Disney's Streaming Services: Disney+ (and Hulu, ESPN+, Star, & hotstar)

[DCBaker]

From a THR article quoting Disney Advertising Chief Rita Ferro.

"Disney launched the advertising tier of Disney+ less than a year ago, and according to Ferro, the interest in consumers has picked up since then.

Ferro says that more than 50 percent of new subscribers to Disney+ are choosing the ad tier (that is up from 40 percent earlier this year), and that engagement on the ad version of the streaming service has increased by 35 percent since March.

“Engagement is one of the key metrics for advertising, so it’s a really important metric that we track,” Ferro says."

More in the full article at the link below

Disney Advertising Chief Rita Ferro Adds Global Oversight as Disney+ Ad Business Expands (Exclusive)

Ferro says that 50 percent of new Disney+ subs are choosing the ad tier, as the company is set to launch it in global markets next month.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Indy_UK]

Whatever works and makes the service profitable

 

[_caleb]

I still think advertising is the biggest opportunity in business right now. So far, they've mostly just taken the linear approach (often literally the same commercials) and put them on streaming. And since streaming knows more about us than dumb boxes, we end up with "targeted" commercials that are often replayed over and over.

If someone (Disney?) can figure out how to incorporate ads into our streams that better fit into the experience, are truly relevant, and actually interactive, I think it'd be a huge win.

 

[KeithVH]

From a THR article quoting Disney Advertising Chief Rita Ferro.

"Disney launched the advertising tier of Disney+ less than a year ago, and according to Ferro, the interest in consumers has picked up since then.

Ferro says that more than 50 percent of new subscribers to Disney+ are choosing the ad tier (that is up from 40 percent earlier this year), and that engagement on the ad version of the streaming service has increased by 35 percent since March.

“Engagement is one of the key metrics for advertising, so it’s a really important metric that we track,” Ferro says."

More in the full article at the link below

Now I really wanna know what their definition of "engagement" is for metrics purposes.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney should get into FAST channels.

Just imagine separate channels dedicated to just having Moana or Encanto or Frozen repeating 24/7....

 

[TP2000]

More in the full article at the link below

Disney Advertising Chief Rita Ferro Adds Global Oversight as Disney+ Ad Business Expands (Exclusive)

Ferro says that 50 percent of new Disney+ subs are choosing the ad tier, as the company is set to launch it in global markets next month.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

I don't know what Ms. Ferro is really saying, but I like her hair. It looks like she's on a patio dinner party near the beach, and a light sea breeze is flipping her feathery bangs and side fringe out naturally. It's a great look, and even at middle age she can still pull it off very well. Brava, Ms. Ferro! You look great.

But I still won't subscribe to Disney+ until they start offering 1960's episodes of Wonderful World of Color hosted by Walt.

 

[Disney Irish]

Tomorrow is the first day when we could start hearing about Hulu....

Disney and Comcast’s Hulu Staredown Nears End: Who Wins on the Price Tag?

Starting on Nov. 1, an option to begin the deal process for the 33 percent stake in the streaming platform — expected to be worth north of $9 billion — can be triggered.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Tomorrow is the first day when we could start hearing about Hulu....

Disney and Comcast’s Hulu Staredown Nears End: Who Wins on the Price Tag?

Starting on Nov. 1, an option to begin the deal process for the 33 percent stake in the streaming platform — expected to be worth north of $9 billion — can be triggered.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Where can I get paid to make assessments of "It may be X amount... or twice as much."?

Citi analyst Jason Bazinet suggested in an Oct. 26 Disney report that the company’s various deals being considered by Iger could see possible asset sales — including its India business and linear TV assets — pay for the takeover of full control of Hulu. “Given Disney’s agreement with Comcast, the firm is set to gain full ownership of Hulu by early 2024,” he wrote. “Our bull case implies Disney would make around (a) $9.1 billion payment, while our bear case implies about (a) $19 billion payment.”​

 

[_caleb]

Where can I get paid to make assessments of "It may be X amount... or twice as much."?

Citi analyst Jason Bazinet suggested in an Oct. 26 Disney report that the company’s various deals being considered by Iger could see possible asset sales — including its India business and linear TV assets — pay for the takeover of full control of Hulu. “Given Disney’s agreement with Comcast, the firm is set to gain full ownership of Hulu by early 2024,” he wrote. “Our bull case implies Disney would make around (a) $9.1 billion payment, while our bear case implies about (a) $19 billion payment.”​

Mark my words: it will be more than $1000!

 

[_caleb]

On a related note, I've recently been getting ads on all Hulu content even though I pay for ad-free. Is this deliberate? Anyone else experiencing this?

 

[DCBaker]

News on Hulu.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) announced today that it will acquire the 33% stake in Hulu, LLC held by Comcast Corp.’s (NASDAQ: CMCSA) NBC Universal (NBCU), following Comcast’s November 1 exercise of its right under the put/call arrangement between the two companies. The acquisition of Comcast’s stake in Hulu at fair market value will further Disney’s streaming objectives.

