News Chapek FIRED, Iger New CEO

[el_super]

Whatever was probably not met. You’ve convinced me! Haha

Thank goodness, because the "Iger was smart until he was stupid" trope is about as played out as the prequel "Eisner was smart until he was stupid." As far as theory goes, there is literally nothing there. These men are not stupid. They are reacting. They are taking the advice of those around them. They are making decisions toward the goal of being successful.

Maybe now we can move onto the discussion of why cheap overlays and IP tie-ins are actually really effective in the theme park world.

 

[el_super]

This is the problem with every release needing to be a tentpole. There is nothing in the D+ pipeline that lends itself to justify the eye watering production budgets. There is not enough interest to garner interest and boost subscribers. There is no willingness for subscribers to pay more for content they don’t care about.

You almost sound like my grandmother in the 1980s... no one will want to pay for TV.

Do you really think that they will never be able to make money on movies again?
Or that no one will want to watch TV programming anymore?
Or Sports? Game Shows? Documentaries?

D+ is just a medium toward distribution. Unless you really want to believe that humans of the future will have no need for entertainment, D+ will find a way to be profitable. Do they need to reduce costs on content? Yes. Do they need to diversify their offerings? Yes. But you're looking at TODAY and assuming there is no hope for the future because they cannot change.

They can change.

 

[JD80]

I wonder if the internet existed 70 years ago people would be whining about the Buena Vista Film Distribution Company.

 

[Nubs70]

You almost sound like my grandmother in the 1980s... no one will want to pay for TV.

Do you really think that they will never be able to make money on movies again?
Or that no one will want to watch TV programming anymore?
Or Sports? Game Shows? Documentaries?

D+ is just a medium toward distribution. Unless you really want to believe that humans of the future will have no need for entertainment, D+ will find a way to be profitable. Do they need to reduce costs on content? Yes. Do they need to diversify their offerings? Yes. But you're looking at TODAY and assuming there is no hope for the future because they cannot change.

They can change.

The fact is the current DIS model for content creation combined with the multiple competitive content creation and distribution channels makes the DIS too expensive. This is what the current Hollywood strike is about. Simply things are too expensive for the new model and the new reality.

Bob, and the other studio heads, understands this and need concessions from SAG. However, Bob and the other studio heads cannot get together and formulate a uniform and cohesive plan.

 

[TalkingHead]

How much worse can they make ESPN?

ESPN Chief Says Disney Looking for Partners That Can Make Sports Brand “More Compelling”

"We believe that there are parties out there that can help us on the content side. And so you can draw whatever conclusions you want from that," Jimmy Pitaro said.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[JD80]

The fact is the current DIS model for content creation combined with the multiple competitive content creation and distribution channels makes the DIS too expensive. This is what the current Hollywood strike is about. Simply things are too expensive for the new model and the new reality.

Bob, and the other studio heads, understands this and need concessions from SAG. However, Bob and the other studio heads cannot get together and formulate a uniform and cohesive plan.

Somewhat. But the industry will be adapting which is why you'll probably see different distribution models change, die, and consolidate over the next 5+ years. Part of the strike that's on going is that there was a massive increase (3-4 fold?) of scripted content. What you'll see overall less content, and in fewer areas.

There are too many distribution platforms to support content on. Linear, Stream, Movies, VOD etc. You'll eventually see Linear die, and all that content will be on a few platforms somewhere after consolidation. An example of that is Paramount+ fails and they sell all of their content to HULU. As the "cable" package dies off you may see broadcast channels sell content to whatever platform gains popularity.

I'm not an expert, but we'll be seeing huge shifts in distribution models over the next 5-10 years, especially as Millennials are all almost 30 now. Gen Z starts hitting the age where they pay for their own content (Gen Z is 10-27 years old) and start having their own kids. I suspect it will accelerate at some point.

 

[JD80]

How much worse can they make ESPN?

ESPN Chief Says Disney Looking for Partners That Can Make Sports Brand “More Compelling”

"We believe that there are parties out there that can help us on the content side. And so you can draw whatever conclusions you want from that," Jimmy Pitaro said.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Was anyone impressed with the non-sporting event content on ESPN to begin with?

 

[Disstevefan1]

Was anyone impressed with the non-sporting event content on ESPN to begin with?

Why can’t ESPN stick with sports??? There’s gotta be tons of sporting events that are never covered that they can cover.

 

[Bender123]

Why can’t ESPN stick with sports??? There’s gotta be tons of sporting events that are never covered that they can cover.

Sports center used to be daily viewing for me...now, I rarely look at ESPN. The last 15 years of politics and over seriousness of ESPN made me hate watching something I used to find as a pleasant escape.

 

[JD80]

Why can’t ESPN stick with sports??? There’s gotta be tons of sporting events that are never covered that they can cover.

What are you talking about.

 

[el_super]

The fact is the current DIS model for content creation combined with the multiple competitive content creation and distribution channels makes the DIS too expensive. This is what the current Hollywood strike is about. Simply things are too expensive for the new model and the new reality.

