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

[Wendy Pleakley]

I tend to enjoy the awards shows, even though I also probably haven’t seen most of the movies. At least I saw sinners this year, and enjoyed it. The other one with Leonardo and Penn, we put it on at home, and I couldn’t sit through it. I was falling asleep, Brian didn’t like it, either, and we turned it off.

But I still recognize many of the actors at the ceremonies; I enjoy seeing them, and the tributes, and yes, the comments.

Same. One Battle After Another started okay for me then it just didn't hold my interest.

It's still nice to see Paul Thomas Anderson win an Oscar because I know he's made great movies and I loved Boogie Nights when it came out.

The awards shows are generally fun to watch and you can't take them too seriously. They tend to reward certain types of films that don't always have mainstream popularity, so the results don't matter that much to me one way or the other.

Which isn't to say I'm never invested at all. If Schindler's List didn't win for example I think many people would be justifiably outraged.

 

[TP2000]

Might as well put this here. The Nielsen ratings are out, and Oscars '26 viewership declined 9% from last year, losing 2 Million total viewers. Oof!

Among the coveted 18 to 49 year old marketing demographic, viewership declined 14% from last year. Oof!

The 2026 ratings and viewership data now include all forms of viewership, from watching on network TV on ABC, to watching via Hulu on streaming across all devices; TV's, computers, phones, etc. The total number of Americans who watched the 2026 Oscars via all those forms of video transmission was 17.86 Million.

As a point of reference, last year the total viewership was 19.69 Million. 25 years ago, total viewership for the 2000 Oscars was 46.3 Million. In 2026 the US population is 342 Million, in 2000 the US population was 281 Million. The trajectory here is horrific.

TV Ratings: Oscars Fall to 17.9 Million Viewers, Lowest Since 2022

ABC and Hulu’s telecast was off by about 9 percent from the 2025 awards.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Oscars Ratings Hit 17.9 Million Viewers, Down 9% From Last Year and Lowest Since 2022

The 2026 Oscars ratings were down 9% from last year, marking the lowest watched telecast since 2022.

variety.com

2026 Oscars TV Ratings:: Audience Down 9% To 4-Year Low

The 98th Oscars audience slipped to a four-year low this year with 17.86M viewers across ABC and Hulu.

deadline.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Dana Walden Sets Leadership Team at Disney Entertainment

Debra OConnell will become chairman of Disney Entertainment Television, while Disney's gaming business, led by Sean Shoptaw, will now report to Walden.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Kevin Feige on Avoiding Internet Discourse and the Last Time He Saw Chadwick Boseman

The Marvel boss, along with Ryan Coogler and Shawn Levy, pulled open the curtain on a range of topics with a rare and open conversation at Thursday’s dedication of the Kevin Feige Division of Film & Television Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Might as well put this here. The Nielsen ratings are out, and Oscars '26 viewership declined 9% from last year, losing 2 Million total viewers. Oof!

Among the coveted 18 to 49 year old marketing demographic, viewership declined 14% from last year. Oof!

The 2026 ratings and viewership data now include all forms of viewership, from watching on network TV on ABC, to watching via Hulu on streaming across all devices; TV's, computers, phones, etc. The total number of Americans who watched the 2026 Oscars via all those forms of video transmission was 17.86 Million.

As a point of reference, last year the total viewership was 19.69 Million. 25 years ago, total viewership for the 2000 Oscars was 46.3 Million. In 2026 the US population is 342 Million, in 2000 the US population was 281 Million. The trajectory here is horrific.

TV Ratings: Oscars Fall to 17.9 Million Viewers, Lowest Since 2022

ABC and Hulu’s telecast was off by about 9 percent from the 2025 awards.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Oscars Ratings Hit 17.9 Million Viewers, Down 9% From Last Year and Lowest Since 2022

The 2026 Oscars ratings were down 9% from last year, marking the lowest watched telecast since 2022.

variety.com

2026 Oscars TV Ratings:: Audience Down 9% To 4-Year Low

The 98th Oscars audience slipped to a four-year low this year with 17.86M viewers across ABC and Hulu.

deadline.com

Not surprising, we’ve been talking about the foreseeable results of alienating your audience for the last decade and Hollywood just keeps plowing ahead undeterred. People primarily watch movies, tv, sports, etc to escape their troubles and simply be entertained, even when the company stays neutral now it’s becoming harder and harder to separate the character from the actor, a decade ago there were 1 or 2 lead actors I’d avoid for ideological reasons, now that list is over a dozen, I’d be shocked if the same isn’t true for people who believe the opposite of me.

Social media is going to be the death of entertainment, we know far too much about far too many of the actors/athletes/celebrities we watch to detach them from their work, and I think that’s reflecting in ratings and box office.

Between the loud proclamations on beliefs, the revelation of more and more scandals and debauchery, etc I expect that list to continue to grow. When I was a kid I didn’t know the beliefs, opinions, or the private life of 99% of celebrities, I miss those days.