Under the terms of the put/call arrangement, by December 1, Disney expects it will pay NBCU approximately $8.61 billion, representing NBCU’s percentage of the $27.5 billion guaranteed floor value for Hulu that was set when the companies entered into their agreement in 2019 minus the anticipated outstanding capital call contributions payable by NBCU to Disney. Under the appraisal process agreed to by Disney and Comcast, Hulu’s equity fair value will be assessed as of September 30, 2023, and if the value is ultimately determined to be greater than the guaranteed floor value, Disney will pay NBCU its percentage of the difference between the equity fair value and the guaranteed floor value. While the timing of the appraisal process is uncertain, we anticipate it should be completed during the 2024 calendar year.

The Walt Disney Company to Purchase Remaining Stake in Hulu from Comcast - The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company to purchase remaining stake in Hulu From Comcast.

thewaltdisneycompany.com

 

[monothingie]

The $8.61B number is wishful thinking on Disney's part.

Key part of the Press Release
"Under the appraisal process agreed to by Disney and Comcast, Hulu’s equity fair value will be assessed as of September 30, 2023, and if the value is ultimately determined to be greater than the guaranteed floor value, Disney will pay NBCU its percentage of the difference between the equity fair value and the guaranteed floor value. While the timing of the appraisal process is uncertain, we anticipate it should be completed during the 2024 calendar year."

I can imagine some people in Philadelphia are laughing right now.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The $8.61B number is wishful thinking on Disney's part.

Key part of the Press Release
"Under the appraisal process agreed to by Disney and Comcast, Hulu’s equity fair value will be assessed as of September 30, 2023, and if the value is ultimately determined to be greater than the guaranteed floor value, Disney will pay NBCU its percentage of the difference between the equity fair value and the guaranteed floor value. While the timing of the appraisal process is uncertain, we anticipate it should be completed during the 2024 calendar year."

I can imagine some people in Philadelphia are laughing right now.

I’m about 10 miles from the tower and you can actually hear the laughter…if the wind is westerly and I climb on my roof.

 

[Cliff]

All I want to know is when will D+ start to break even and stop gushing blood...100's of millions of dollars worth...every single quarter...of every year since the day it was born.

The day it actually generates it's VERY FIRST $.001 cent of real profit...will be an amazing day of celebration and rejoice for all of us! Will it be next year,...in 5 years....or never? I dunno....

 

[_caleb]

All I want to know is when will D+ start to break even and stop gushing blood...100's of millions of dollars worth...every single quarter...of every year since the day it was born.

The day it actually generates it's VERY FIRST $.001 cent of real profit...will be an amazing day of celebration and rejoice for all of us! Will it be next year,...in 5 years....or never? I dunno....

The plan was for Disney+ to be profitable Q3 2024. And they have a plan: streamline production, cut costs, lean into ads, license some of their content to other platforms, and probably leverage subscriber information. They'll probably fold Hulu into D+ in some way, too. Less than a year isn't long, though, is it?

 

[Disney Irish]

The plan was for Disney+ to be profitable Q3 2024. And the have a plan: streamline production, cut costs, lean into ads, license some of their content to other platforms, and probably leverage subscriber information. They'll probably fold Hulu into D+ in some way, too. Less than a year isn't long, though, is it?

I don't believe it was ever said which quarter in FY24 D+ was to be profitable, just that it would be by the end of FY24.

Also yes its already been announced that Hulu would be merged into D+ as one of its tiles, just like Star is outside the US. It was suppose to be by the end of 2023, but I believe its been pushed back until sometime in spring 2024.

 

[_caleb]

I don't believe it was ever said which quarter in FY24 D+ was to be profitable, just that it would be by the end of FY24.

Also yes its already been announced that Hulu would be merged into D+ as one of its tiles, just like Star is outside the US. It was suppose to be by the end of 2023, but I believe its been pushed back until sometime in spring 2024.

Good point. Not sure where I got “by Q3.” Also, isn’t FYE end of Sept?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Wow. D+ suddenly realizes that it's a video retailer and realizes that it should use the video format to advertise its shows...

Beatles’ ‘Now and Then’ Mini-Documentary Tells Story of Belated Final Track: ‘It’s Like John’s There — It’s Far Out,’ Says Paul McCartney

A new 12-minute documentary released on Apple+ tells the story behind the Beatles' 'Now and Then' track, with footage of the 1995 and 2022 sessions.

variety.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

How much is Disney going to pay Comcast for Hulu?

The deal Disney and Comcast made for Hulu was in 2024 Disney can buy 100% of Hulu for at a minimum valuation of $27.5 billion. So the question is what is Hulu worth. Netflix has a market cap of about $83.3 billion but has four times the number of customers. The means will Disney be over...

forums.wdwmagic.com

 

[Disney Irish]

Good point. Not sure where I got “by Q3.” Also, isn’t FYE end of Sept?

Yes TWDC FY ends in September.