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

[doctornick]

So, what's up with ESPN+?

Last quarter it had a large loss of $65M (Q2):

Then this quarter, it was significantly profitable at $66M (Q3):

A total of $131M difference between the two quarters. I ask because keeping that in the black seems like it will be big part of having the streaming services overall be consistently profitable.

 

[BrianLo]

So, what's up with ESPN+?

Last quarter it had a large loss of $65M (Q2):

View attachment 807213

Then this quarter, it was significantly profitable at $66M (Q3):

View attachment 807212

A total of $131M difference between the two quarters. I ask because keeping that in the black seems like it will be big part of having the streaming services overall be consistently profitable.

D+ was not profitable this quarter, but the overall streaming service with ESPN+ was. Inverse of last quarter. Mostly because D+ ARPU domestically dropped a bit, which they told us would be the case on last earnings call. Ultimately everything should be fine next quarter and continue to climb with price hikes.

 

[doctornick]

D+ was not profitable this quarter, but the overall streaming service with ESPN+ was. Inverse of last quarter. Mostly because D+ ARPU domestically dropped a bit, which they told us would be the case on last earnings call. Ultimately everything should be fine next quarter and continue to climb with price hikes.

I saw that, but it wasn't my question. I am wondering what is up with how and why the ESPN+ profit/loss changed so dramatically the last two quarters.

 

[BrianLo]

I saw that, but it wasn't my question. I am wondering what is up with how and why the ESPN+ profit/loss changed so dramatically the last two quarters.

Really hard to say, they don't break it out properly.

"Growth in ESPN+ subscription revenue due to higher rates" - which hopefully are sustained?

Maybe a bundling mix change or advertising change (the core ESPN they highlight as a 17% growth in advertising)

 

[MisterPenguin]

No Surprise, Disney & NBCUniversal Disagree On Hulu Valuation With $5 Billion In The Balance

Disney and NBCUniversal are $5 billon apart in a dispute about how much the former must pay the latter for absorbing the rest of Hulu.

deadline.com

Ka-ching! Disney Turns Streaming Profit For First Time And Ahead Of Schedule

Disney beat its own target for streaming profits which came a quarter early and for the first time. 'Inside Out 2' helped triple entertainment income.

deadline.com

Bob Iger On ESPN Partnership Talks, “Tremendous Value” In NBA Rights Extension Despite Price Tag

Disney CEO Bob Iger said he sees "tremendous value" in the company's 11-year rights extension with the NBA despite the significant increase in costs.

deadline.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney Commits $5 Billion to U.K. and European Production Over Next Five Years

Disney is set to invest $5 billion in production across the U.K. and continental Europe over the next five years, according to its European chief.

variety.com

 

[BuddyThomas]

Hulu Picks Up Nathan Lane-Matt Bomer Comedy Series ‘Mid-Century Modern’ From ‘Will & Grace’ Creators & Ryan Murphy

In a very quick turnaround, Hulu has given a series order to 'Mid-Century Modern,' its multi-camera comedy pilot starring Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer.

deadline.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney-Reliance $8.5 Billion Media Merger Faces Antitrust Scrutiny in India Over Cricket Rights: Report

India's antitrust watchdog has expressed concerns about the proposed $8.5 billion merger between Reliance and Disney's media assets, per Reuters.

variety.com

‘Wicked Tuna’ to End With Season 13 on National Geographic (EXCLUSIVE)

"Wicked Tuna" has been canceled by National Geographic after concluding its Season 13.

variety.com

Premium Video Approaches 50 Million Subscribers in Southeast Asia, as Netflix Dominates Viewing Time – Report

Premium video approaches 50 million subscribers in Southeast Asia, as Netflix dominates viewing time. according to a new report.

variety.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Tubi Equals Disney+ July TV Market Share, Still Losing Money - Media Play News

Tubi Media Group’s branded ad-supported free streaming platform Tubi achieved a milestone in July. The streamer recorded the same overall TV viewing market share (a record 2.1%) as Disney+ across … Continue reading "Tubi Equals Disney+ July TV Market Share, Still Losing Money"

www.mediaplaynews.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney+ Sets Premiere Date For Jilly Cooper Adaptation ‘Rivals’

Disney+ has set a premiere date for 'Rivals,' the Jilly Cooper adaptation starring David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson and Danny Dyer.

deadline.com

Steven Knight’s ‘A Thousand Blows’ Releases First Look At Stephen Graham As Victorian London Boxer & More In UK Period Drama Series

Hulu has dropped some of the first photos of Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight's upcoming period drama series A Thousand Blows.

deadline.com

Disney CEO Bob Iger Calls His 2023 Linear TV Comments “A Mistake,” Says He Is “Obsessed” With Finally Nailing Succession Process

It was "a mistake" to say publicly in 2023 that linear TV assets "may not be core" to Disney, CEO Bob Iger said in a new podcast interview.