The Oscars used to be an event we’d watch to get a glimpse into the glamorous life of celebrities and hear a little about them, now we know too much about them, even simple things like the post event trash everywhere photos highlights that they aren’t the “glamorous” people we once thought they were.

 

[Chi84]

Not surprising, we’ve been talking about the foreseeable results of alienating your audience for the last decade and Hollywood just keeps plowing ahead undeterred. People primarily watch movies, tv, sports, etc to escape their troubles and simply be entertained, even when the company stays neutral now it’s becoming harder and harder to separate the character from the actor, a decade ago there were 1 or 2 lead actors I’d avoid for ideological reasons, now that list is over a dozen, I’d be shocked if the same isn’t true for people who believe the opposite of me.

Social media is going to be the death of entertainment, we know far too much about far too many of the actors/athletes/celebrities we watch to detach them from their work, and I think that’s reflecting in ratings and box office.

Between the loud proclamations on beliefs, the revelation of more and more scandals and debauchery, etc I expect that list to continue to grow. When I was a kid I didn’t know the beliefs, opinions, or the private life of 99% of celebrities, I miss those days.

The Oscars used to be an event we’d watch to get a glimpse into the glamorous life of celebrities and hear a little about them, now we know too much about them, even simple things like the post event trash everywhere photos highlights that they aren’t the “glamorous” people we once thought they were.

If not for this website I still wouldn’t know the opinions, beliefs or private lives of the celebrities.

I know their work and that’s it. You kind of have to go looking (and also care) if you’re going to avoid over a dozen celebrities because of ideology.

I still don’t understand why anyone cares what they think or say.

 

[Nevermore525]

The increase trend due to Spring Break and WOM still there for Hoppers. $5.19M second Tuesday, 16% higher than the first Tuesday.

Domestic at $95.8M

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

If not for this website I still wouldn’t know the opinions, beliefs or private lives of the celebrities.

I know their work and that’s it. You kind of have to go looking (and also care) if you’re going to avoid over a dozen celebrities because of ideology.

I still don’t understand why anyone cares what they think or say.

I think that’s still true for most of them but for many, Mark Ruffalo, Will Smith, Ellen Degeneres, Amber Heard, Alex Baldwin, Roseanne Barr, Shia Lebouf, Diddy, etc you’d have to be living under a rock to not have heard about their very public controversies.

I’m old school and still watch the local news though so if it’s big enough to make the Vegas news I’ll hear about it.

 

[Chi84]

I think that’s still true for most of them but for many, Mark Ruffalo, Will Smith, Ellen Degeneres, Amber Heard, Alex Baldwin, Roseanne Barr, Shia Lebouf, Diddy, etc you’d have to be living under a rock to not have heard about their very public controversies.

I’m old school and still watch the local news though so if it’s big enough to make the Vegas news I’ll hear about it.

Okay. I haven’t watched TV news in many years. Probably because they consider celebrities’ opinions news.

 

[TP2000]

Not surprising, we’ve been talking about the foreseeable results of alienating your audience for the last decade and Hollywood just keeps plowing ahead undeterred. People primarily watch movies, tv, sports, etc to escape their troubles and simply be entertained, even when the company stays neutral now it’s becoming harder and harder to separate the character from the actor, a decade ago there were 1 or 2 lead actors I’d avoid for ideological reasons, now that list is over a dozen, I’d be shocked if the same isn’t true for people who believe the opposite of me.

I got the news on Best Picture from a friend's phone at the end of a restaurant dinner. Then we got the summary on the same phone of all the political speeches and cringey public statements made by the winners. Eye rolls all around that table!

The Oscars used to be an event we’d watch to get a glimpse into the glamorous life of celebrities and hear a little about them, now we know too much about them, even simple things like the post event trash everywhere photos highlights that they aren’t the “glamorous” people we once thought they were.

It was THE event for so many of us, for decades. The parties were huge, extra TV's had to be rolled in to accommodate the crowd, and everyone was hushed when Best Actress, Actor or Picture were announced. The cultural change where few people care now is striking. Alas, Hollywood did that to themselves all on their own.

We've always known Hollywood had a sinister underside. Heck, even DCA had a joke about the "Casting Couch" on its Hollywood Blvd. in the 2000's. But it turns out its even worse than we thought, and really quite sick and twisted. Just the story of Harvey Weinstein, and all the A Listers who enabled him and lured young women in for him, makes your stomach turn.

But it's not just one or two like Harvey Weinstein. Every week it seems we're treated so some crime or disgusting news about another actor or actress or studio exec, and those who enable them. Can you imagine if the automotive industry was like this? No one would buy a car ever again! Can you imagine if realtors were like this?!? Any industry but Hollywood?!?

If not for this website I still wouldn’t know the opinions, beliefs or private lives of the celebrities.

