chi84]

The moment we as a society all just turn to only watching content like from that guy from Iowa talking about his latest junkyard find is the day we all turn into people from Idiocracy.

I weep for society if that ever happens.

We take health advice from people who have no scientific knowledge. Why shouldn’t we get our entertainment from people who have no talent.

 

[monothingie]

Lol, not at all. I just know that if we continue down the path you're suggesting that basically its the end of society as we know it, ie IQs will be below 80. And while maybe you think we're already there, I just know that we still have at least a significant portion of the population that isn't drawn to only the lowest common denominator type content.

Wow.

 

[Disney Irish]

You really don't know what you're talking about.

Most YouTube creators, even ones with hundreds of thousands of followers don't generate significant income from the monetization of their content through ads. The real money is made through addons like merch, subscriptions, and upcharge opportunities.

And how is what I said incorrect?

Youtube pays indirectly for the content by paying the creators through ad sales shown on their content. Just because the creators don't make 100% of their income exclusively from Youtube doesn't invalidate what I said.

 

[Disney Irish]

We take health advice from people who have no scientific knowledge. Why shouldn’t we get our entertainment from people who have no talent.

Agreed, which is why I think eventually there will be a push back and people will demand more traditional content again.

 

[Disney Irish]

Wow.

Sounds like I touched a nerve. Did I forget to like and subscribe? What's your Patreon and your Creator store so I can be sure to get your latest merch drop.

 

[monothingie]

And how is what I said incorrect?

Youtube pays indirectly for the content by paying the creators through ad sales shown on their content. Just because the creators don't make 100% of their income exclusively from Youtube doesn't invalidate what I said.

You're all over the place.

The percentage of ad revenue is insignificant in terms of paying for creator content. The whole ad supported content model has been obsolete for quite some time. User engagement drives the algorithm and optimization of content fine tunes the delivery into user feeds.

 

[monothingie]

Agreed, which is why I think eventually there will be a push back and people will demand more traditional content again.

Seriously? What century are you guys in?

Legacy media has been dying for the past two decades. Numerous surveys from 2025 have indicated that trust in media has cratered to all-time lows around 25%. This is not a handful of kooks watching conspiracy vids on Youtube. This is a failure of the entire media. It's the arrogance similar to what you've displayed that just expands the gap.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Believe it or not Youtube is actually paying for that content indirectly, by paying the content creators based on the ads being shown. Or did you think that all those content creators do it for free? And so the issue with Youtube is just like every other streaming platform they also have an algorithm that pushes content based on what people watch, like the mindless drivel you dislike. And so if more people switch to Youtube only and end up only watching that mindless drivel, well guess what all that content you like now disappears because the content creators cannot making money from it. Its a vicious cycle that is always going to be driven by the almighty dollar.

BTW, I haven't watched it myself yet, but have you watched the reboot of Imagineer That! on Disney's Youtube channel?

The difference is it doesn’t cost insane amounts to make an episode for YouTube so a couple hundred thousand views per episode is all it takes for a channel to be successful and continue. A random show like Coby Explanes (that discusses the airline industry) gets about 200,000 views an episode on average, nowhere near enough to spend millions making a cable show but since it just him he’s likely making a solid income, and since YouTube pays based on views they don’t care if it gets 1 view or a billion, the only one with anything to lose is the creator. That’s the beauty of YouTube, even niche shows can generate enough to support themselves and since they aren’t dependent on a cast and crew of 100 they can survive with a niche market.

I follow the Walt Disney Imagineering channel on YouTube, they put out some cool stuff but in typical Disney fashion it’s good but always feels like an infomercial at the same time. It’s enjoyable though.

 

[monothingie]

Sounds like I touched a nerve. Did I forget to like and subscribe? What's your Patreon and your Creator store so I can be sure to get your latest merch drop.

Wow.

 

[Disney Irish]

The difference is it doesn’t cost insane amounts to make an episode for YouTube so a couple hundred thousand views per episode is all it takes for a channel to be successful and continue. A random show like Coby Explanes (that discusses the airline industry) gets about 200,000 views an episode on average, nowhere near enough to spend millions making a cable show but since it just him he’s likely making a solid income, and since YouTube pays based on views they don’t care if it gets 1 view or a billion since they pay based on views. That’s the beauty of YouTube, even niche shows can generate enough to support themselves and since they aren’t dependent on a cast and crew of 100 they can survive with a niche market.

