News The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors Extends Robert A. Iger’s Contract as CEO Through 2026

Nubs70

Well-Known Member
The Netflix model…for one

They only turned the corner to profitability when they poured money into content and way outspent their competitors.

Anyone that thinks that D+ will be paid for with high sub costs and fees without a constant barrage of new, expensive content at all times should buy magic beans from me…

This is what the Bobs “neglected” to tell people in their sun valley speeches.

Cable was a hassle to dump…streams require a swipe. There’s is no way to sugarcoat that.
The customer has no Barrier to Exit.
 

_caleb

Well-Known Member
This is all valid and true, but where this argument falls apart is the knowledge that what happens at the development side is typically vastly disconnected from the platform side that has all of the data you mention above.
What makes you think these departments are so disconnected? What criteria do you think the production side takes into consideration when deciding what projects to greenlight? And why would you think that “current customer behavior” wouldn’t be at least one factor?
 

JD80

Well-Known Member
Probably not the thread for this but was this discussed somewhere?


In return for the league’s equity stake, according to the Post, ESPN would take control of NFL Media, the entity that owns the league’s production unit, NFL Films, and the league’s cable channels — the NFL Network and RedZone, NFL.com and NFL+, the recently launched streaming service that enables subscribers to watch games and other related content on mobile devices.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
I loooooathe Netflix. I come in for Stranger Things and then can't quit fast enough.

The Rock Wrestling GIF by WWE

The Rock Shut Up GIF by WWE


😂

I totally get where you're coming from. I would have dropped it years ago but too many members of my family still watch a lot of their content.
 

_caleb

Well-Known Member
Because it’s Disney?
But you know as well as anyone here how much data Disney has about you as a customer/guest/subscriber.

Data analytics is how Disney gets away with offering the minimum for maximum profits. Everyone here loves to whine and complain about how much they hate current Disney, yet they still give the mouse loads of money.

This DOESN'T mean they automatically know what to produce that will be a sure success. They make mistakes, they take some audiences for granted, they're subject to pandemics and social trends and economic downturns just like everyone else.

But Disney knows many are addicted to their products and that all the complaining doesn't line up with customer behavior. They knew they could cut DME because they knew it would have no real impact on attendance. They know how few rides we can experience in a day at the parks and still walk away thinking a day of standing in line was worth $150.

Disney knows that nostalgia will get us to watch yet another Toy Story sequel. They know that a live-action Rescuers Down Under will attract subscribers to D+ and draw new attention to the original film. They know they can keep cranking out a hundred variations on the same formulaic Marvel movie and that people will watch. Box office may be down as audiences are shifting to streaming, but Disney knows how the masses we spend money, so you can bet they're going to repeat any play that's proven to work as long as it works.

Almost everything people here complain about is just Disney following the data.
 

MrPromey

Well-Known Member
Customers HATE barriers to exit. Ask Comcast (Or used car dealerships).
Very true. I'm one of those customers.

Unfortunately though, this is one of those cases where customer and business interests don't align in a way that most businesses prefer.

For most businesses, one of the most expensive things they deal with is customer acquisition.

That means it's much better to keep the customers you have than it is to lose them and get new ones.

If you're not going to make it hard for them to leave, you need to either make it so cheap that staying really doesn't matter or make it compelling for them to stay which means providing the content they're really after.

Neither of those options rakes in the great profits they've been promising - certainly not the kind of profits needed to offset the declining theatrical revenue they've accelerated with their direct-to-consumer model.

Disney, since they make a disproportionate amount of their revenue from merchandising, licensing, theme park attractions with IP, etc. compared to other studios is in a unique position where they could treat production almost like a loss-leader if they could get budgets under control. I can certainly see that as a sustainable business model where they're able to undercut everyone else while keeping quality high* in a way no other streaming service could but that would be a survival of the fittest scenario.

What they want is more like thriving of the fattest.

*This would mean making high quality content that based on consumer appeal, seems to be alluding them right now. I don't mean good production but good production with good stories and scripts.
 

_caleb

Well-Known Member
Very true. I'm one of those customers.
Me, too!
If you're not going to make it hard for them to leave, you need to either make it so cheap that staying really doesn't matter or make it compelling for them to stay which means providing the content they're really after.
Right. And with Disney+ Disney started with "make it so cheap there's no reason not to subscribe" AND they made it "so compelling it's worth paying for/watching ads" by adding nearly everything film, series they have.
Neither of those options rakes in the great profits they've been promising - certainly not the kind of profits needed to offset the declining theatrical revenue they've accelerated with their direct-to-consumer model.
Folks here keep saying this, but it's not the complete picture. The subscription model isn't new to Disney-- they've been doing it for years with The Disney Channel. And what everyone keeps forgetting is that Direct-to-Consumer is bringing the Company much closer to the customer. They know more about you and they have more opportunities to sell you stuff.

Disney+ is like having you stay on site during your WDW vacation. They want to trap you in a bubble so they can sell stuff to you. Right now, they're raising prices and cutting costs. But soon they'll roll out additional revenue streams (shopping, gaming, and social) that will cost them very little but will maximize profits.
Disney, since they make a disproportionate amount of their revenue from merchandising, licensing, theme park attractions with IP, etc. compared to other studios is in a unique position where they could treat production almost like a loss-leader if they could get budgets under control. I can certainly see that as a sustainable business model where they're able to undercut everyone else while keeping quality high* in a way no other streaming service could but that would be a survival of the fittest scenario.
Exactly. The line between entertainment content and marketing content is going to get increasingly blurry. The content will be high (enough) quality to keep customers, but costs will be low enough to keep them profitable (just like the Disney Channel) while also serving to funnel people to the parks and into greater degrees of brand loyalty.
 
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