That seems unbelievable. The celebs all wear their buttons at award shows, and produce a constant stream of public statements and weird rants on every red carpet and talk show and podcast they appear on. They are covered constantly on all major news outlets, from left to right and those that pretend to be in the middle.

If you aren't aware of the opinions of celebrities in the 2020's, you must have no Internet connection and only watch old episodes of Green Acres as your only entertainment.

 

[Chi84]

I think that’s still true for most of them but for many, Mark Ruffalo, Will Smith, Ellen Degeneres, Amber Heard, Alex Baldwin, Roseanne Barr, Shia Lebouf, Diddy, etc you’d have to be living under a rock to not have heard about their very public controversies.

I’m old school and still watch the local news though so if it’s big enough to make the Vegas news I’ll hear about it.

What did Ellen say lol?

 

[TP2000]

What did Ellen say lol?

Poor Ellen. I used to be such a huge fan of hers. When she appeared as the hostess for the Energy pavilion mere months after coming out of the closet on TV it was such a fun thing, and sign that things were indeed changing fast. In her early years she was so delightfully funny and truly talented.

Then it went south. She turned out to be a mean person, or grew to be a mean person. Her talk show staff was terrorized, her guests were bullied, and she turned out to be dramatically unlikable. The press coverage was incredibly unflattering. So she moved to England or Ireland or someplace last year to "flee" the United States and the Americans who don't vote like her, as well as flee her reputation of being a mean person and awful boss. Except it turns out the locals in the small town she moved to were just as unhappy with her as her talk show staff was, and she hated living there. The weather was rainy, no one liked her in town, no one was impressed by her. So she quietly moved back to the US just recently, buying a new mansion in California.

She can't stay away, it turns out.

 

[coffeefan]

 

[Disney Analyst]

100mil domestic after tonight’s numbers come in!

 

[Disney Analyst]

Welp …



The 2026 $2 billion movie?

 

[_caleb]

Welp …



The 2026 $2 billion movie?

How are trailers like this not considered a revenue stream?

 

[Disney Analyst]

How are trailers like this not considered a revenue stream?

I wonder, their channels must be monetized right? Does this make them money from views?

I don't believe all these views are from one video however, but from multiple across many platforms.

 

[_caleb]

I wonder, their channels must be monetized right? Does this make them money from views?

I don't believe all these views are from one video however, but from multiple across many platforms.

Definitely across many platforms.

Most of the 3rd-party channels that feature the Spider-Man trailer are monetized.

It doesn't look like Sony Pictures YouTube channel is monetized, but I'm a bit surprised by this. 16M views in under 24 hours on Sony's channels alone!

 

[Phroobar]

I got the news on Best Picture from a friend's phone at the end of a restaurant dinner. Then we got the summary on the same phone of all the political speeches and cringey public statements made by the winners. Eye rolls all around that table!



It was THE event for so many of us, for decades. The parties were huge, extra TV's had to be rolled in to accommodate the crowd, and everyone was hushed when Best Actress, Actor or Picture were announced. The cultural change where few people care now is striking. Alas, Hollywood did that to themselves all on their own.

We've always known Hollywood had a sinister underside. Heck, even DCA had a joke about the "Casting Couch" on its Hollywood Blvd. in the 2000's. But it turns out its even worse than we thought, and really quite sick and twisted. Just the story of Harvey Weinstein, and all the A Listers who enabled him and lured young women in for him, makes your stomach turn.

But it's not just one or two like Harvey Weinstein. Every week it seems we're treated so some crime or disgusting news about another actor or actress or studio exec, and those who enable them. Can you imagine if the automotive industry was like this? No one would buy a car ever again! Can you imagine if realtors were like this?!? Any industry but Hollywood?!?



That seems unbelievable. The celebs all wear their buttons at award shows, and produce a constant stream of public statements and weird rants on every red carpet and talk show and podcast they appear on. They are covered constantly on all major news outlets, from left to right and those that pretend to be in the middle.

If you aren't aware of the opinions of celebrities in the 2020's, you must have no Internet connection and only watch old episodes of Green Acres as your only entertainment.

I love watching the Oscars but I away fast forward pass the acceptance speeches. They are too political. The look back at who died and the inside look at movies being made is the best part. Notice how Disney/Pixar hasn't won a Best Animated movie since 2021's Encanto.

 

[BrianLo]

Welp …



The 2026 $2 billion movie?

I’ve been monitoring these trailer records for a while now and do think they at least translate well for awareness and excitement. Therefore big openings.

I didn’t process that it doubled the previous record holder, wow. Yes, the *potential* seems very much there for this to be on the crazier side.

I don’t know if I underestimated Avengers now, since there is crossover and there are a few pillars of Marvel that are still on fire.

 

[brideck]

Speaking of trailers, what feels like a really early one for one of Disney's awards plays for next year dropped today. It's racked up... um... 1.8 million views in 12 hours.

Be forewarned, the trailer contains vulgar language, if that bothers anyone out there.