Oh sure the economics of it makes sense, not saying it doesn't. I'm just saying that if you're not liking that a majority of stuff on traditional media is more likely to be drivel. we;; that it will make its way into Youtube as well, if it hasn't already. The algorithm will make sure of it.

I follow the Walt Disney Imagineering channel on YouTube, they put out some cool stuff but in typical Disney fashion it’s good but always feels like an infomercial at the same time. It’s enjoyable though.

I mean what good Disney content wouldn't sound like its trying to sell you something lol. I mean go back and look some of the stuff from the 80s and 90s and it felt like every other second they were trying to get your to book your next Disney vacation.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Oh sure the economics of it makes sense, not saying it doesn't. I'm just saying that if you're not liking that a majority of stuff on traditional media is more likely to be drivel. we;; that it will make its way into Youtube as well, if it hasn't already. The algorithm will make sure of it.


I mean what good Disney content wouldn't sound like its trying to sell you something lol. I mean go back and look some of the stuff from the 80s and 90s and it felt like every other second they were trying to get your to book your next Disney vacation.

I think there’s already an unlimited amount of drivel on YouTube also, the great thing is it’s not limited to that. As long as there are people who are interested in niche topics there will be creators who will be happy to make content for those niche topics.

That’s why I said in typical Disney fashion, everything they’ve done through their history has been infomercials, from the Disneyland show repeats I saw as a kid to the Holiday parades they do now. Walt was just better at making it feel less obvious they were selling you something.

 

[Disney Irish]

You're all over the place.

The percentage of ad revenue is insignificant in terms of paying for creator content. The whole ad supported content model has been obsolete for quite some time. User engagement drives the algorithm and optimization of content fine tunes the delivery into user feeds.

Seriously can I have your channel so I can make sure to support you. I want to make sure that user engagement is up for you, I'll even promote you on my channel. Maybe we can do a collab sometime.

Look all joking aside, I'm not saying you're wrong that ad revenue is no longer a driver like it once was. But the split is still 55/45 for most long form content. I think where most creators get jack is shorts because its a pool but yet Youtube punishes those that don't do them by limiting the rest of their content in the algo, and that sucks in my opinion.

 

[Disney Irish]

Seriously? What century are you guys in?

Legacy media has been dying for the past two decades. Numerous surveys from 2025 have indicated that trust in media has cratered to all-time lows around 25%. This is not a handful of kooks watching conspiracy vids on Youtube. This is a failure of the entire media. It's the arrogance similar to what you've displayed that just expands the gap.

And what will you think happens when that 75% get their news exclusively from only Youtube? Will they be an informed population or will they be uninformed or worse misinformed? We've already seen it the past decade or so where the misinformation ran rampant because of social media. It'll get worse if legacy media is completely gone.

 

[Chi84]

And what will you think happens when that 75% get their news exclusively from only Youtube? Will they be an informed population or will they be uninformed or worse misinformed? We've already seen it the past decade or so where the misinformation ran rampant because of social media. It'll get worse if legacy media is completely gone.

Between social media and AI we’re losing an intelligent, informed populace.

 

[TP2000]

The moment we as a society all just turn to only watching content like from that guy from Iowa talking about his latest junkyard find is the day we all turn into people from Idiocracy.

I weep for society if that ever happens.

So, wait... I've been watching YouTube almost exclusively for the past few years, often made by hobbyists and history buffs in their home office, which is a 180 degree change from 60 to 15 years ago when I watched nothing but network TV.

I've really gotten into World War II stuff lately; primarily docu-history of late '44 into '45 as both the Japanese and Germans figured out they were losing fast to American industrial might. Also some stuff about the design and engineering of big things like the Hoover Dam and Golden Gate Bridge. And a cool dad on Long Island who makes incredible Italian-American food and is a great teacher in the kitchen (especially for non-Italians like me). Last night I watched an hour long YouTube video about the Gilded Age competition between Boston and New York City to build and open the first American subway system, and how it permanently changed both cities and their trajectory into the future.