deadline.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney+ Expands Ad-Supported SVOD Access Across Europe - Media Play News

The Disney+ subscription streaming VOD service is expanding consumer access to its lower-priced ad-supported SVOD plans in Europe with the rollout of service in Finland, Holland and Portugal beginning Oct. … Continue reading "Disney+ Expands Ad-Supported SVOD Access Across Europe"

www.mediaplaynews.com

National Geographic's 'Animal Genius' to Start Streaming on Hulu Sept. 9 - Media Play News

The new National Geographic series “Animal Genius” will begin streaming on Hulu on Sept. 9, one day after its pay-TV debut on the National Geographic channel. The series stars Nat Geo … Continue reading "National Geographic’s ‘Animal Genius’ to Start Streaming on Hulu Sept. 9"

www.mediaplaynews.com

Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik, Also Known as ‘Pommel Horse Guy,’ Joins ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 33

Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik, also known as Clark Kent of the pommel horse, will compete on "Dancing With the Stars" Season 33.

variety.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

'Elton John: Never Too Late' to Premiere December 13 on Disney+ - The Walt Disney Company

"Elton John: Never Too Late" premieres Dec. 13, on Disney+. The documentary follows Elton John as he looks back on his life and career.

thewaltdisneycompany.com

Disney and DirecTV Trade Barbs as Carriage Talks Come Down to the Wire

Disney channels like ABC and ESPN could go dark this week on DirecTV if a new deal isn't reached.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Kate Winslet to Star in ‘The Spot’ Series for Hulu

Screenwriter Ed Solomon penned the A24 and 20th Television drama ordered straight to series.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Disney+/Hulu to Live-Stream First Harris-Trump Presidential Debate Sept. 10 - Media Play News

The Disney+ and Hulu streaming services will live-stream the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. ET from the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia. The event, which is being exclusively broadcast on...

www.mediaplaynews.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

ESPN Signs 12-Year Deal With USTA

The deal will make the network the exclusive rightsholder of the US Open in the U.S. through 2037, and give it enhanced streaming rights, and the ability to sublicense some matches.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Mukesh Ambani Welcomes Disney to the Reliance Family, Reveals Plans for World’s Lowest-Cost AI: ‘Beginning of a New Era in Indian Entertainment’

Mukesh Ambani, chair of India's Reliance Industries, has hailed the landmark partnership with Disney and revealed ambitious AI plans.

variety.com

'Wizards Beyond Waverly Place' Premieres October 29 on Disney Channel, Next Day on Disney+ - The Walt Disney Company

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, a continuation of the Emmy® Award-winning Wizards of Waverly Place, premieres with two episodes Tuesday, October 29, at 8 p.m. …Read More

thewaltdisneycompany.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

ESPN Launches ‘Where to Watch’ to Help Sports Fans Find Their Favorite Games - The Walt Disney Company

"Where to Watch," which launched Wednesday, is an easy-to-use guide for fans to find where to watch any sports event on ESPN and beyond.

thewaltdisneycompany.com

ESPN's 'First Take' Announces HBCU Schedule for this Fall - The Walt Disney Company

ESPN’s "First Take" announced Wednesday three live shows on-site at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) this fall.

thewaltdisneycompany.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney Channels, Including ABC and ESPN, Pulled From DirecTV in Major Carriage Dispute

Disney previously saw its channels go dark a year ago in a dispute with Charter Spectrum.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Here’s What You Need to Know About the Dispute Between DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company - The Walt Disney Company

Millions of DirecTV customers are left in the dark due to a dispute between DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company. Here's what you need to know.

thewaltdisneycompany.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

‘Nightbitch’ Trailer: Amy Adams Eats Dog Food and Transforms Into a Canine in Comedy Horror

Searchlight Pictures has released the trailer for "Nightbitch," a horror comedy starring Amy Adams based on the 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder.

variety.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Important to read...

The Postwar Streaming Market: A Special Report

The SVOD business is transforming yet again as it moves further into a post-streaming wars era following Netflix's victory.

variety.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

YouTube Claims No. 1 Spot Among TV Distributors in July

The platform is the first streamer to claim the top ranking in Nielsen's monthly report; NBCUniversal also gets a bump thanks to the Olympics.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney+ Adds Live Channels Streaming 24/7

Disney+ rolls out a Disney Junior and an ABC News live channel.

comicbook.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Bruce Springsteen Documentary ‘Road Diary’ To Premiere On Hulu, Disney+ In October – Update

The Bruce Springsteen doc 'Road Diary' has locked in an October premiere on Hulu and Disney+.

deadline.com

New âBluey Minisodesâ Coming October 7 To Disney+

Disney Branded Television announced today that the next seven “Bluey Minisodes” episodes will begin streaming Monday, October 7 on Disney+ at 12:00 a.m. PDT, and will roll out on Disney Jr., Disney Channel and Disney Jr. On Demand throughout the week.

press.disneyplus.com