Bob, and the other studio heads, understands this and need concessions from SAG. However, Bob and the other studio heads cannot get together and formulate a uniform and cohesive plan.

What is Disney specific about this content creation model that makes it too expensive?

I suppose you can argue that Disney is too reliant on inter-connected Marvel movies that require hiring the same actors at ever increasing rates, or that Star Wars content is far too reliant on expensive VFX, but I don't really see a big difference between them and other studios, especially when it comes to hiring big name actors and writers.

On the flip side, I think Disney is actually in a really good position to weather the strike, if they put some of their content creation costs in restoring and digitizing some of their back catalogue for Disney+. Some of that spending wouldn't have made sense when new content creation was driving sub growth, but now that you can't create, you can still pump out content by re-releasing old content.

The one thing Disney still isn't really setup to do is pivot toward reality programming. That is definitely an opportunity for them.

But again, none of this indicates that the model is locked in stone and cannot be changed. They can change. They can make cheaper Marvel and Star Wars content with lesser known actors, or stop producing movies so reliant on VFX work.

 

[el_super]

As the "cable" package dies off you may see broadcast channels sell content to whatever platform gains popularity.

Interesting concept. What independent cable channel operators are still out there? Does anyone own AMC?

Maybe Disney could make a deal with the BBC for some of their content. Although I seem to remember there are some legalities with doing so since they are a government operation.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Why can’t ESPN stick with sports??? There’s gotta be tons of sporting events that are never covered that they can cover.

ESPN has the SEC football contract starting next year so I would think that would be big for them. But only a short amount of time during the season

 

[JD80]

The one thing Disney still isn't really setup to do is pivot toward reality programming. That is definitely an opportunity for them.

What I'm surprised is Disney hasn't put their own "streamer/blog" type content on Disney+ where you just watch people do all the global parks throughout the day and have their own round table podcasts. Should be pretty cheap to put together vs a $200M marvel series.

 

[JD80]

Interesting concept. What independent cable channel operators are still out there? Does anyone own AMC?

Maybe Disney could make a deal with the BBC for some of their content. Although I seem to remember there are some legalities with doing so since they are a government operation.

I have no idea, but buying cable packages with 100+ channels really a draw anymore?

 

[GhostHost1000]

What I'm surprised is Disney hasn't put their own "streamer/blog" type content on Disney+ where you just watch people do all the global parks throughout the day and have their own round table podcasts. Should be pretty cheap to put together vs a $200M marvel series.

I am honestly surprised they haven’t put more parks content on there to help draw more interest in the parks. That imagineer show was awesome. We need more of that. Hidden Mickey shows. Dining reviews. Etc tons of options

 

[JD80]

I am honestly surprised they haven’t put more parks content on there to help draw more interest in the parks. That imagineer show was awesome. We need more of that. Hidden Mickey shows. Dining reviews. Etc tons of options

Agreed, the imagineer show is probably still my favorite show on D+ and I love all the Marvel and Star Wars stuff.

Especially with all the D+ subscriber discounts for the parks. You'd think they would have DisneyParks space on the platform. Someone should hire me to fix this.

 

[Bender123]

And the news just keeps going downhill...Wall St Journal turned on Bob, now Hollywood Reporter.

Unpacking Bob Iger’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good PR Week

Many in Hollywood hoped the re-upped Disney CEO, long considered the corporate leader most in tune with talent, would emerge as a levelheaded mediator who could end the labor impasse. And then he spoke his mind.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

And the Cruise line lost another $325M in the past year.

Beyond this, massive losers in the theaters and a subpar 2022 that only brought about $550M across its Marvel tentpoles...It feels like the parks are all Disney has left, but if that falters, I have a feeling the next quarterly investor call is going to be very very tense. The SAG and Writers strike leave Disney flatfooted with not much to fall back on and not much in the pipeline to look forward to.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Agreed, the imagineer show is probably still my favorite show on D+ and I love all the Marvel and Star Wars stuff.

Especially with all the D+ subscriber discounts for the parks. You'd think they would have DisneyParks space on the platform. Someone should hire me to fix this.

D+ Parks - sponsored and run by all the smart people on WDWMAGIC forums!

 

[MisterPenguin]

And the news just keeps going downhill...Wall St Journal turned on Bob, now Hollywood Reporter.

Unpacking Bob Iger’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good PR Week

Many in Hollywood hoped the re-upped Disney CEO, long considered the corporate leader most in tune with talent, would emerge as a levelheaded mediator who could end the labor impasse. And then he spoke his mind.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

And the Cruise line lost another $325M in the past year.

Beyond this, massive losers in the theaters and a subpar 2022 that only brought about $550M across its Marvel tentpoles...It feels like the parks are all Disney has left, but if that falters, I have a feeling the next quarterly investor call is going to be very very tense. The SAG and Writers strike leave Disney flatfooted with not much to fall back on and not much in the pipeline to look forward to.

That Forbes article doesn't mention if the cost of their regularly scheduled new ship, the surprise purchase of another ship and all the extra costs of retrofitting it, and the cost of their new island is part of their expense, which would surely put them in the red -- in the short term.