But you are telling me that if I don't switch the channel back this instant to the corporate approved programming of Dancing With The Stars and Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Sausage Party: Foodtopia, that I will contribute to the downfall of society?

I think I'm going to double down on my debauchery, and watch the next episode about how Hitler's idiotic bet on synthetic oil and gasoline sealed the fate of the failing Third Reich by the fall of '44.

Send my Kardashian apologies on to Calabasas, won't you?

 

[Disney Irish]

So, wait... I've been watching YouTube almost exclusively for the past few years, often made by hobbyists and history buffs in their home office, which is a 180 degree change from 60 to 15 years ago when I watched nothing but network TV.

I've really gotten into World War II stuff lately; primarily docu-history of late '44 into '45 as both the Japanese and Germans figured out they were losing fast to American industrial might. Also some stuff about the design and engineering of big things like the Hoover Dam and Golden Gate Bridge. And a cool dad on Long Island who makes incredible Italian-American food and is a great teacher in the kitchen (especially for non-Italians like me). Last night I watched an hour long YouTube video about the Gilded Age competition between Boston and New York City to build and open the first American subway system, and how it permanently changed both cities and their trajectory into the future.

But you are telling me that if I don't switch the channel back this instant to the corporate approved programming of Dancing With The Stars and Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Sausage Party: Foodtopia, that I will contribute to the downfall of society?

I think I'm going to double down on my debauchery, and watch the next episode about how Hitler's idiotic bet on synthetic oil and gasoline sealed the fate of the failing Third Reich by the fall of '44.

Send my Kardashian apologies on to Calabasas, won't you?

First, you just named 2 out of 3 shows that are streaming exclusives. So no watching those wouldn't do anything regarding anything you're trying to make up here.

Second, no where did I say that you personally need to do anything. I was speaking in general about society, not you personally.

Third, you missed the whole point of what I was saying, which is that if all viewers move over to Youtube and watch that platform exclusively that a majority of that content that you love watching will be pushed down in favor of the same reality content that you seem to want to avoid. And all because the algorithm will be pushing that same reality content because it has higher viewership.

But hey don't believe me, just wait a few years and see where things are. Maybe I'm wrong and everything will be fine. Or maybe I'm right and Youtube will just become another void filled with the same reality junk that everyone complains about.

Anyways lets get back to the box office.

 

[BrianLo]

I don't have a read on that yet, I'll need to do a Target run next weekend and check the toy aisles and kids clothing department to form an opinion. That's how I conduct my peer-reviewed science on such things.

But it could do well in Communist China? They built an entire Zootopia Land at Shanghai Disneyland, after all.

I freshly am out of China for your on the ground research needs (yes - really).

Lots of random thoughts about how Shanghai Disney has changed, mostly positive. We were always aware Zootopia overindexed when they very last second placed Judy and Nick on the finale float of their daytime parade…

I am, for lack of overemphasis, shocked at how big Zootopia is there. I even question if it is more popular than Mickey and Minnie. Duffy has also exploded in popularity. Woman were 30% Judy, 30% Minnie, 30% a Duffy character. I think they are into Duffy & Co. more than the Japanese crowd (and that’s saying something).

I am now very, very curious how this movie does in China. While I am getting more of a young adult locals flavour out of SDL that you’d prototypically also experience in Tokyo these days. That might not represent the whole country. However, if this movie flops in this market, China truly is no longer supportive of any Hollywood fare.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Just remember:

1. Streaming will make TRILLIONS…cause Bobby done said so.
2. All flops are gold…so it’s such a smart move for the Dis to keep cranking them out.

 

[Andrew C]

Hollywood has been pushing “reality TV” for nearly 3 decades now, the problem is 99% have figured out it’s 99% fake, why should it be surprising people would rather watch real “reality tv” than fake reality tv?

At least watching a mechanic from Iowa is educational, everyone should support people watching that over something stupid like the Kardashians 100 times out of 100.

YouTube is how consume most content. I would say at least 30% of what I watch on there educational/historical. If I’m watching “traditional tv” it’s definitely not that.

Full disclosure, I did watch dancing with the stars for the first time this season. But that was only because Danielle Fishel was on of the celebs.